'Not dropped, just postponed for now', says source on Tajuddin's appointment to Indonesia
Datuk Seri Tajuddin Abdul Rahman
He said the appointment has been postponed for now.
"Not dropped, just postponed for now," he told Sinar Daily.
Another source close to the Prime Minister's Office said there are no changes to Tajuddin's appointment: "His (Tajuddin's) name is not removed. He is still the ambassador. Except (his appointment has been) delayed," he told Sinar Daily.
Last month, Tajuddin said he was set to be appointed as Malaysia’s envoy to Indonesia which has remained vacant since Zainal Abidin Bakar, who was appointed on March 21, 2019, retired on April 4, 2021.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob has defended the appointment, saying that the former Umno elections director was a “seasoned politician".
However, Tajuddin’s appointment had invited criticism from several quarters including MPs, former diplomats, politicians, and civil society.
Critics touched on his past conduct in the Dewan Rakyat and his removal as Prasarana Malaysia Berhad non-executive chairman after a controversial press conference following a LRT crash in KLCC last year, when he described the accident in which 213 people were injured as two trains “kissing”.
Electoral watchdog Bersih 2.0 also questioned how Tajuddin would be able to serve his Pasir Salak constituents effectively when he must be out of the country for the posting.
