Critics say Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz's action can be seen as a breach of diplomatic protocol and neutrality.
PHOTO: HAFLINNAZRIAZIZ/INSTAGRAM
Hazlin Hassan
Feb 12, 2025
KUALA LUMPUR – Following US President Donald Trump’s re-election victory in November 2024, world leaders ranging from UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto scrambled to get on congratulatory phone calls with him. But up until now, Malaysia Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has yet to have his turn.
Academic and former deputy minister Ong Kian Ming chalked this up as a key “fail” on the part of Malaysia’s most recent ambassador to the US, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz.
The former minister, who has in the past stirred controversy over remarks on race and policy, officially concluded his two-year stint on Feb 8, did not leave the US without causing a fracas.
A photo of him holding up a Make America Great Again (Maga) sign at a victory rally for Mr Trump, posted on his wife Haflin Saiful’s Instagram account in January, sparked condemnation among some Malaysian observers.
The slogan, a rallying cry for the sitting US president, has become a catch-all phrase encompassing punitive trade tariffs and migrant deportations. Critics say that Mr Nazri’s action can be seen as a breach of diplomatic protocol and neutrality.
Veteran diplomat Dennis Ignatius, who last served as Malaysia’s High Commissioner to Canada, called Mr Nazri’s display at the Trump rally “shameful and unprofessional”.
“Very unbecoming for any ambassador to behave in such a manner. It goes against established protocol, diplomatic practice and good sense,” he said, according to a Feb 7 MalaysiaNow report.
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He added: “Even the US ambassador here (in Malaysia) does not go about with Maga hats.”
Now, all eyes are on Mr Nazri’s successor, with commentators saying that a stronger and more circumspect figure is needed to forge better relations with the US, especially with a mercurial president in the White House.
Mr Nazri’s appointment in 2023 as ambassador had raised eyebrows, with several former diplomats questioning the move as he is not a career diplomat but a political appointee.
But Datuk Seri Anwar had defended the move, saying it was made during former premier Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s administration, and that confirmation from Washington had arrived before he took office in late 2022.
Mr Nazri, 70, is no stranger to controversy. During the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021, he faced public backlash for travelling to France to register his son for school there. Critics said that he should have remained in the country to focus on constituents in his rural seat in north-west Perak state.
His often abrasive communication style has led to several confrontations with political opponents and the media over the years.
Professor Ong pointed out Mr Nazri’s inability to arrange a phone call between Mr Anwar and Mr Trump following the US presidential election.
“The most obvious ‘fail’ by Nazri is not holding up the Maga sign, but his inability to arrange for a phone call between Anwar and Trump... These calls are important ‘signals’ in the diplomatic community,” he said in a Feb 7 statement to the media, noting that other South-east Asian leaders had managed to secure such calls.
Prof Ong, who is pro-vice-chancellor for external engagement at Taylor’s University, said that Malaysia needs an ambassador with strong connections domestically and in the US.
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Mr Nazri defended himself with regard to the Maga sign. “We cannot show such a firm stand (against Israel) yet try so hard to speak with the Trump administration. That makes us look two-faced,” he said, in a Free Malaysia Today report on Feb 7.
As speculation swirls over who will replace Mr Nazri, Prof Ong proffered a list of potential candidates for Putrajaya’s consideration as Malaysia’s next ambassador to the US, which has elicited excitement among some observers.
The list includes the chairman of the Institute of Strategic and International Studies Malaysia, Datuk Prof Mohd Faiz Abdullah; Mr Anwar’s daughter and Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar; jailed ex-PM Najib Razak’s brother and former CIMB group chairman Nazir Razak; Minister of Investment, Trade, and Industry (MITI) Tengku Zafrul Aziz; and former MP Yusmadi Yusoff.
According to a source close to Mr Anwar, several candidates are also lobbying for the position, including Senator and former minister Anifah Aman, and former international trade and industry minister Mustapa Mohamed.
