KUCHING, April 18: The Malaysian Ambassador to the Vatican City Westmoreland Edward Palon today paid a courtesy call to Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas at the latter’s office at Wisma Bapa Malaysia yesterday.
Westmoreland, 50, a Sarawakian of Bidayuh ethnicity, was recently appointed to the post. He is a career diplomat and succeeds the former and first Malaysian Ambassador to Vatican Tan Sri Bernard Dompok.
Prior to his current posting, Westmoreland was the Malaysian Consul-General in Melbourne, Australia since 2015.
He had also served as Assistant Secretary (West Europe) from 1996 until 1999, Assistant Secretary (Information) from 1999 until 2000 and Second Secretary at the High Commission of Malaysia in the Republic of Singapore from 2000 to 2004.
Westmoreland later served as First Secretary at the Parmanent Mission of Malaysia in the United Nations in New York, United States of America from 2004 until 2007 and Principal Assistant Secretary (America) from 2007 until 2010.
He had also served as Counsellor at the Embassy of Malaysia in Santiago, Chile from 2010 until 2013 and Director at the ASEAN-Malaysia National Secretariat from 2013 until 2015.
Uggah congratulated Westmoreland on his appointment, stressing the latter’s appointment was a great honour to Sarawak.
Meanwhile, Fisheries Department director Bohari Leng and his deputy Haliza Sulaiman also paid a courtesy call to Uggah yesterday. — DayakDaily
