The appointment of PAS President Abdul Hadi Awang as the Prime Minister's special ambassador to the Middle East with ministerial status can be seen as an opportunity to strengthen diplomatic relations between Malaysia and countries in the region.

PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man said the appointment was also based on the background of Abdul Hadi, who is also Marang MP, especially in the field of syariah (Islamic law) and political science.

“I think this is one of the first steps towards accessing government-level discussions to boost investment and attract investors from the Middle East to our country. 

"For example, if we have problems involving the sale of palm oil and so on, we try to find markets in the countries in the region.

"Abdul Hadi also has close relationships with the leaders of the countries in the region ... not new, but since the past several decades, so the government thinks he is the right person and capable of continuing the diplomatic relations," he said on the Bernama TV ‘Ruang Bicara’ programme last night.

Maintaining that it was not a political appointment, Tuan Ibrahim said Abdul Hadi's appointment was also made based on his personage and leadership.

.Abdul Hadi holds a Bachelor of Shariah from the Islamic University of Medina and a Masters in Political Science from Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt.

He was also listed among the 500 influential Muslims in the world in the missionary and spiritual guide categories by the Jordan-based The Royal Islamic Strategic Studies in 2016.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, in a statement, agreed to appoint Abdul Hadi, who was also the Terengganu Chief Minister from 1999 to 2004, to the post.

- Bernama