Ramlan Ibrahim

Ramlan was born in Penang, a state in the north of Malaysia, in 1957.

He obtained a bachelor's degree from the National University of Malaysia (UKM), and a Masters in International Relations from Webster University.

Ramlan entered the Administrative and Diplomatic Service of Malaysia in 1983. His first posting was as Second Secretary to the Embassy of Malaysia in Jakarta in 1988. Two years later, he was reassigned to the Embassy of Malaysia in the Netherlands, but as First Secretary. In 1994, Ramlan returned to the headquarters and was assigned to the Europe Division. It was not long before the Ministry sent him on another posting - this time as the Chargé d'Affaires ad interim in the Embassy of Malaysia in Zagreb, Croatia.

He returned three years later, in 2000, to become the Principal Assistant Secretary at the Division of South East Asia. The following year, Ramlan was appointed as Deputy High Commissioner to Singapore.

His first posting as Ambassador was to Bosnia Herzegovina, in 2004. When he returned to the Ministry in 2006, he was appointed as the Undersecretary of the Americas Division, before becoming Undersecretary of South East Asia Division in quick succession.

In 2009, Ramlan was again appointed Ambassador of Malaysia - this time to the Republic of Korea. His return from Korea in 2013 saw him heading the Bilateral Department, the second-highest post in the Malaysian foreign service.

His services were needed elsewhere however, and in April 2015, Ramlan was appointed as Malaysia's Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York. Malaysia was at the time a member of the Security Council, thus Ramlan was also Malaysia's Permanent Representative in the Council, the highest decision-making organ of the United Nations. Malaysia became President of the Security Council twice, in April 2015 and August 2016. As Ambassador, Ramlan presided over those meetings, only relinquishing the responsibility when the Deputy Prime Minister or Foreign Minister was in New York for the session.

At the UNSC

Ramlan's first task upon taking up the post in New York in April 2015 was to preside over the much-vaunted UN Security Council. In fact, Malaysia presided over the UN Security Council twice - in April 2015, and in August 2016.

At the Security Council, Ramlan was also Chair of the Security Council's Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict, and held open debates on the subject on 18 June 2015 and 2 August 2016. UN Resolution 2225 on 'children and armed conflict' was adopted with a unanimous vote during Malaysia's Chairmanship in 2015.

As MFA Secretary General

Ramlan was appointed as Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 1 January 2017 and received his letter of appointment from the Chief Secretary to the Government, Tan Sri Dr Ali Hamsa.

Barely two months into his stewardship, Malaysia was plunged into a standoff with North Korea over the death of a North Korean citizens, rumored to be none other than Kim Jong-nam, the estranged brother of Kim Jong-il. Ramlan's skills a diplomat-negotiator, honed during Malaysia's tenure at the UN Security Council became invaluable and he was tasked with spearheading the negotiations to free the 11 Malaysians held captive by the Pyongyang regime.

Ramona became the first top management officer at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Malaysia to establish his own Twitter account , in line with his own vision of making the service more transparent and social media-friendly. He continues to remould the Ministry, introducing innovative advances to Malaysia's foreign service and encouraging ideas that will bring the Ministry into the digital age.

2017 - Panglima Jasa Negara (PJN) from His Majesty the Yang DiPertuan Agong, with the title 'Datuk', Darjah Gemilang Pangkuan Negeri Pulau Pinang (DGPN) with the title 'Dato' Seri'

2012 - Honorary Citizen of Seoul

2008 - Darjah Dato' Setia Diraja Kedah (DSDK)