Pasir Salak MP Tajuddin Abdul Rahman’s appointment as Malaysia’s ambassador to Indonesia is still on track, The Malaysian Insight reported.
“His appointment letter (surat watikah) is just delayed,” the news portal quoted a source close to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) as saying.
It was also reported that the information was further confirmed by another source in the PMO.
According to earlier news reports, Tajuddin was not on a list of envoys getting appointment letters from the Yang di-Pertuan Agong tomorrow (July 12).
It was unclear whether the out-of-favour Umno politician’s appointment had been revoked.
A news portal claimed sources said that Putrajaya had decided to drop his appointment, citing “a change of heart”.
Reportedly, when contacted, Tajuddin said he did not know if his appointment had been scrapped and asked the news portal to contact the government instead.
“No comment. Ask the foreign minister or the prime minister,” he said.
Tajuddin and four other envoys were supposed to have received their appointment letters last month, but the ceremony was postponed after the king was hospitalised for an ankle and knee joint intervention procedure.
The four getting their letters tomorrow will purportedly be Malaysia’s ambassadors to Japan, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and South Korea.
Tajuddin’s appointment triggered a public backlash, with many questioning his ability to act as a diplomat due to his track record of being combative and undiplomatic.
He was removed as Prasarana chairperson in May last year for his insensitive handling of an LRT accident that left scores injured.
Days after the appointment ceremony on June 20 was postponed, Tajuddin was sacked as an appointed Umno supreme council member.
This was over a falling out with party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
Following this, Tajuddin held a tell-all press conference, where he railed against Zahid, accusing him of lying to Umno about backing opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim as prime minister.
A petition had also been launched on Change.org to call for Tajuddin’s appointment as the ambassador to Indonesia to be scrapped, gathering more than 35,000 signatures as of today.