Between his current tenure and an earlier stint as deputy ambassador from 2014 to 2017, Kagan and his family have spent more than five years living in Malaysia — longer than anywhere else in recent decades.
"It's very moving for us to be getting ready to go. We've loved our time in Malaysia," he said during a recent engagement with the media here, adding that he would leave the country next month as his tenure comes to an end.
Among the places that left the deepest impression on him is Sabah. Over the years, the state became a familiar destination for official visits as well as family holidays.
Kagan recalled travelling with his children to Sandakan, Sepilok and the Kinabatangan River, revisiting places first seen nearly a decade ago, as well as trips to Kota Kinabalu, Semporna and islands off Sabah's coast.
But Sabah was more than a place of fond memories; it was central to his diplomatic work.
"Professionally, strengthening US engagement with Sabah is something I'm very proud of," he said.
That sense of closure was evident during his farewell visit to Kota Kinabalu, which included a courtesy call on Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.
Kagan said he expressed appreciation for the state leadership's role in deepening not only US-Malaysia relations, but also ties between the US and Sabah in particular.
The visit also highlighted the breadth of US involvement in the state, spanning investment, education and security cooperation.
Kagan said he met ConocoPhillips Company chairman and chief executive officer Ryan Lance, who was in Sabah to discuss the company's long-term operations.
He described ConocoPhillips as a serious investor with a strong record as a responsible corporate citizen.
Kagan also encouraged more American students to study in Malaysia, describing the country, and Sabah in particular, as an ideal gateway to Southeast Asia.
Exposing young Americans to the region was in the US' long-term interest, he said, noting that Malaysia offered a unique environment where students could experience Asia's major cultures in one setting.
Kagan said he had previously discussed student exchanges with Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) leadership and described the university as well-suited for academic collaboration.
"UMS is a great place," he said, citing its strengths in oceanography, environmental science and conservation.
"It's a place where American students can see environmental science and conservation in action, in a region where these issues are critically important."
On security concerns affecting travel to Sabah's east coast, Kagan said he had observed major improvements and expressed cautious optimism that the US travel advisory could be reviewed, while stressing that any decision rested with authorities in Washington.
"I've seen firsthand, and my colleagues at the embassy have as well, the tremendous progress made since the Lahad Datu incident in 2013," he said.
"The security situation has improved. I think we will be moving in the direction of communicating that to the American public."
He said the Eastern Sabah Security Command had been a success story, integrating security agencies and tools to deliver tangible improvements on the ground.
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