Shrewd Mind @ Work

When I first heard the rumour that my named was short-listed, to participate in the Diplomatic Training Course 2008 (DTC 2008), I quickly dismissed its possibility. As my career is still in its infancy, the sense of pessimism was quick to engulf my thoughts, implying that my 2 years of service was nothing compared to those who have served the unspoken ‘3 years mandatory period’, before being ‘sanctioned’ to join the DTC.

I savoured with tremendous jubilation when my nomination form for DTC 2008, was signed by the Undersecretary of Southeast Asia Division, that I almost forgot my manners to thank him for his approval. However, throughout the day, my euphoric condition gradually degrading, that by midnight I was left only with worries and doubts. I found myself waking up the next day feeling so miserable. I could not take my mind off the notion that I am a very young officer, and the connotation that the other 26 officers are better prepared, well equipped, and more polished to rise above the challenges throughout this 4-month course. Struggling to position myself on a more rational ground, I forced myself to view DTC as an opportunity to improve and immerse myself with the essential knowledge of a diplomat, in order to face the rigors of challenge in safeguarding Malaysia’s interest. I hold strongly to the saying that there is always room for further improvement though the benchmarks keep rising.

I officially become a participant of DTC 2008 when I registered successfully for the course at the Institute of Diplomacy and Foreign Relations (IDFR) on 25 February 2008. I must confessed that I was overwhelmed by the comprehensive syllabus and well-structured module planned for the course. My earlier concerns about how I would fair during this course vanished, as my perceptions towards the course changed from it being a challenging and tormenting period, into a challenging yet enriching experience as well as rewarding to my career as a diplomat.

Upon the change of mindset, I vowed that I would put my utmost effort in improving myself. I began the improved-myself process by taking the intensive French Lessons offered by the IDFR. Having the privileged to learn French before, and I viewed this as an opportunity to refresh and further strengthen my understanding and proficiency of the language. A senior Malaysian diplomat once told me, that mastering a third language like French would soon prove to be very useful in my career as a diplomat.

Besides French, I was also exposed to the usage of English in the diplomatic world. I started to train myself to use English as a persuasive tool to obtain something from others as well as to deploy English as the most potent weapon that would penetrate even the thickest enemy’s shield without the slightest drops of sweat nor blood. I learned from the pronunciation session that a diplomat has the ability to make nothing sounds like something. I even discovered how to say the nastiest things in the nicest way. After all, I would be expected to be tactful in order to persuade people to lay down their life for my country. I must apologise, did I say people? I actually meant to lay down my life for my country. I am such a cliché.

I believed En. Hanif session on the ‘Attributes of a Diplomat’ can be concluded simply by saying that ‘a diplomat is a person who knows how far to go before he goes too far’. Therefore, before I got carried away in exercising the right to freedom of free speech, and before my openness in writing, be interpreted as sarcasm, allow me to wind up my journal this week, by thanking the Almighty, for the opportunity to join this course, and I pray hard that by the end of this course, I would become better prepared, well equipped, and a more polished diplomat. God Willing.