One of the easiest jobs of a diplomat is to inform the host government of the appointment of a new Prime Minister, or a new Cabinet line-up. It always fell to the diplomat to explain the democratic process that took place, the constitutional rules that were adhered to, and the protocol-laden ceremony that saw a new Head of Government being sworn in. The purpose of such explanations are two-fold: the first is so that the host government would be apprised of the change (this was before the days of the internet); and second is so that future cooperation and possible approaches can be discussed.

Well, it used to be one of the easiest jobs.

For 60 years, this task of informing the host government of the new Prime Minister following a general elections, was relatively straightforward. Upon the announcement of a new line-up of Ministers, it would be the job of the embassy to send a Note Verbale (Third Person Note) to the host country, attaching the full list of Ministers, and the curriculum vitae of the Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

This practice grew out of the traditional practice of the diplomat informing the host country (often in person) that there had been a general election, and that there was now a new person in charge – as the case may be. Any correspondence of the same would be sent by hand, for the information of the desk officer of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the host country. In many cases, the Note would also be sent to the other embassies for their collective information, though this was not generally the rule.

Then in 2018, when the opposition coalition came to power and former Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad became Prime Minister, this straightforward explanation to the host country became somewhat complicated. But still manageable.

Then in March 2020 just as countries started closing their borders and looking inwards, another change of government occurred in Malaysia blurring the lines between government and opposition, between the coalition parties in the federal system and in the state administration.

I always say that Covid-19 brought with it not only challenges, but also benefits. For those of us who survived it, we re-prioritised our lives to put those who were important to us at the very centre of our existence. As an ambassador, I benefited from the pandemic lockdown in particular because it coincided with the rapid change in Prime Ministers between February 2020 and August 2021.

Had there been no lockdown, and a preoccupation of all countries with containing the pandemic, I would have been very hard-pressed to explain the domestic politics of Malaysia to a bewildered host country. How could I explain something with which I was still trying to understand?

Now that the 15th General Elections have come and gone, and a new Prime Minister just sworn in, let’s hope that the practice of Malaysian embassies informing their host government of the current and official Cabinet list, will be straightforward and drama-free.