Anifah Aman

Who is Anifah Aman?

Dato' Sri Anifah bin Haji Aman is the current Malaysian Minister of Foreign Affairs. He is a member of the United Malays National Organisation, which is part of the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition and a Member of Parliament representing Kimanis in Sabah. He is also formerly Malaysian Deputy Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities.

Anifah's appointment as Foreign Minister came as a surprise to many. He is widely perceived as a rebel. After winning re-election in the 2008 general election, the then Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi appointed him as the new Deputy Transport Minister. However, Anifah refused, saying he felt it was "time to make way" for someone else. Reports indicated this was the first time anyone had refused an appointment as Deputy Minister after the appointment had already been made public.

A day later, the New Straits Times reported that Anifah and another proposed Deputy Minister, Datuk Seri Tengku Azlan Abu Bakar, had "thrown a tantrum ... claiming they are 'senior enough' to be made full ministers." Abdullah reportedly told them that he had "picked the best people", leading to their resignation.