According to a source who spoke on condition of anonymity, Kagan had informed the Malaysian government this week. “He told the government that he will be retiring in mid-February,” the source told FMT.

FMT has also been made to understand that Kagan’s resignation as an envoy follows his decision to accept a position outside the US government.

US president Donald Trump has nominated Nick Adams as the next US ambassador to Malaysia.

News of Kagan’s retirement comes exactly two years after he arrived in Malaysia to take up the post, to which he was nominated by the Joe Biden administration.

A career foreign service officer, Kagan had served on the National Security Council and had also been deputy chief of mission at the US embassies in India and Malaysia.

One of the highlights of Kagan’s tenure was shepherding Trump on his recent visit to Malaysia.

In an interview with FMT last month, Kagan said that Southeast Asia and the broader Indo-Pacific remain a strategic priority for the US, with Washington and Putrajaya looking to build on the strong rapport between their leaders.