KUALA LUMPUR: The Foreign Ministry must be careful when issuing statements to the media to avoid any potential misunderstandings that could strain international relations.
Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir said the ministry has to strike a fine balance between its engagement with the media and adhering to diplomatic protocols when it comes to issuing statements on certain issues.
"We are constrained by certain policies. Thus, we have to be very careful, for words that can be mistaken and some privileged info that might create conflict with some countries. "In the context of the ministry, any statement issued will be a reference to the country's diplomatic relations.
"Issues such as on Gaza, Palestine, the Russia-Ukraine war and others, we have carefully crafted some statements to show our stance on certain issues," he said in his speech during the ministry's media appreciation dinner held last night.
Present were deputy foreign minister Datuk Mohamad Alamin, secretary-general Datuk Seri Amran Mohamed Zin, the National Press Club Malaysia president Datuk Ahiruddin Attan and Foreign Correspondent Club of Malaysia president Norman Goh.
Zambry said despite the constraints, the ministry hoped to maintain a collaborative relationship with the media.
"We are not a ministry that is sitting on the throne that cannot be reached or be interviewed.
Also present at the event were the New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd group managing editor Datuk Ahmad Zaini Kamaruzzaman, who is also Berita Harian group editor, New Straits Times group editor Farrah Naz Karim, New Straits Times content and digital executive editor Sharanjit Singh, Berita Harian content and digital executive editor M. Thillinadan, Harian Metro group editor Husain Jahit and photo editor Ikhwan Munir.Ends