Kalyananda Godage, Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to Malaysia has been recalled abruptly by Colombo after he was accused of sympathetic involvement with Tamil organisations in Malaysia.
Mr. Godage came out of retirement at the age of 76 to take up this position.
His service will come to an end at the end of August after serving only eight months.
Sri Lanka’s External Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris, took an exception to Godage’s request for answers, that were posed by Tamil groups during a meeting in Colombo.
Following excerpts are from a Sunday Times article that depicts the conversation between Godage and G.L. Peiris.
“Kalyananda Godage, Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner in Malaysia was bold enough to point out what most envoys say was an inherent weakness in the External Affairs Ministry (EAM). He noted that there were some questions from the Tamil Diaspora over Northern Provincial Council elections, lack of progress at all party meetings and similar matters. He found it difficult to provide answers sometimes since the EAM had not provided clear guidelines. Godage’s dilemma is understandable. He did not wish to say anything that would run counter to the thinking of the Government. An embarrassed External Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris was quick to parry the issue.
“This is not what I expect an envoy to say” he interjected and added “you should be able to defend the Government. You should know what to say.”
It’s apparent that this conversation was the igniting factor that motivated the government to recall Mr. Godage.
Godage sent a letter to G.L.Peiris to reconsider his decision, citing his disbelief and saying it was “unjust and unfair, and certainly not what I ever expected.”
