PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today received a courtesy call from the new Malaysian Ambassador to the United States (US), Tan Sri Muhammad Shahrul Ikram Yaakob.
Anwar said that they discussed, among others, measures to strengthen bilateral ties between Malaysia and the US, including strategic efforts to attract quality and high-impact foreign investments.
“Among (the topics) touched on included strengthening Malaysia-US ties as well as efforts to attract quality and high-impact foreign investments from the country,” he posted on Facebook today.
The Prime Minister also wished Muhammad Shahrul Ikram all the best on his appointment, while stating his confidence in the former to elevate Malaysia’s aspirations, image and reputation to the highest level.
On June 3, His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, presented the instrument of appointment to Muhammad Shahrul Ikram in a ceremony at Istana Negara.
Muhammad Shahrul Ikram is the former Foreign Ministry’s secretary-general and he replaces Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz, whose term as the Malaysian Ambassador to the US concluded on Feb 8.
The Pahang-born Muhammad Shahrul Ikram holds a Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Ecology from Universiti Malaya and has attended the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School in the US.
He started his career as an Administrative and Diplomatic Officer in the Foreign Ministry in 1988 and served as the ministry’s secretary-general from Jan 6, 2019, to May 31, 2022.
Throughout his 35 years in public service, Muhammad Shahrul Ikram has been posted as Malaysian Ambassador to Qatar, Malaysian Ambassador to Austria and Permanent Representative of Malaysia to the United Nations in New York.
While at the Foreign Ministry, he also served as deputy secretary-general (Bilateral Relations), director-general of the ASEAN-Malaysia National Secretariat (during Malaysia’s 2015 ASEAN Chairmanship) and Secretary of the Multilateral Political Division.
His other previous diplomatic assignments included the Malaysian missions in Vienna, Washington and Beijing.
