Behind The Diplomatic Curtain: Civil Servants Who Keep Malaysia Moving Abroad

From Siti Radziah Hamzah

MOSCOW, June 30 (Bernama) -- The spotlight may be on Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof as he traversed the Central Asian plains and the Russian heartland, but behind the scenes, a small band of Malaysian diplomats and civil servants worked tirelessly and often inconspicuously to ensure everything went according to script.

From June 21 to 28, 2025, Fadillah was on an official working visit to the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Russian Federation. The mission? To strengthen bilateral relations, explore cooperation opportunities in clean energy and water technologies, and broaden Malaysia’s diplomatic and business networks.

In Uzbekistan, the Malaysian Embassy in Tashkent had been quietly but resolutely holding the fort.

Their task? Orchestrating a seamless official visit that touches on oil and gas diplomacy, expanding air links and high-level bilateral talks, all while ensuring the Deputy Prime Minister's delegation move through unfamiliar terrain with clockwork precision.

You wouldn’t spot them in the official photos. But they were always nearby, eyes scanning, phones buzzing, coordinating with Uzbek protocol officers, double-checking security, smoothing language gaps, and ensuring that the right person was standing in the right place at the right time.

Some had not slept properly in days. But they didn’t complain.

“Puan datang sini nanti untuk bekerja. Insha Allah semua smooth,” (“You’re coming here to work. God willing, all will go on smoothly”) one officer in Tashkent assured me as I asked him a lot of questions in preparation for the work trip.

The level of preparation extended far beyond logistics. Every name was pronounced correctly. Every flag was placed exactly. Every meeting detail was ironed out. This is the invisible diplomacy that underpins statecraft, a dance of precision and discretion.

And while one mission drew to a close in Tashkent, another revved up in Moscow. Nearly 3,000 kilometres away, the Malaysian Embassy in Russia was already in motion, planning, coordinating and navigating a completely different diplomatic landscape.

In Moscow, the embassy staff had been burning the midnight oil to prepare for a packed programme, which included bilateral engagements and strengthening economic and scientific ties.

Despite ongoing geopolitical shifts, Malaysia continues to pursue constructive engagement with Russia. The embassy plays a key role in this balancing act, especially at a time when major powers are redefining their global alliances.

Whether arranging transport routes in a city infamous for traffic snarls, or liaising with Russian ministries, the embassy team worked in quiet coordination, adapting on the fly, thinking five steps ahead, and staying calm under pressure.

Malaysian warmth and hospitality traveled with them, extended even to places where the shadows of Cold War history still lingered.

What many Malaysians may not realise is that postings in cities like Tashkent and Moscow are designated as hardship postings -- locations where diplomats face a range of challenges, from limited access to everyday comforts and services, to extreme weather, language barriers, cultural isolation, and even movement restrictions during periods of political tension.

Yet, in spite of these difficulties, the spirit remains unshaken. Morale runs high, fuelled by a deep sense of duty and quiet pride in serving the nation abroad.

From Tashkent to Moscow, what’s most striking is not just the level of professionalism, but also the dedication.

These are officers who rarely make headlines. They don’t get the applause. But they are the ones laying the tracks for Malaysia’s foreign policy train.

In a world where diplomacy is often judged by statements and signatures, these officers are the steady hands behind the scenes, turning official visits into meaningful engagements.

Their work took on special resonance last week, with June 23, 2025, marking the United Nations Public Service Day, an annual recognition of the vital contributions made by public servants around the world.

While others celebrated the occasion with ceremonies and awards, Malaysia’s foreign service officers marked the day as they always did: in the field, under pressure, and out of the limelight, making sure the machinery of diplomacy never misses a beat.

As Malaysia charts its place in a complex world, it is these public servants, often young, often unseen,  who carry the country’s image on their shoulders. And they do it not for glory, but for duty.

-- BERNAMA