Bidding farewell: Laotian Ambassador to Indonesia Prasith Sayasith (second right, front row) poses with outgoing Brunei Ambassador Maj. Gen. (ret) Husin Bin Awang Ahmad (right, front row), Hungarian Ambassador Mihaly Illes (second left, second row), Indonesian Foreign Ministry director for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Yohanes Kristiarto S. Legowo (third left, fourth row) and several ambassadors of Southeast and East Asian countries during a farewell party in Jakarta recently. Both Husin and Illes will be leaving soon Indonesian after completion of their tenure here.The party was hosted by Ambassador Sayasith. Courtesy of the Embassy of Lao PDR
Farewells and welcoming parties have always been a part of the diplomatic life, as envoys always move from one country to another. But when they have to bid farewell to their close peers, diplomats get emotional.
The same thing happened when Laotian Ambassador to Indonesia Prasith Sayasith organized a farewell party for two of his close friends – Brunei Ambassador Maj. Gen. (ret) Husin Bin Awang Ahmad and Hungarian Ambassador Mihaly Illes – who are leaving after completion of their tenures in Jakarta.
The party was attended by most ambassadors from ASEAN and East Asia, as well as the Indonesian Foreign Ministry director for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Yohanes Kristiarto S. Legowo.
During the party, the host, Ambassador Sayasith, who loves singing, floated the idea that whoever wanted to bid farewell to both Husin and Illes must join the karaoke.
Surprisingly, so many ambassadors, including Chinese Ambassador Zhang Qiyue, South Korean Ambassador Kim Ho-young, Malaysian Ambassador Dato’ Zainal Abidin Zain, Thai Ambassador Akrasid Amatayakul, Philippine Ambassador Vidal Erfe Querol, Myanmar Ambassador U Nyan Lynn, and Kristiarto, came forward and bid farewell.
Ambassador Husin, a non-career diplomat who came to Indonesia in 2006, looked both happy and sad – happy because he will be retiring from the service and can get some rest; sad because he will be losing some good friends in Indonesia.
“I served my country for almost 42 years: 30 in the military and 12 in the diplomatic service. So now I can take some rest,” Husin said.
Ambassador Illes, a career diplomat who came to Indonesia in 2006, will work for some time in Budapest, before retiring from the diplomatic service.
