Board of Governors: Chair for 2009
Mr. M. H. Arshad, Ambassador and Resident Representative of Malaysia
The Chair of the Board of Governors for 2009-2010 is the Ambassador and Resident Representative of Malaysia, Mr. M. H. Arshad. He succeeds the Ambassador and Resident Representative of Algeria, Mrs. Taous Feroukhi.
Mr. Arshad took up his current assignment as Ambassador to Austria, the Slovak Republic, and Permanent Representative of Malaysia to the IAEA, the United Nations Office at Vienna (UNOV), the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the Preparatory Commission to the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty in August 2006.
Mr. Arshad obtained a bachelors degree in International Relations from the University of Malaya and started his diplomatic career in 1974 at the Malaysian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
As a diplomat, he has been actively engaged in high level policy formulation and implementation regarding Malaysia´s bilateral and multilateral relations.
From 1999 to 2001 he served as Ambassador to the Republic of the Philippines and was subsequently appointed High Commissioner to Australia in 2001.
Throughout his career, Mr. Arshad has received a number of decorations and awards, including: Kesatria Mangku Negara; the Order of Sikatuna (Philippines); Darjah Indera Mahkota Pahang (from the State of Pahang in Malaysia which confers the title of Dato´); and Dato´ Setia DiRaja Kedah (from the State of Kedah in Malaysia which also confers the title of Dato´).