There is a touch of Malaysia in the appointment of Australia’s new Foreign Affairs Minister Bob Carr.

His wife, Helena, is from the silver state of Perak in Malaysia, and her hometown is Taiping, known for its peace, quiet and tranquility.

The couple, both 64, met in 1972 while on vacation in Tahiti, the largest island in French Polynesia, and married the following year in Sydney.

Helena, who is of mixed Indian-Chinese parentage, came to Sydney in 1965 to study at Our Lady of Mercy College in Parramatta and then majored in economics at the University of Sydney.

The youngest of six children, she is wealthy in her own right, having been a a successful businesswoman who ran a commercial printing operation before selling it in 2004.

Helena joins Finance Minister Senator Penny Wong, from Sabah, as former Malaysians in the forefront of the Australian political scene.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced today that Carr, formerly New South Wales state premier, will join the Senate to become foreign affairs minister while outlining her cabinet reshuffle.

Carr’s appointment is part of Gillard’s second ministerial reshuffle in three months.

This follows the resignation of former foreign minister Kevin Rudd after a failed leadership push. Rudd now sits on the back bench.

Carr said he could not refuse an offer to perform more public service.

“You don’t choose the moment, very often the moment chooses you,” he told a media conference.

- Bernama