KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 30 — The Foreign Ministry will not be taking any further action against Datuk Arshad Hussain, the diplomat who controversially voted against censuring Iran.
The envoy will remain in Vienna so he can attend to "personal matters" until further instructions from the ministry.
The Malaysian Insider has learned that the ministry has opted to wait for Arshad’s contract to run out. It is due to expire on March 8 next year. Arshad had retired last year and was given a contract extension.
The ministry will also ask the ambassador to resign from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) because he is contracted to the IAEA Board of Governors until 2011.
Arshad was recalled by the ministry after he voted against an IAEA resolution criticising Iran for ignoring UN Security Council and nuclear watchdog demands by continuing to build its nuclear enrichment programme.
Foreign Minister Datuk Anifah Aman confirmed to The Malaysian Insider that the envoy had been recalled because "he did not follow procedures and consult the minister".
It is understood that Wisma Putra and the administration are concerned over international public perception after Malaysia, along with Venezuela and Cuba, voted against the IAEA resolution.
The ministry’s Department of Information and Public Diplomacy (JPDA) also sent a circular to the country’s entire foreign mission that it was conducting a comprehensive report on the international media coverage on the incident.
The IAEA vote threatens to put Malaysia in the same category as Venezuela and Cuba, two countries well known to be at odds with Washington.
This is the second time in recent months that Malaysian officials are scrambling to minimise damage over diplomatic mistakes and gaffes.
Last month, Datuk Seri Najib Razak had praised former US President George W. Bush for his policies on free trade during the prime minister's visit to Singapore while attending the Apec leaders’ summit.
The implication, as noted by some US officials, was that in Najib's view Barack Obama was against free trade.
Government officials were forced to reassure their US counterparts that Najib did not mean any slight towards Obama.
The Malaysian Insider understands that such missteps and the vocal stand of some Malaysian leaders against the US have not helped in the Najib administration's courtship of Obama.
US officials are understood to be perplexed by Malaysia's position on issues such as the recent IAEA vote.
The IAEA resolution criticises Iran for defying a UN Security Council ban on uranium enrichment — the source of both nuclear fuel and the fissile core of warheads.
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