Prof Ong said the ambassador must be able to engage with US leaders, formally and informally, through meetings as well as social media. Highlighting Mr Nazri’s dormant X account and his lack of a personal Instagram account, Prof Ong said that an active social media presence for overseas envoys is vital to project a positive image of Malaysia.
The next envoy should also have “direct access” to Mr Anwar so as to convey important information on bilateral relations and offer strategic policy recommendations, he added.
Hazlin Hassan
Feb 12, 2025
KUALA LUMPUR – Following US President Donald Trump’s re-election victory in November 2024, world leaders ranging from UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto scrambled to get on congratulatory phone calls with him. But up until now, Malaysia Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has yet to have his turn.
Academic and former deputy minister Ong Kian Ming chalked this up as a key “fail” on the part of Malaysia’s most recent ambassador to the US, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz.
The former minister, who has in the past stirred controversy over remarks on race and policy, officially concluded his two-year stint on Feb 8, did not leave the US without causing a fracas.
A photo of him holding up a Make America Great Again (Maga) sign at a victory rally for Mr Trump, posted on his wife Haflin Saiful’s Instagram account in January, sparked condemnation among some Malaysian observers.
The slogan, a rallying cry for the sitting US president, has become a catch-all phrase encompassing punitive trade tariffs and migrant deportations. Critics say that Mr Nazri’s action can be seen as a breach of diplomatic protocol and neutrality.
Veteran diplomat Dennis Ignatius, who last served as Malaysia’s High Commissioner to Canada, called Mr Nazri’s display at the Trump rally “shameful and unprofessional”.
“Very unbecoming for any ambassador to behave in such a manner. It goes against established protocol, diplomatic practice and good sense,” he said, according to a Feb 7 MalaysiaNow report.
Yes, I would also like to receive SPH Media Group's
SPH Media Limited, its related corporations and affiliates as well as their agents and authorised service providers. marketing and promotions.
He added: “Even the US ambassador here (in Malaysia) does not go about with Maga hats.”
Now, all eyes are on Mr Nazri’s successor, with commentators saying that a stronger and more circumspect figure is needed to forge better relations with the US, especially with a mercurial president in the White House.
Mr Nazri’s appointment in 2023 as ambassador had raised eyebrows, with several former diplomats questioning the move as he is not a career diplomat but a political appointee.
But Datuk Seri Anwar had defended the move, saying it was made during former premier Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s administration, and that confirmation from Washington had arrived before he took office in late 2022.
Mr Nazri, 70, is no stranger to controversy. During the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021, he faced public backlash for travelling to France to register his son for school there. Critics said that he should have remained in the country to focus on constituents in his rural seat in north-west Perak state.
His often abrasive communication style has led to several confrontations with political opponents and the media over the years.
Professor Ong pointed out Mr Nazri’s inability to arrange a phone call between Mr Anwar and Mr Trump following the US presidential election.
“The most obvious ‘fail’ by Nazri is not holding up the Maga sign, but his inability to arrange for a phone call between Anwar and Trump... These calls are important ‘signals’ in the diplomatic community,” he said in a Feb 7 statement to the media, noting that other South-east Asian leaders had managed to secure such calls.
Prof Ong, who is pro-vice-chancellor for external engagement at Taylor’s University, said that Malaysia needs an ambassador with strong connections domestically and in the US.
Malaysia PM Anwar says will build trade relations, not wait for US tariffsAsia and the Trump administration 2.0
Mr Nazri defended himself with regard to the Maga sign. “We cannot show such a firm stand (against Israel) yet try so hard to speak with the Trump administration. That makes us look two-faced,” he said, in a Free Malaysia Today report on Feb 7.
As speculation swirls over who will replace Mr Nazri, Prof Ong proffered a list of potential candidates for Putrajaya’s consideration as Malaysia’s next ambassador to the US, which has elicited excitement among some observers.
The list includes the chairman of the Institute of Strategic and International Studies Malaysia, Datuk Prof Mohd Faiz Abdullah; Mr Anwar’s daughter and Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar; jailed ex-PM Najib Razak’s brother and former CIMB group chairman Nazir Razak; Minister of Investment, Trade, and Industry (MITI) Tengku Zafrul Aziz; and former MP Yusmadi Yusoff.
