DÍLI, 21 July 2026 (TATOLI) – President of the Republic and Nobel Peace Laureate José Ramos-Horta, received the Letters of Credence from Fairuz Rozali, as the new Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Malaysia to the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste. The credential ceremony held at the Nicolau Lobato Presidential Palace.
Ambassador Fairuz Rozali brings over two decades of diplomatic experience to his new role. Since joining Malaysia’s Administrative and Diplomatic Service in 2002, he has served in key positions at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including postings at the ASEAN-Malaysia National Secretariat, the Coordination and Implementation Department, the OIC and Regional Cooperation Division, and the Multilateral Political Division.
His overseas assignments have included Malaysian missions in Kuwait, the Republic of Korea, and the United States of America. Most recently, he served as Deputy Director-General of the ASEAN External Relations Division at the ASEAN-Malaysia National Secretariat prior to his appointment to Timor-Leste.
Ambassador Fairuz Rozali holds a Bachelor of International Business Relations (Hons) from Universiti Utara Malaysia and a Master of Arts in International Affairs (with merit) from the University of Nottingham.
Timor-Leste and Malaysia share a long-standing partnership, rooted in Malaysia’s early support for the nation. Malaysia was the first country to establish a Liaison Office in Dili on 13 April 2001. Since then, Malaysia has remained a steadfast partner in Timor-Leste’s nation-building and development efforts, contributing through capacity-building and security initiatives such as the Malaysian Technical Cooperation Programme (MTCP) and the Malaysian Defence Cooperation Programme (MDCP).
“Bilateral cooperation has been further strengthened through formal agreements in air services, higher education, telecommunications, information and media development, rural development, and defence. A historic milestone in bilateral relations was Timor-Leste’s formal admission as the 11th Member State of ASEAN on 26 October 2025, during Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship,” said in a statement.
“I am delighted to welcome Ambassador Fairuz Rozali to Timor-Leste. Malaysia has been a true partner in our development journey, from our independence to our ASEAN membership,” President Ramos-Horta “I have no doubt that under his able stewardship, our bilateral ties will grow even stronger, opening new opportunities in trade, capacity-building, and regional cooperation for the benefit of both our nations.”
President Ramos-Horta expressed his full confidence that Ambassador Fairuz Rozali’s tenure will elevate and fortify the enduring bonds of friendship and cooperation between Timor-Leste and Malaysia.
TATOLI
