Foreword by Tengku Tan Sri Dato' Seri Ahmad Rithauddeen

Summary

I feel very honoured to be given the opportunity by the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies of Singapore to write a Foreword for its second publication on Tun Dr Ismail Abdul Rahman. I wish to congratulate the Institute for publishing this edition on the late Tun Dr Ismail, this time confined to his contributions to the evolution of the nation's foreign policy, based on his personal records, speeches, letters etc. The Institute, through its first publication — The Reluctant Politician: Tun Dr Ismail and His Time (2006) — has made all Malaysians aware of the role that Dr Ismail played in nation building. Now, with this volume — Malaya's First Year at the United Nations, as Reflected in Dr Ismail's Reports Home to the Tunku — the Institute gives the reader a complete profile of Dr Ismail as an astute diplomat and the formulator of foreign affairs who chartered the nation's course in international relations in the early years of its independence.

When I was appointed Foreign Minister in 1975 by Tun Razak, Malaysia's foreign policy continued to be built on the foundation and direction set by Dr Ismail. His writings and speeches, and his letters to the Tunku, covering a variety of foreign policy issues, are a valuable asset in understanding the unique role he played in the nation's history. He was without doubt the primary architect of Malayan (Malaysian) Foreign Policy.

As I read this manuscript, I am amazed by Dr Ismail's ability to transform himself very confidently into a successful diplomat at the United Nations when he was there as our first Permanent Representative. He was never trained as a diplomat. He was a politician and a medical doctor by training. He was also the Malayan diplomat to first address the United Nations when Malaya was admitted into the world body. During his tenure at the United Nations and as Ambassador to the United States, Dr Ismail succeeded in introducing the Federation of Malaya to the world in a dignified manner. The Tunku and his Cabinet colleagues were proud of his service to the nation.