Day by day, PMX disappoints....

Yesterday evening, a comment by Dennis Ignatius about my prime minister, got my attention. What has made this distinguished, respected, ex diplomat say that "Day by day, PMX disappoints?

Dennis was commenting on PMX's decision to appoint Umno’s Nazri Aziz as the Malaysian ambassador to the US. To Dennis, this was yet another disappointment by our PMX who, according to him, continues to disappoint him "day by day".

First, the facts of that appointment. At around 10.16 pm last night, I got this message in my MCKK Class of 1964 WhatsApp group :

Basically, Anwar said that Nazri's appointment was an earlier decision made by the previous government, cleared by Washington and, he used the "WE" to indicate that the PH government led by him, endorsed that earlier decision by the Bersatu government.

Now, before you say.......Should not use the excuse that decision was made by the previous govt....You are the PM...Don't tell me you can't overrule!.... or.... Nazri was the choice of the Bersatu government...why is Anwar still appointing him as our Ambassador to the US? .....or ...apparently, Nazri has crossed over to Anwar's camp. I suppose that's his reward. I don't trust these politicians. They are all the same.....and any other arguments to that effect...consider this!

Let us go to one basic truth: PMX did not have anything to do with the appointment of Nazri as our Ambassador to the US.

Dennis should have checked that fact.

And what is the process for appointing a Malaysian ambassador to the US?

The Bersatu government nominated Nazri Aziz as the Malaysian Ambassador to the US. Once the US Govt agrees to Nazri's nomination, it's a done deal. Once he receives the Letters of Credence from the Agong, it's also a done deal. With that letter, he will go to Washington and present it to the US president. Then he is a full-fledged ambassador. Now he is just an ambassador-designate.

Is Nazri qualified to be our Ambassador to the US? These are comments by a senior ex Diplomat :

In a Unity Government there has to be some give and some take among the members of that coalition. Not every decision made will find acceptance by every member of the unity government. In the spirit of that give and take, PMX in all his wisdom made the decision to endorse a decision made by a member of that coalition, UMNO, and agreed to the appointment of Nazri Aziz as our Ambassador to the US.

So really Dennis, diplomatically speaking, do you still think that "day by day our PMX disappoints?" I think not.

Enough said.