‘Nothing unusual about sending special envoys overseas’

KUALA LUMPUR: Sending special envoys overseas is not against the law and is often done by the government to hold discussions with other countries on specific issues, said Foreign Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah.

He said that in certain matters, the government could send the foreign minister but there are also times when other ministers are sent for specific purposes.

“There are many ways of dealing with our foreign friends, sometimes we send the Foreign Minister, sometimes we send Minister of Finance, sometimes we send the Minister of Economic Affairs. “So it depends on the situation. “It is a case by case thing,” he told reporters at the Parliament lobby when asked to comment on the decision by Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad to send the Council of Eminent Persons ( CEP) chairman Tun Daim Zainuddin to China recently.

Defending the move, Saifuddin said Daim was given the terms of reference and he reported back on the outcome of his visit to China directly to the prime minister.

He said the main thing that should be given attention to regarding Daim’s visit was on how Malaysia and China could boost bilateral ties.

“Our relationship with China is not something new, diplomatic relations were officially established in 1974.

“But people-to-people and cultural relations have been around for hundreds of years.

“We have to continue, we want to foster good relations, good ties and if possible we want better ties with China.

“Yes, we have some issues but I think that is part of the terms of reference and I think that is why Tun Daim was sent as special envoy,” he said.

In Parliament, Rembau MP Khairy Jamaluddin had questioned the role played Daim and CEP, claiming that they not only acted as advisors but also gave instructions to the government.

However, this was denied by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Liew Vui Keong who reiterated that the CEP only played an advisory role and did not have executive powers.