“Two countries kissing each other”: Ramasamy slams Tajuddin’s ambassadorial appointment

“Two countries kissing each other”: Ramasamy slams Tajuddin’s ambassadorial appointment




PENANG deputy chief minister II Dr P. Ramasamy has joined the chorus of voices criticising the appointment of Datuk Seri Tajuddin Abdul Rahman as the ambassador to Indonesia.

In a statement he said that Tajuddin’s appointment is an example of how an inept and ineffective politician was appointed to an important post normally reserved for career diplomats.


“Malaysia happens to be one of the very few countries where inept politicians are given recognition even after their disastrous performance,” he commented.


Ramasamy was referring to Tajuddin’s dismissal as chairperson of the Government’s public transportation company on May 25, 2021 after the latter’s disastrous handling of the two-train collision on the LRT Kelana Jaya line that injured over 200 passengers.


Tajuddin’s description of the collision as “two trains kissing each other” had inevitably drawn public ire and he heavily criticised for his lack of empathy for the victims of the tragedy.


Calling Tajuddin a “rabble-rouser” in Parliament Ramasamy said that Tajuddin’s appointment was the “perfect example” of the politics that were present in Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s Government where “cronies and loyalists were rewarded”.

“Indonesia is a regional power that Malaysia must respect and as such Malaysia’s representative must have the credentials, reputation and public standing to match the importance of Indonesia as a growing power,” he noted.

“By appointing Tajuddin as the ambassador to Indonesia Malaysia has shown no respect or recognition to Indonesia as a country to be reckoned with.

“It is not that Malaysia has a shortage of diplomatic talents in the foreign service – I’m not even sure how Tajuddin’s appointment would even advance Malaysia’s diplomatic interests.”

Describing Tajuddin’s appointment as a “permanent blot” on Malaysia’s reputation, Ramasamy opined that it was not too late for Ismail Sabri to rescind his appointment.

“If Indonesia wants, it can reject Tajuddin’s appointment although this might cause a diplomatic misunderstanding but even if a misunderstanding is unavoidable, it is still worth the effort to cancel Tajuddin’s appointment,” he reckoned.

“With Tajuddin’s appointment there are concerns that if anything goes wrong between the two countries in the future, he might describe the situation as ‘two countries kissing each other’!” – May 19, 2022