Fauziah Mohd Taib

Yang Berbahagia Dato' Fauziah Mohd Taib DPTJ
Yang Berbahagia Dato' Fauziah Mohd Taib, former 12th Malaysian Ambassador to the Netherlands (2008–2015), distinguished diplomat and alumna of Universiti Malaya, Sorbonne, and University of Kent.
12th Ambassador of Malaysia to the Kingdom of the Netherlands
In office 13 August 2008 –26 March 2015
Personal details
Born	Fauziah binti Mohamad Taib (1955-03-26) 26 March 1955 (age 70) Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia
Alma mater	Universiti Malaya Sorbonne University of Kent

Fauziah binti Mohamad Taib (born 26 March 1955) is a Malaysian diplomat and author. She served as the Ambassador to the Kingdom of the Netherlands from 13 August 2008 until her retirement in 2015. ^[1] During this period, she also served as the Permanent Representative of Malaysia to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). ^[2]

Fauziah has authored or edited eleven books on various topics. Her first work, Malaysia and UNCED: An Analysis of a Diplomatic Process, was published by Kluwer Law International in 1989. Her other publications include Number One, Wisma Putra, a collection of short stories by Malaysian Ambassadors. Her most recent book, At the OPCW: A Story of Malaysia's Interventions, was launched by the OPCW Director-General in March 2015. ^[3]

In 2005, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Malaysia) appointed Fauziah as the Director General of the Institute of Diplomacy and Foreign Relations (IDFR). During her tenure, she implemented reforms to the diplomatic syllabus, incorporating simulation and discussions rather than relying solely on traditional lectures. She also supported the institute's academic publishing mission by contributing her own work and facilitating the publications of others. Additionally, she served as a speechwriter for the Minister of Foreign Affairs during this time.^{[ citation needed ]}

As Permanent Representative to the OPCW, Fauziah represented Malaysia during two Executive Council terms and co-facilitated discussions on the OPCW's inspection methodology. When the OPCW was awarded the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize, ^[4] she attended the ceremony in Oslo. ^{[5] [6]}

While serving in the Netherlands, Fauziah began painting and held her first exhibition in The Hague in 2012. She is also an avid traveler, having backpacked and trekked across the continent during the summer of her graduation in 1977. ^[7]

Early life and education

Fauziah was born on 26 March 1955 in Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. The youngest of nine siblings, she grew up in a household with a stay-at-home mother and a civil servant father.^{[ citation needed ]}

She studied International Relations at the University of Malaya (1974–1977), l'Université de Paris 1 (Panthéon-Sorbonne) / L'Institut International d'Administration Publique, Paris (1985–1986), and the University of Kent at Canterbury (1994–1996). She completed a PhD in International Relations at the University of Kent at Canterbury after 18 months of study.^{[ citation needed ]}

Career

Fauziah Mohd Taib joined the Malaysian Civil Service in 1978 as an assistant director at the Implementation Coordination Unit of the Prime Minister's Department (Malaysia), where she worked on national development and women's issues.^{[ citation needed ]}

In 1983, she joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and was assigned to the Europe Division before being posted to the Embassy of Malaysia in Belgium in 1988.^{[ citation needed ]}

She returned to the Ministry in 1991 and was promoted to Principal Assistant Secretary in the Economic Division, where her responsibilities included participation in United Nations initiatives.^{[ citation needed ]}

By 1993, Fauziah was coordinating Eastern Europe affairs at the Ministry and monitoring Malaysia's involvement with SFOR and UNPROFOR during the Bosnian War. She attended UN meetings on the Reconstruction of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Brussels) and visited Bosnia-Herzegovina several times during the reconstruction period.^{[ citation needed ]}

In September 1994, Fauziah took a two-year sabbatical sponsored by the Federal Government to pursue doctoral studies. Upon her return with a PhD in August 1996, she served as the Prime Minister's Special Envoy on a mission to Sudan and South Africa.^{[ citation needed ]}

Returning to the Institute of Diplomacy and Foreign Relations (IDFR) as Director General, she revamped the diplomatic training syllabus and oversaw the institute's publications. ^[8]

As Director General of the newly established Policy and Strategy Planning division within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Fauziah played a key role in several government initiatives. She commissioned a paper for the Foreign Minister that advocated for the establishment of a dedicated legal department within the Ministry. This initiative ultimately led to the creation of the Ministry's Department of Research, Treaties, and International Law. Additionally, she was a member of the Malaysian delegation to the International Court of Justice in the legal dispute with Singapore over Pedra Branca, Middle Rocks, and South Ledge. ^[9]

Fauziah's other overseas postings included serving as Deputy Chief of Mission in Washington, D.C., and Ambassador to Fiji (with concurrent accreditation to Nauru, Tonga, Kiribati, and Tuvalu), before her assignment as Ambassador to the Netherlands.

