New ambassador to US a ‘steady hand', says analyst
PETALING JAYA : A senior analyst at a think tank has described the country's new ambassador to the US as a pragmatic choice, saying Malaysia needs a steady hand in the post.
Thomas Daniel, from the Institute of Strategic & International Studies (ISIS) expects Shahrul Ikram Yaakob to be able to handle the role's wide responsibilities, ranging from high-level negotiations to the more day-to-day matters.
Thomas Daniel.
'What Malaysia needs in Washington DC now is an experienced and steady hand,' he told FMT, referring to Shahrul's 35-year tenure in the diplomatic corps.
'Malaysia does not need a maverick or headline magnet.'
Daniel said among the new ambassador's top priorities would be to secure high-level access for bilateral talks and promote Malaysia's interests in the US, especially in view of President Donald Trump's 'maximalist approaches'.
The new ambassador would also have to manage Trump's aggressive and uncompromising foreign policy style and the 'lukewarm perception' of Malaysia within US foreign and defence policy circles, he said.
Shahrul's predecessor in the role, Nazri Aziz, agreed with the appointment. He said Shahrul was the right candidate to strengthen diplomatic relations.
Nazri Aziz.
Nazri, who served as the country's ambassador to the US from February 2023 to February 2025, said Shahrul had extensive experience, having served as Malaysia's permanent representative to the United Nations in New York.
'This appointment is very appropriate, especially when we are facing the unpredictable foreign policy approach of Trump,' he said.
Shahrul's priorities
Samirul Ariff Othman.
Samirul Ariff Othman, an adjunct lecturer at Universiti Teknologi Petronas, said Shahrul needed to manage Malaysia's neutral stance on US-China tensions, with the two superpowers currently engaged in a trade war.
Yeah Kim Leng of Sunway University said Shahrul's immediate economic challenges would be to reaffirm Malaysian neutrality and a longstanding relationship with the US.
Yeah Kim Leng.
He said it was critical that Malaysia project its neutrality as both the country and Asean may be perceived by others as tilting towards China.
Former Sungai Benut MP Tawfik Ismail called for Shahrul to urgently protect Malaysian students studying in the US, with the Trump administration tightening foreign student visa requirements.
He said Malaysian students must watch what they say and how they conduct themselves as Trump has been 'very sensitive' to the actions of foreign students in the US.
Tawfik Ismail.
'The ambassador's role is also to advise students on what they should do or not do,' he said, adding that Shahrul must also be at the forefront in immigration-related issues affecting Malaysians in the US.
Shahrul, the former foreign ministry secretary-general, was appointed the new Malaysian ambassador to the US on June 3. The position had been vacant for more than four months.
He holds a Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Ecology from Universiti Malaya and attended the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School in the US.
Shahrul, who hails from Pahang, also previously served as Malaysia's ambassador to Qatar and Austria.
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