On October 21, 2024, Ambassador Beresford-Hill met with H.E. Ambassador Ahmad Faisal Muhamad, Permanent Representative of Malaysia to the United Nations.
Ambassador Muhamad has held numerous senior positions throughout his diplomatic career. Before his current role, he served as Malaysia’s Ambassador to the United Nations Office in Geneva from 2019. His previous roles include Director General of the Department of Policy Planning and Coordination and Deputy Secretary General at Malaysia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2018, as well as Director and Advisor for International Relations in the Office of the Prime Minister from 2014 to 2018. Ambassador Muhamad also served as Malaysia’s Ambassador to Myanmar and Deputy High Commissioner to Singapore. With extensive experience in ASEAN affairs and international law, his career has included postings in Russia and leadership roles in Malaysia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Since 1994.
During the meeting, Ambassador Beresford-Hill provided an overview of the Sovereign Order of Malta’s history and its role as a humanitarian organisation. He highlighted the Order’s efforts in Syria, Lebanon, Ukraine, and the Palestinian territories, with a particular focus on the Holy Family Hospital in Bethlehem. He noted how the facility not only delivers critical medical care but also provides training to Palestinian healthcare workers, enabling them to serve their communities.
Ambassador Muhamad expressed appreciation for the detailed briefing and a keen interest in the Order’s history and global humanitarian work. While familiar with the Order, he acknowledged that he was previously unaware of its extensive operations and inquired about its organisational structure and the functions of its diplomatic network, which Ambassador Beresford-Hill elaborated on.
The discussion also touched on the Order’s recent efforts to deliver food aid to civilians in Gaza. Ambassador Muhamad commended these initiatives, emphasising the critical need for food assistance in the Strip. He shared Malaysia’s longstanding commitment to supporting the region, noting its history of sending medical personnel to Gaza and ongoing efforts to provide relief where possible.
As the meeting concluded, both Ambassadors underscored the importance of coordinated and comprehensive relief and reconstruction efforts once hostilities cease in Gaza. They stressed that the needs and wellbeing of the civilian population, particularly children, must remain central to these efforts.
