Credit : Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi's X
KUALA LUMPUR, October 28 – Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi today received a courtesy call from three newly appointed Malaysian heads of mission who are about to take up their postings in Canada, Belgium and the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The meeting took place at Parliament, Zahid said in a post on his official X account this evening, where he hosted Malaysia’s High Commissioner to Canada John K. Samuel, Ambassador to Belgium Shaiful Anuar Mohammad and Ambassador to Iran Datuk Wan Aznainizam Yusri Wan Abdul Rashid.
“I believe the experience and expertise of His Excellency John K. Samuel, His Excellency Shaiful Anuar Mohammad and His Excellency Dato’ Wan Aznainizam Yusri Wan Abdul Rashid will help strengthen Malaysia’s relations with their respective host countries,” Zahid wrote. He also wished the three envoys well as they prepare to leave for their new assignments. “I wish them every success in their duties. Let us all pray that all their affairs are made easy and that this trust can be carried out in the best possible way for the Malaysia we love,” he said, tagging the post #DiplomasiMalaysia.
Photographs shared with the post show Zahid standing with the three diplomats in front of the Parliament of Malaysia crest, in what was a brief and formal send-off before the envoys begin their work abroad.
The visit comes just over a week after His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, presented letters of appointment to the three heads of mission at a ceremony in the Small Throne Room of Istana Negara in Kuala Lumpur on October 19. At the same ceremony, His Majesty also received the letters of credence of 18 foreign heads of mission appointed to Malaysia, 13 of whom will be based in the country while five will serve as non-resident envoys, according to reports by Bernama and other national media.
Under Malaysian practice, heads of mission bound for their postings typically call on national leaders before departure, giving them a chance to be briefed on the government’s priorities and on the issues they are expected to handle in their host countries. Samuel will serve as High Commissioner rather than Ambassador because Malaysia and Canada are both members of the Commonwealth, whose member states exchange high commissioners instead of ambassadors. Shaiful Anuar heads to Brussels, the Belgian capital that is also home to the main institutions of the European Union, while Wan Aznainizam Yusri will lead Malaysia’s mission in Tehran.
Zahid, who is also Minister of Rural and Regional Development, regularly receives visiting dignitaries and officials at Parliament. His remarks underline the government’s emphasis on economic and diplomatic outreach, with Malaysia’s missions abroad expected to promote trade, investment and people-to-people ties alongside their traditional diplomatic work. Malaysia’s network of embassies and high commissions also provides consular help to Malaysians living, studying and travelling overseas. The three envoys are expected to present their credentials to their host governments after they arrive at their new posts.
Source: Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi on X
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