Speeches, Statements & International Documents

30 DAYS AT WISMA PUTRA TOWARDS THE VISION OF “MALAYSIAN FAMILY, WORLD FAMILY”

In achieving the mission of a ‘results-oriented Cabinet' within the first 100 days in office as espoused by YAB Prime Minister Dato' Sri Ismail Sabri, several initiatives were implemented within my first 30 days serving at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Wisma Putra), which includes:

• Drafting the Foreign Policy Framework, which focuses on current issues and challenges at the international level. Once finalised, the framework will be subsequently tabled to Cabinet and discussed by the Parliamentary Select Committee on International Affairs in Parliament.

• Strengthening bilateral and multilateral relations through discussions with Foreign Ministers of Australia, Brunei, China, Indonesia, Qatar, Singapore, Thailand and Turkey, the US Secretary of State and the Secretary General of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), besides meetings with Heads of Missions from ASEAN, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Ambassadors from Permanent Members of the UN Security Council.

• Expounding on the vision of YAB Prime Minister of Malaysia of a ‘World Family’ as encapsulated in his speech at the 76th United Nations General Assembly on 25 September 2021, where he called on the international community to close ranks and foster closer cooperation towards the post COVID-19 pandemic phase.

• Strengthening international cooperation through Health Diplomacy to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. This was proven through Malaysia’s contributions of medical equipment to Indonesia and an additional 1 million doses of the Sinovac vaccine that China will deliver to us soon. Malaysia appreciates the contributions by various countries to our vaccine supply.

• Improving consultations on Malaysia’s foreign policy by establishing the Consultative Council on Foreign Policy (CCFP), which comprises 17 members from various fields including the government, captains of industry and community leaders. The Council has met twice since its inception. Wisma Putra has also secured the Parliament House Committee’s approval to form a Special Select Committee on International Affairs.

• Prioritising the safety of Afghanistan’s people amid their ongoing crisis. I have appointed a Special Advisor for Afghanistan Affairs to ensure Malaysia focuses on humanitarian assistance for the people of Afghanistan. To mobilise our humanitarian mission in Afghanistan, Malaysia will contribute USD100,000 through the UN. This proves our commitment towards upholding peace and stability in West Asia, especially in Afghanistan. I also officiated at the KL Conference on Afghanistan on 26 September 2021, which discussed the current situation, humanitarian mission and the path towards reconciliation in the country.

In line with YAB Prime Minister’s call, Wisma Putra will continue to strengthen diplomatic ties and work closely with the international community to pursue health diplomacy, vaccine equity, and reignite the economy post-pandemic. We at Wisma Putra also remain steadfast in implementing various initiatives, including Malaysia’s candidature for the United Nations Human Rights Council for 2022-2024.

DATO’ SAIFUDDIN ABDULLAH

4 OCTOBER 2021