MH17 Crisis Management

On 17 July 2014, Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, was shot down over rebel-held Ukrainian territory in eastern Ukraine near the Ukrainian-Russian border. The flight carried 283 passengers and 15 crew members from 10 countries, the majority being Dutch nationals.^{[ citation needed ]}

Following the crash, Fauziah Mohd. Taib was appointed as Malaysia's lead focal point, heading the Joint Operations Centre in The Hague to oversee the repatriation of victims. ^[10] As Ambassador, she also liaised with the Dutch government on matters related to the downed aircraft. ^[11]

During the MH17 crisis management operations in the Netherlands, Fauziah was interviewed by several television stations in both the Netherlands and Malaysia. ^{[12] [13] [14]}

Publications

Books

• Malaysia and UNCED: An Analysis of a Diplomatic Process: 1989 – 1992 (Kluwer Law International,1997) ISBN   90-411-0683-9
• A Diplomat Arrives in Washington (USA, 2003) ISBN   1-4010-8915-1/-3
• Rumah Malaysia, Suva: The Official Residence of the High Commissioner (Fiji, 2004) ISBN   982-9093-01-8
• Selected Foreign Policy Speeches by Syed Hamid Albar (Editor) (Malaysia, 2005) ISBN   983-2220-07-6
• The Making of the ASEAN Summit (Malaysia, 2006) ISBN   983-2220-09-2
• Number One, Wisma Putra (Editor) (Malaysia, 2006) ISBN   983-2220-12-2/11-4
• Manual of Procedures for Wisma Putra Officers (Editor) (Malaysia, 2007)
• Letta, Corrado. Malaysia-Europe Strategic Partnership for the Pacific Century. Edited by Fauziah Mohd Taib (Malaysia, 2008) ISBN   978-983-43196-2-5
• Brushwork Odyssey in Malaysia: A Dutch Retelling (Editor) (Netherlands, 2009) ISBN   978-90-9024773-1
• Letta, Corrado. Integration Geopolitics: East Asia vs Latin America (Edited by Fauziah Mohd Taib) (Peru, 2010) ISBN   978-612-45771-0-9
• All Things Malaysian (Editor) (Netherlands, 2011) ISBN   978-90-9026098-3 ^[15]
• At the OPCW: A Story of Malaysia's Interventions (the Netherlands, 2015) ISBN   978-967-132420-2

Journal

• Journal of Diplomacy and Foreign Relations (JDFR Malaysia) – Editor-in-Chief, 2005–2007

Commemorative Magazine

• Wisma Putra @ 50: 1957–2007 – Editor-in-Chief

Articles / Papers

• "Creativity in Malaysia's Foreign Policy" in INTAN. 1989.
• "Ethics in Malaysia's Foreign Policy" in JDFR. 2006.
• "Privatising Diplomacy: The Way Forward," in Managing Diplomats’ Networks and Optimizing Value by Kishan Rana and Jova Kurbalija (DiploFoundation, Malta), 2007.
• "Malaysia's Foreign Policy After 2020: In Search of a Niche" (Paper presented at the 8th Heads of Missions Conference, Kuala Lumpur) 2014.

Honours

Honours of Malaysia

• Negeri Sembilan  :
  • Knight Commander of the Grand Order of Tuanku Jaafar (DPTJ) – Dato' (2008) ^[16]

References

1. "Official Website of Embassy of Malaysia, The Hague". Archived from the original on 12 August 2014. Retrieved 11 August 2014.
2. "Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons/ News". Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 11 August 2014.
3. Oorjitham, Santha. "Ambassador to launch book during last appearance at OPCW talks" . Retrieved 5 August 2015.
4. Cowell, Alan. "Chemical Weapons Watchdog Win Nobel Peace Prize". New York Times. Retrieved 13 August 2014.
5. "Malaysian is part of Nobel Peace Prize winning team".
6. "Here's to the 2013 Nobel Laureate". The Star. Retrieved 13 August 2014.
7. Taib, Fauziah (2003). A Diplomat Arrives in Washington. Xlibris. p. 23. ISBN   1-4010-8915-1.
8. "Publication 2005". Archived from the original on 14 August 2014. Retrieved 13 August 2014.
9. "Sovereignty over Pedra Branca". International Court of Justice. Archived from the original on 7 April 2014. Retrieved 13 August 2014.
10. "Repatriation details to be announced Thursday". New Straits Times. Retrieved 12 August 2014.
11. "Dutch praises Malaysian team's determination". New Straits Times. Retrieved 18 August 2014.
12. "Dutch praises Malaysian team's determination". New Straits Times. Retrieved 24 August 2014.
13. "Remains of at least 21 MH17 victims to arrive in Malaysia on Friday". Straits Times. Retrieved 24 August 2014.
14. "Identified remains of MH17 Malaysian Victims Almost Ready". BERNAMA. Retrieved 24 August 2014.
15. "Book Launch: All things Malaysian". Dutch Malaysia Association. Archived from the original on 19 October 2014. Retrieved 13 August 2014.
16. "SEMAKAN PENERIMA DARJAH KEBESARAN, BINTANG DAN PINGAT". Prime Minister's Department (Malaysia) . Retrieved 28 June 2023.