| Special Envoy of the Prime Minister of Malaysia | |
|---|---|
| Duta Khas Perdana Menteri Malaysia | |
 | |
| Style | Yang Berhormat (The Honourable) unless otherwise specified |
| Reports to | Parliament |
| Nominator | Prime Minister |
| Appointer | Yang di-Pertuan Agong |
| Term length | Two years[1][2] |
| Formation | 1 January 2011 |
| First holder | Samy Vellu |
| Salary | RM27,227.20 per month[3] |
Thespecial envoys of the prime minister of Malaysia (Malay:Duta Khas Perdana Menteri Malaysia) are individuals, usually politicians, appointed with specific assignments to enhance the relationship betweenMalaysia with particular states or regions where Malaysia has considerable economic interests and cultural similarities.[4] In contrast to that ofambassadorial appointments, Malaysian special envoys are not appointed by theYang di-Pertuan Agong (King of Malaysia) ashead of state, but rather are direct appointees of thehead of government, theprime minister of Malaysia.[5] They are often appointed with the rank equivalent to a minister.[6]
Special envoys are often accorded a team consisting of between four and eight personnel, usually including a senior private secretary, special officer, two special assistants and some with a police escort.[4][7][8]
Although most special envoys have been appointed withministerial rank, the salaries drawn have varied depending on portfolio. Known individuals who have served in this capacity without drawing any salary includeOng Ka Ting andTiong King Sing during Tiong's first posting to East Asia.[7][8] Nevertheless, Ong was listed as receiving a monthly salary ofRM20,000 during his earlier terms as special envoy.[4]
Colour key (for political coalition/parties):
| Coalition | Member party | Appointee(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Barisan Nasional (BN) | Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) | 1 |
| Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) | ||
| Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) | ||
| United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) | ||
| Pakatan Harapan (PH) | Democratic Action Party (DAP) | |
| Gagasan Sejahtera (GS) | Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) | |
| Muafakat Nasional (MN) | ||
| Perikatan Nasional (PN) | ||
| Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) | Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) | |
| Sarawak United Peoples' Party (SUPP) |
| * | Appointment with ministerial rank |
The appointment of special envoys during theBarisan Nasional (BN) tenure was met with repeated accusations of unnecessary government expenditure due to the high salaries of these appointees.[26][27][7] Concerns were also raised regarding the overlap in responsibilities and functions with respective ambassadors already in office(s).[28] When thePakatan Harapan (PH) coalition came to power, all previously appointed special envoys had their tenures cut short.[6] Nonetheless, the PH eventually appointed a single special envoy, albeit without ministerial rank,[5] whenTan Kok Wai was announced as special envoy to the People's Republic of China and concurrently as chairperson of theMalaysia-China Business Council (MCBC) in August 2018.[29] The then-Malaysian Minister of Foreign Affairs,Saifuddin Abdullah, commented that the role of the special envoy would be to "complement" that of the ambassador in specialised areas.[30]
Following the2020–21 Malaysian political crisis, further controversy erupted when newly appointed prime minister,Muhyiddin Yassin, was accused of appointing individuals as special envoys to secure his position.[31][32]
| Combating terrorism, extremism and human trafficking | |
|---|---|
East Asia   | |
India and South Asia       | |
Middle East         | |
People's Republic of China | |
United States of America | |
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