According to a source close to Mr Anwar, several candidates are also lobbying for the position, including Senator and former minister Anifah Aman, and former international trade and industry minister Mustapa Mohamed.
Prof Ong said the ambassador must be able to engage with US leaders, formally and informally, through meetings as well as social media. Highlighting Mr Nazri’s dormant X account and his lack of a personal Instagram account, Prof Ong said that an active social media presence for overseas envoys is vital to project a positive image of Malaysia.
The next envoy should also have “direct access” to Mr Anwar so as to convey important information on bilateral relations and offer strategic policy recommendations, he added.
PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar and Minister of Investment, Trade, and Industry Tengku Zafrul Aziz are among the list of potential candidates for Putrajaya’s consideration as Malaysia’s next ambassador to the US proffered by academic and former deputy minister Ong Kian Ming.
PHOTO: THE BRITISH MALAYSIAN SOCIETY/FACEBOOK
Mr Amir Fareed Rahim, strategic director at risk consultancy KRA Group, said that the ambassadorial role has become more challenging of late amid growing global geopolitical uncertainties.
“The job has become much tougher, not only because of Trump but also due to the complex nature of US-Malaysia bilateral relations,” he told The Straits Times, adding that the two countries remain major trading partners despite widespread public anger in Malaysia over the Gaza war.
“Whoever is chosen must navigate the increasingly transactional nature of American statecraft, to present Malaysia’s interests as compatible with the America First mindset that has arguably taken over both sides of the political aisle there,” he said.
Meanwhile, some of the potential candidates have rebuffed speculation on the matter.
Mr Yusmadi, a lawyer by profession, and seen as part of PM Anwar’s inner circle, according to Prof Ong, told ST: “Out of all the names, I am the least possible. If it were to happen, it would be a miracle.”
But he stressed the importance of the ambassadorial role, saying: “Like it or not, the US is a key global player, and for Asean to be successfully effective at all levels, economic, social and cultural level, we need the US.”
As for Mr Zafrul, his current focus is to continue his duties at MITI, more so with Malaysia assuming the Asean chairmanship in 2025.
The minister said he was aware of media reports regarding suggestions from certain quarters that he be appointed as Malaysia’s ambassador to the US after his term as senator ends in December. “For me, any position offered now or in the future is up to the prime minister,” he told the Malay Mail news website on Feb 9.Hazlin Hassan is Malaysia correspondent for The Straits Times.
Mr Amir Fareed Rahim, strategic director at risk consultancy KRA Group, said that the ambassadorial role has become more challenging of late amid growing global geopolitical uncertainties.
“The job has become much tougher, not only because of Trump but also due to the complex nature of US-Malaysia bilateral relations,” he told The Straits Times, adding that the two countries remain major trading partners despite widespread public anger in Malaysia over the Gaza war.
“Whoever is chosen must navigate the increasingly transactional nature of American statecraft, to present Malaysia’s interests as compatible with the America First mindset that has arguably taken over both sides of the political aisle there,” he said.
Meanwhile, some of the potential candidates have rebuffed speculation on the matter.
Mr Yusmadi, a lawyer by profession, and seen as part of PM Anwar’s inner circle, according to Prof Ong, told ST: “Out of all the names, I am the least possible. If it were to happen, it would be a miracle.”
But he stressed the importance of the ambassadorial role, saying: “Like it or not, the US is a key global player, and for Asean to be successfully effective at all levels, economic, social and cultural level, we need the US.”
As for Mr Zafrul, his current focus is to continue his duties at MITI, more so with Malaysia assuming the Asean chairmanship in 2025.
The minister said he was aware of media reports regarding suggestions from certain quarters that he be appointed as Malaysia’s ambassador to the US after his term as senator ends in December. “For me, any position offered now or in the future is up to the prime minister,” he told the Malay Mail news website on Feb 9.Hazlin Hassan is Malaysia correspondent for The Straits Times.
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