TOKYO: Despite not yet officially occupying his new office, newly appointed Foreign Minister Mohamad Hassan (pix) has smoothly transitioned into his role, with Tokyo serving as his testing ground.
Mohamad is currently part of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s official delegation during their visit to Japan.
This significant transition occurred following Mohamad’s recent appointment as Foreign Minister, a role he took on after a Cabinet reshuffle was announced just two days before his trip to Tokyo. He succeeded Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir, who was appointed as the Higher Education Minister.
When questioned about his new role during the Malaysian diaspora hig- tea event in Tokyo today, Mohamad humorously remarked, “I’ve yet to set foot in my new office in Putrajaya, but I am here now as the Foreign Minister.”
Due to the short notice of his appointment and trip, Mohamad did not have the opportunity to meet with foreign ministry officials or make preparations beforehand.
However, while in Japan he managed to allocate time from his packed agenda, which included a meeting with captains of industry alongside the Prime Minister, to promptly attend a meeting at the Foreign Ministry with his Japanese counterpart, Yoko Kamikawa.
When asked about his meeting with Yoko, he responded, “No problem, I had met Yoko before when I was the Defence Minister.”
During the visit, the ASEAN-Japan Commemorative Summit and Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC) Leaders Meeting offered an excellent platform for Mohamad to become acquainted with his counterparts from ASEAN countries.
Mohamad’s assignment in Japan is undoubtedly one that he will remember for a long time. -Bernama
