Anifah
KOTA KINABALU: As Malaysia’s top diplomat, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein should be more circumspect and tactful in his choice of word or phrase.
“After all, as the saying goes, diplomacy is the first line of defence,” said former Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman.
Anifah was commenting on the issue of Foreign Minister Hishammuddin addressing State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi as ‘Elder (big) brother during a recent joint press conference.
Many people, Anifah said, have commented on the matter, including the leader of the Opposition, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim who stated the use of the term was inappropriate, and Hishammuddin should “immediately apologise to the rakyat, and withdraw his remark”.
Instead, Anifah pointed out Hishammuddin justified his action by saying “the phrase I used was not referring to our bilateral relations” but “respecting that Wang Yi is older, and a more senior Foreign Minister; hence ‘elder brother’ to me personally.”
“In regard to this, simply put, my comment is: Dato’ Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein has committed a diplomatic faux pas. The phrase used by Hishammuddin was not only inappropriate but had clearly put State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi in a difficult and embarrassing position. Wang Yi’s body language said it all, and he quickly uttered the phrase “we are brothers”.
Instead of arguing and trying to justify such wrong choice of phrase, Hishammuddin should have just accepted that he has committed a diplomatic faux pas, Anifah opined.
“It was wrong enough to commit a diplomatic faux pas but to argue and try to justify such diplomatic faux pas clearly show the real character of the person,” he said.
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