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| British Ambassador Ahmad |
EDITORIAL
"Ambassador Ahmad, you've stepped out of line -- you have gone one step too far when you did that. You showed your true colours if I may say and it is unacceptable that the Foreign Office should keep you on in your Manila post because you have misrepresented Her Majesty's Government by being thoroughly obnoxious to your Philippine hosts. And I must warn you that I wouldn't be remotely surprised if the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs summons you for a bit of a lecture on proper ambassadorial behaviour and wouldn't astonish me in the least if the PH public demands that Britain recall you!"
For the Philippine Sabah Claim Forum
for the Defenders of the Philippine Sabah & Spratly Claims
and for the Sabah Claim Society
21 August 2015
I am flabbergasted that not one of the esteemed members and opinion columnists of the Philippine press has reacted to the news report: "UK envoy: Lack of quorum on BBL unacceptable; British ambassador Asif Ahmad was reacting to news reports that the lack of quorum was impeding the passage of the BBL at the 291-member House of Representatives."
But we on the PSCF say that it is completely, utterly unacceptable behaviour on the part of the British ambassador to the Philippines to comment negatively on the internal affairs, workings, governance of a foreign country like the Philippines!
Asif Ahmad, British envoy to the Philippines, a solid Muslim, born of a Pakistani father who became a Bangla Desh diplomat took a swipe at the Philippine legislature's lack of quorum and so was unable to tackle the BBL question. Note that Britain is one of the countries that volunteered to be a member of the "advisory" panel that oversaw Malaysia's engineering of the Framework Agreement.
I would not like to presume that Ambassador Ahmad took a swipe at the lack of quorum in the House of Representatives that was supposed to debate on the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law because he had a personal interest in the Malaysia-MILF engineered BBL. No, I wouldn't like to assume that at all! Let me just say outright that while the British ambassador's remarks were technically right, it is thoroughly unacceptable for a British envoy to interfere in the internal affairs and workings of a foreign country where he represents Her Majesty's Government. And I thought British ambassadors and senior members of the British Foreign Office were a bit more intelligent! I do believe that it is now unacceptable that the British Foreign Office should count among them, an envoy of questionable meddling character!
British Ambassador Ahmad has no effing right to tell us to our face, no matter how noble his intentions might be that it was unacceptable "that many members of Congress are not showing up" and to continue with a lecture on how they do it in the UK House of Commons...Simply unacceptable of the British Ambassador to do that. What and who gave him the right to say such things? Certainly not Her Majesty nor Her Majesty's Foreign Office and definitely not Prime Minister Cameron. So why did he effing open his mouth to criticise a foreign country's internal governance?
To His Excellency, Asif Ahmad, British Ambassador to Manila, answer this question: How would the British Foreign Office, let alone the British public react if the Philippine Ambassador to the Court of St James (London) stood up at a social function and told journalists that "It is unacceptable that the House of Commons acts like a circus during Prime Minister question time"? and if the Ph ambassador added, "Members of the British Parliament must act mature and not act like spoiled brats."?
Ambassador Ahmad, you've stepped out of line -- you have gone one step too far when you did that. You showed your true colours if I may say and it is unacceptable that the Foreign Office should keep you on in your Manila post because you have misrepresented Her Majesty's Government by being thoroughly obnoxious to your Philippine hosts. And I must warn you that I wouldn't be remotely surprised if the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs summons you for a bit of a lecture on proper ambassadorial behaviour and wouldn't astonish me in the least if the PH public demands that Britain recall you!
So, Mr Ambassador, take my counsel: Keep calm and shut up!
~~~~O~~~~
REPORT: UK envoy: lack of quorum unacceptable
British ambassador Asif Ahmad was reacting to news reports that the lack of quorum was impeding the passage of the BBL at the 291-member House of Representatives.
“In the United Kingdom, either you agree or oppose something. It is your duty as an elected official to debate and vote. But to hide under a stone is not doing the job that you are elected to do,” Ahmad told reporters during a reception he hosted at his residence on Tuesday night.
The House of Representatives is in the process of interpolating the draft BBL, which was based on the peace agreement signed by the Aguino administration and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. It proposes establishing a new, autonomous political entity to replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
“It is noticeable that many members of Congress are not showing up, which in my view is unacceptable,” Ahmad said.
Britain, which has its own experience dealing with separatist movements, had offered the Philippines its advisory assistance in the Mindanao peace process.
He cited the processes in the UK that led to the Scotland Independence referendum in 2014.–Niña P. Calleja
Read more: http://globalnation.inquirer.net/127515/uk-envoy-lack-of-quorum-on-bbl-unacceptable#ixzz3jTto7SYs
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