Doha: Malaysia has set up its diplomatic mission in Doha and nominated a senior foreign service official, Ku Jaafar Ku Shaari, as ambassador-designate.
The embassy is currently operating from an apartment in Umm Ghuwailina and would soon be shifted to larger premises in a posh locality.
After opening its diplomatic mission in Bahrain early this year, Qatar was the only GCC country where Malaysia did not have an embassy. The Malaysian mission in Kuwait was taking care of Qatar.
It is interesting to note that Malaysia has succeeded Qatar as head of the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) states. There are several Malaysian companies that are doing key infrastructure and oil and gas projects in Qatar.
There are an estimated over 300 Malaysians in Qatar now and most of them are engaged in high-profile jobs either in the energy sector or health.
There are some Malaysian doctors working with Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC). Besides, there are some pilots employed by Qatar Airways. Malaysia is also an oil and gas producer but production, especially of gas, is not as large as that in Qatar.
With the Malaysian embassy opening in Doha, diplomatic circles see economic cooperation between the two countries getting a major boost.
Ku Jaafar Ku Shaari, 47, was under-secretary for OIC at the Malaysian foreign ministry in Kuala Lumpur before being elevated as ambassador-designate to Qatar. This is understandably his first ambassadorial assignment.
As official in-charge of OIC in his home country, he has visited Doha at least three to four times during regular and emergency OIC meetings held here after Qatar was appointed head of the organisation.
He joined the Malaysian foreign service in 1981 and has since had diplomatic stints in several countries, including Croatia and Laos. He has also served as charge 'daffaires at his country's embassy in Jordan.
He has also been for a while at Malaysia's representative office at the UN in New York, it is learnt.
© The Peninsula 2004
