Tan Sri Othman Hashim, Former Chairman of the Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) and veteran diplomat, has been appointed as the ASEAN Chair’s special envoy to Myanmar.
The announcement was made by Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan during a press conference following the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Retreat. Othman’s appointment was unanimously supported by ASEAN foreign ministers.
“Othman will fulfill his mandate as the special envoy for Myanmar”, said the Foreign Minister, highlighting ASEAN’s collective commitment to addressing the political and humanitarian crisis in Myanmar following the February 2021 military coup.
With over three decades of experience in the Foreign Ministry, Othman has held several prominent roles. He served as ambassador to the Czech Republic from 2002 to 2005 and as Malaysia’s permanent representative to the United Nations in Geneva from 2009 to 2012. In 2012, he was appointed ambassador to the United States, a position he held for a year.
Returning to Malaysia in 2013, Othman assumed the role of secretary-general at the Foreign Ministry, where he led during Malaysia’s chairmanship of ASEAN in 2015 and its non-permanent membership in the UN Security Council from 2015 to 2016.
Othman is the fifth person to be appointed ASEAN special envoy to Myanmar. He was tasked with addressing the ongoing challenges in the region. His rich experience and leadership in the diplomatic field are going to play an important role in fostering dialogue and finding ways to resolve the issue.
Othman retired from public service in 2016.