24 heads of missions candidates submitted for SPA's final screening - Saifuddin

PUTRAJAYA: Wisma Putra has submitted a name list containing 24 approved candidates to fill the positions of heads of missions overseas including to Indonesia to the Public Services Commission (SPA) for the final screening process, said Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Abdullah.

Saifuddin said the candidates who will be filling the High Commissioner and Ambassador positions were selected among diplomatic officers serving the government and not among the country's politicians.

"InsyaAllah, it will be announced soon," he told the media after launching the 'Himpunan Genta Rasa Jufitri Joha' book at Wisma Putra, here today when asked to comment about the latest development on the position of Malaysian envoy to Indonesia which is still vacant.

The position was previously held by Datuk Zainal Abidin Bakar.

It was previously reported that Pasir Salak MP Datuk Seri Tajuddin Abdul Rahman has been appointed to the position, however, his name was not listed to receive the letter of appointment as the heads of Malaysian missions in a ceremony held in Istana Negara in July.

In another development, Saifuddin said the ministry will be conducting advocacy campaigns to raise public awareness of the overseas job scam syndicates.

"Through such campaigns, we can educate the public about job scams as well as restore the trust of Malaysians to obtain employment opportunities abroad through trusted and reliable channels," he said.

On Sept 9, Saifuddin was reported as saying that 118 job scam victims in Cambodia managed to be rescued out of 148 cases reported.

-- BERNAMA