Saturday December 4, 2004

Cambodian princess new envoy to Malaysia

BY PAUL GABRIEL

KUALA LUMPUR: Princess Norodom Arunrasmy, the wife of Cambodia’s Ambassador to Malaysia, is set to take over her husband’s duties here.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen’s nomination of her to be the new head of mission in Malaysia has been approved by King Norodom Sihamoni, who is Arunrasmy’s brother.

Princess Arunrasmy: The youngest daughter of former Cambodian ruler King Norodom Sihanouk has been appointed as the new ambassador to Malaysia and takes over from her husband Reasmey.

Her husband, Keo Puth Reasmey, will be reassigned as ambassador to Germany in January. The 49-year-old princess is the youngest daughter of former ruler, King Norodom Sihanouk, who abdicated the throne in October.

“My wife is well qualified for the job as she has served in several positions in the Cabinet of King Sihanouk. She has travelled throughout Asia in her capacity as chief of administration of the previous King and has done well.

“I have full faith in her abilities,” Reasmey told The Star.

Princess Arunrasmy is currently away in Phnom Penh and will return next week.

She first worked in a bank in Long Beach, California, in 1980 before serving her father in various positions in the Cabinet between 1982-84.

Between 1985 and 1990, she was with the Foreign Loans Department at the Siam Commercial Bank in New York. Until 1997, she was president of the Cambodia Farmers Bank.

In 1994, Sihanouk elevated her to the rank of Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal for her contributions to Cambodia.

The princess is best known here as the president of the Asean Ladies Circle, a grouping of wives of Asean ambassadors here, between 2003 and 2004.

The couple have five children, and Reasmey said he accepted his Government's decision to “split” them between Berlin and Kuala Lumpur.

“As my government told me, we’ll only be a flight ticket away from each other,” he quipped.

More News