NEW M'SIAN PERMANENT REP TO BID FOR NON-PERMANENT SEAT IN UNSC

By Manik Mehta
NEW YORK (Bernama) - Malaysia's new permanent representative to
the United Nations in New York will work towards getting a non-permanent seat
for Malaysia in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

Hussein Haniff, 56, who presented his credentials to UN Secretary
General Ban Ki Moon on May 13, 2011, succeeded former Malaysian permanent
representative, Hamidon Ali, who retired from the service and returned
home.

Hussein, who comes with impressive credentials in multilateral diplomacy,
will make a bid for a non-permanent seat at the UNSC for 2015/16.

"Malaysia will make a bid for the (non-permanent) seat and we will try to
get it," he said in an interview with Bernama in his office at the Malaysian
permanent representation, located in the direct proximity of the 'glasshouse',
as the imposing United Nations building is sometimes called.

Hussein, who already served at Malaysia's New York permanent mission from
1987 to 1994, is no stranger to the Big Apple where, as he put it, "you get to
meet old friends and colleagues from many countries of the world whom you have
met before at different postings".

Before his transfer to New York, Hussein was Malaysia's ambassador to
Belgium and Luxembourg, as well as head of the Malaysian mission to the European
Union from August 2008 to April 2011.

Hussein narrated about his postings with international organizations as our
conversation veered towards multilateralism.

As ambassador to Austria between August 2000 and January 2005, he
concurrently served as Malaysia's permanent representative to the UN and other
international organizations in Vienna.

During that period, he was also Malaysia's Governor to the International
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

"The experience gained in the intricacies of multilateral work at Brussels
and Vienna will, obviously, help me in New York …also, I have spotted a few old
friends who have become permanent representatives in New York, including some
from Europe. It's a small world, you know," Hussein recounted.

Besides Malaysia's bid for a non-permanent UNSC seat, other issues of
interest to Malaysia would be the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly,
whose work focuses on social, humanitarian and cultural issues, including human
rights issues that affect people around the world.



The Third Committee also discusses the advancement of women, the protection
of children, indigenous issues, treatment of refugees, the promotion of
fundamental freedoms through the elimination of racism, racial discrimination
and the right to self-determination.

"The Third Committee is also of interest to Malaysia which, incidentally, is
one of the few ASEAN countries to have a National Human Rights Commission
dedicated to human rights' issues," Hussein pointed out.

Malaysia, he added, also works closely with Indonesia in the First Committee
which deals with disarmament and international security.

The envoy referred to the address of Prime Minister Najib Tun
Razak at the General Assembly last year when he touched on the Global Movement
of Moderates.

"Why do moderates not have their voice heard and why only the extremists?
This is one issue we would like to see developed and get support for at the
United Nations. This is, incidentally, not just confined to Muslim moderates but
also to other religions.


"We do not condone the killing of innocent people but we also need to
examine the causes that lead to extremism. The Middle East peace process, in our
view, is a key issue and deserves priority," he observed.

Hussein also recounted his experiences in Brussels where he was involved in
negotiating a PCA (partnership cooperation agreement) and a FTA (free trade
agreement) with the European Union.

The EU’s interest in signing the PCA and FTA with Malaysia needs to be
pushed, considering that Malaysia is, after Singapore, is the second largest
trading partner of the EU amongst the ASEAN states.

Hussein, who holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of
Malaya, and a master’s in public administration from Harvard University, joined
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1979 as Assistant Secretary for the Southeast
Asia Division. He also had a stint in Manila from 1982 to 1985.

The envoy, who is married and has a son, said that his wife would also have
a busy schedule, working closely with the Perwakilan (representative)
association which provides invaluable support in terms of organizing functions
and other socio-cultural events.