PETALING JAYA: Wisma Putra has confirmed that two senior diplomats in the United Arab Emirates were recalled over issues related to Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s recent trip to the country.
The ministry said the ambassador, Tarid Sufian, and consul-general in Dubai, Hasril Abdul Hamid, failed to manage the necessary logistical and administrative arrangements for Ismail’s trip.
It denied, however, FMT’s report that Tarid and Hasril had been recalled over the lack of official “guest status” for Ismail’s visit.
Yesterday, sources in the know had told FMT that Tarid and Hasril were the only senior officers present at the airport to receive Ismail when he landed in Dubai.
“The report contained inaccuracies, baseless claims and was speculative,” Wisma Putra said in its statement.
It added that the sources for the report did not come from the officials involved in handling the trip.
According to the sources, there were no top UAE officials present, unlike the usual protocol for a senior minister of the host country to be officially assigned to receive foreign dignitaries.
However, one source said the ambassador had already told Wisma Putra about the UAE government’s reservations on the timing of Ismail’s visit but this advice was not heeded.
The UAE government had apparently told the Malaysian mission that this was not a suitable time for an official visit in view of the hundreds of VIPs coming from all over the world daily for the Dubai World Expo 2021.
Other than the annual trade gathering, Ismail also attended the closing ceremony for the World Government Summit on March 30.
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