Hon Murray McCully
Minister of Foreign Affairs
7 February 2011 Media Statement

New High Commissioner to Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam named

New Zealand’s next High Commissioner to Malaysia, resident in Kuala Lumpur and cross-accredited to Brunei Darussalam, will be David Pine, Foreign Minister Murray McCully announced today.

“Malaysia is an important relationship for New Zealand,” Mr McCully said. “It is consistently one of our top 10 trading partners – two-way trade was worth NZ$2.09 billion in the year to June 2010. We have long-standing education connections dating back to the Colombo plan. More than 2,000 Malaysian students are currently studying in New Zealand, including around 250 PhD-level students.

“Our relationship has really taken off in the last year with the entry into force of our bilateral free trade agreement, Malaysia’s entry into the TPP (Trans Pacific Partnership) negotiations and Malaysia’s turn as our ASEAN Dialogue Co-ordinator. Malaysia has also co-deployed non-combat soldiers to work with the New Zealand-led Provincial Reconstruction Team in Bamyan, Afghanistan,” said Mr McCully.

New Zealand’s relationship with Brunei Darussalam, ASEAN’s second wealthiest economy with a GDP per head of more than US$37,000, is also growing well. Brunei Darussalam has been an active participant in the TPP negotiations from their start.

“Mr Pine’s job will be to lead our multi-agency team in Kuala Lumpur to build on these important developments to further broaden and deepen our ties with two of South East Asia’s most dynamic economies. We have a lot to offer each other,” says Mr McCully.

Mr Pine is currently Director, Economic Division, in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Wellington. Prior to this, he held positions as Ambassador to the Philippines and Deputy High Commissioner at the New Zealand High Commission in Kuala Lumpur.

He will take up his assignment in early 2011 replacing David Kersey who is returning to Wellington.

ENDS

© Scoop Media