YOURSAY | 'The foreign service must also make sacrifices in these trying times.'

Please give Wisma Putra more funding - Saifuddin to Guan Eng

Gerard Lourdesamy: Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah, why not reduce the number of diplomatic postings in foreign countries? Why do we need representation in so many countries, including politically insignificant ones?

We can share premises with our Asean neighbours or Commonwealth countries and also appoint third countries to represent our interests in some nations where we do need to establish or maintain a separate embassy or high commission.

Why not consider appointing more honorary consuls or consuls-general in the host country, rather than stationing our diplomats there?

We must also reduce the size of our missions. Why do we need so many trade, scientific, culture and defence attaches in our missions?

Apart from the key postings like those in Washington, Beijing, London, Tokyo, Paris, Berlin, Brussels, Moscow and New Delhi, we should reduce the number and size of our missions.

As for the UN, our diplomatic officers based in our embassies or high commissions in Washington, Bern, Vienna and Nairobi can be seconded to the UN headquarters in New York, Geneva, Vienna and Nairobi, instead of having a separate Malaysian mission to the UN bodies and agencies in these cities.

The foreign service must also make sacrifices in these trying times.

Anonymous 2327531438397239: Granted, every country needs representation in different countries. The level and need would depend on the country’s economic capability to maintain such operations.

Our country is currently facing a financial crunch, no thanks to the allegedly corrupt thieving regime of the past. Every ministry would have to tighten its belt and rationalise its operating costs.

This brings to mind these questions. What exactly are the functions of an ambassador and the set-up of an embassy or a consulate? What are the operating costs of maintaining and operating it?

What is the headcount? How do you measure the usefulness and relevance of it? What kind of results are they measured by?

And, according to what the foreign minister has noted, it seems we have to live up to “standards”. Exactly whose standards are these - ours or other foreign embassies and staff?

TehTarik: The first image many foreigners have of Malaysia is when they visit our embassies or high commissions. Unfortunately, these are often in a state of neglect and have not been renovated for decades.

The work attitude and customer service aspects of the staff leave much to be desired. There is no point spending billions to upgrade these embassies if the staff attitude remains unchanged.

There needs to be both an upgrade of the physical facilities as well as a change of the staff’s attitude.

Anonymous_1527658987: Having lived abroad for nearly 40 years, I can testify that our legations are in deplorable conditions. That said, our diplomatic staff are too often abysmal.

So yes, let us upgrade our embassies and consulates, but at the same time start sending out better people.

Anonymous_1538808416: What is puzzling is the timing in asking for more funding when the country is RM1 trillion in debt.

These diplomats are acting as if they are not aware of the country's situation. Tell us, what have they achieved in the course of their work?

Who are these diplomats and their background, education, experience, et cetera? Are there proper performance measures in place for management control?

All of us know some of these diplomats are cronies, put there to take up blind salaries and live an opulent life abroad because all expenses are provided for.

It's time to really look into this big sinkhole and save costs, rather than asking for more funding.

No Fear Nor Favour: Most ministries have made efforts to reduce costs at this very critical time. The rakyat too have borne the brunt of it; I see no reason why the overseas diplomats cannot do so either.

Please, Saifuddin, look at the big picture. Save our country from the serious injuries done to the economy, to the verge of being bankrupted by the previous government. Make sacrifices.

The world will not downgrade our overseas representatives but will instead applaud them for their concern over the plight of their country.

A little sacrifice makes a lot of difference. Cast away the bad practices of Umno.

The Wakandan: "...They need to maintain ‘standards’ too," said Saifuddin.

Hmm. I know you will not get much support here among Malaysiakini's readers, but it would be interesting if you let us know what those standards may be.

You know, Mr Minister, speaking about maintaining standards implies something about maintaining the status quo of what the staff has been getting all this while during Najib Razak's time.

When the nation is expected to make sacrifices and tighten belts, it is quite out of place for your ministry to want to maintain “standards”.

Do not get me wrong, of course you are entitled to government benefits, but this is an extraordinary time for the country. And extraordinary times demand extraordinary measures.

Perhaps you should be the last person to whine about insufficient allocations, and make do with what you have. Maybe we should have PKR president-elect Anwar Ibrahim as the finance minister. Maybe he will give you what you ask.

NA: Let’s do a proper audit and assessment of the current state. Desperate times call for desperate measures. Old-school thinking should not dictate future mindsets.

We all know that embassies and diplomatic missions can be a life of luxury. There is no need to be living like a pauper, but wastages and fat must be cut.

Optimise locals as staff as well, and only assign a limited number of expatriates. We can and need to operate prudently.

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