KUALA LUMPUR: The restoration work on Malaysian embassies abroad is being carried out in phases, based on priority and availability of funding.
Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan explained that many of the country’s representative office buildings are aged and require major maintenance.
He stated that the annual allocation received by the ministry is relatively limited for these extensive restoration needs.
Embassy restorations are currently in progress in Canberra and Paris, while work has been completed in Bangkok and is nearing completion in Moscow.
“Our challenge is the same as other ministries,“ he said during his winding-up speech on the motion related to his ministry in the Dewan Rakyat.
Mohamad added that building maintenance is now managed through facility management companies at several representative offices.
He noted that certain countries, such as the United Kingdom, require maintenance services to be split by specialised trades.
This requirement makes the maintenance process more complex due to the need for multiple specialised service providers.
Addressing the issue of staffing at the ministry, Mohamad reported that 1,422 out of a total of 1,709 required positions have been filled.
This leaves a shortfall of 287 officers, representing a vacancy rate of approximately 17%.
He added that this staffing shortage is expected to ease following the conclusion of Malaysia’s ASEAN chairmanship.
The ASEAN chairmanship had required many officers to be assigned to support the ASEAN Secretariat.
“At Wisma Putra alone, there are 97 vacant positions, while overseas missions account for another 190 vacancies,“ he said.
Officers who were assembled for the ASEAN meetings will be redeployed to departments or overseas missions experiencing significant staffing shortages. – Bernama