KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 4 — The proposed appointment of language and cultural attache based in Malaysian missions around the world is to formalise and systematically organise activities related to language and Malaysian culture abroad.
Malaysian Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Abdullah said the activities should be holistic and comprehensive in nature, which include Malaysia’s philosophy, thoughts, academic successes, research and the various elements of the arts, from the traditional to the most modern.
“We are very hopeful that we will get some budget for this. The cultural attache are not from Wisma Putra. This should be discussed among those relevant ministries like Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry, Communication and Multimedia Ministry and Education Ministry,” he said.
The Foreign Minister was met at the Day of German Unity celebration, organised by the Embassy of Germany in Kuala Lumpur, here Tuesday night.
Also present was German Ambassador to Malaysia Dr Peter Blomeyer.
Commenting further, he said appointment of cultural attache was a common practice in many countries but Malaysia never had such appoinments before.
“Indonesia started appointing them in 2003, South Korea in 1998,” he said.
According to media report, Saifuddin, who was in Germany in conjunction with a Special Programme to Promote Language and Cultural Diplomacy from Sept 27 to Oct 2, had said the first attache posting will be in Germany followed by nine other countries around the world.
