Lakhdhir was born in Brooklyn,New York,daughter of Ann (née Hallan) and Noor Lakhdhir. Her father had moved from Mumbai,India to the U.S. to study at the University of California,Berkeley and then later moved to New York City. Lakhdhir grew up in New York and Westport,Connecticut. There she was a regular participant in the annual United Nations Day,inspired in part by her mother,who had earlier served as president of the NGO Committee on Disarmament,Peace and Security at the United Nations. Lakhdhir also has a brother,David Lakhdhir.[3]
After graduating from Harvard,Lakhdhir traveled to China,where she stayed for two years,teaching English and American history. Returning to the U.S.,she then worked for the New York City budget director and pursued graduate studies in public finance at New York University.[5]
Lakhdhir began a career in the Foreign Service in August 1991 and became recognized as a Southeast Asia expert. Her initial assignments included international service first at the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh,Saudi Arabia and then at the Embassy in Jakarta,Indonesia. She then returned to the U.S. to a post at the Secretary of State's Secretariat. Lakhdhir then accepted a year long Pearson Fellowship,working for Congressman Doug Bereuter on the staff of the House Subcommittee on Asia and the House Subcommittee on International Monetary Policy and Trade.[6] Lakhdhir moved to China in 2001 and served at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing until 2005. Then for two years,Lakhdhir served as director of the Office of Maritime Southeast Asia,which is in the State Department's Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs,an organization responsible for U.S. relations with the Philippines,Indonesia,Malaysia,Singapore,Brunei Darussalam,and Timor-Leste.[7] She earned a master's degree from the National War College in 2007.[8] In 2009,Lakhdhir moved to Northern Ireland,where she served as U.S. Consul General in Belfast for two years before accepting an assignment as Executive Assistant to Under Secretary for Political Affairs.[9]
Lakhdhir was nominated by President Barack Obama to serve as United States Ambassador to Malaysia on June 16,2016,and was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on December 10,2016.[10] She was appointed on December 19,2016,and presented her credentials on February 21,2017.[11]
As ambassador,Lakhdhir has been engaged in improving communications with Malaysians through a greater range of media,supporting on-going cooperation of U.S. companies in Malaysia and the nation's workforce,and promoting cooperative undertakings such as research on renewable energy for the country.
On May 21,2018,Lakhdhir met with Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad at his Perdana Leadership Foundation office,congratulating him on his electoral win and welcoming the opportunity to work with him and his cabinet.[12] In August 2018,she accompanied Mike Pompeo U.S. Secretary of State as he visited Dr. Mahathir,Defence Minister Mohamad Sabu and Deputy Foreign Minister Dato' Marzuki Yahya. Pompeo became the most senior US official to visit the new prime minister since his election victory.[13]
Lakhdir also welcomed U.S. participation in Pacific Partnership 2018,the Asia-Pacific's largest humanitarian assistance and disaster-relief preparedness mission,which ran from February through June 2018.[14]
Lakdhir was nominated as U.S. ambassador to Indonesia on October 20,2023 and was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on May 2,2024.[16] She was appointed on May 2,2024,[17] arrived in Jakarta on July 22,2024,[16] and presented her credentials to President Joko Widodo on August 8,2024.[18]
In an April 22,2025 press release from the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta,Ambassador Lakhdhir said,“It has been an immense honor to serve as U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Indonesia. I have been inspired by the creativity and resilience of the Indonesian people,and I am proud of the many ways Indonesians and Americans are working together on shared challenges to make our nations safer,stronger,and more prosperous. I greatly appreciate the warm hospitality and friendship I felt here."[19]
On April 22,2025,Indonesia's deputy foreign minister Arif Havas Oegroseno stated that Lakhdir would be departing from Indonesia by May 2025. He stated that Lakhdir's departure was by her own request as she reportedly felt uncomfortable in Indonesia,[17] but a U.S. Embassy Spokesperson noted,“It is customary for U.S. ambassadors to submit a letter of resignation to the incoming president,and President Trump has accepted the resignation of U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia.”
Her duties were taken over by Deputy Chief of Mission Heather C. Merritt.[20]
↑ Congressional Record: United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations: "Testimony of Kamala Shirin Lakhdhir Nominee for U.S. Ambassador to Malaysia Senate Foreign Relations Committee Wednesday, July 13, 2016" accessed March 11, 2019
↑ The Indian Diaspora "Indian-American Kamala Lakhdir is US envoy to Malaysia" [usurped] January 7, 2017
↑ Westport News "A Chat With... Kamala Lakhdhir, the United States ambassador to Malaysia" February 21, 2017
↑ U.S. Department of State "Kamala Shirin Lakhdhir" accessed March 9, 2019
↑ Harvard College Project for Asian and International Relations "Kamala Lakhdir U.S. Ambassador to Malaysia" accessed 11 March 2019 Archived March 30, 2019, at the Wayback Machine
↑ FMT News "Indian-origin woman likely new US Ambassador to M'sia" 17 June 2016
↑ U.S. Embassy in Malaysia "Ambassador Kamala Shirin Lakhdhir"Archived March 30, 2019, at the Wayback Machine accessed March 9, 2019
↑ Congressional Record "PN1546 — Kamala Shirin Lakhdhir — Department of State" accessed March 9, 2019
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