Had New Zealand not offered another option in dealing with the case of Muhammad Rizalman Ismail, The Foreign Ministry wouldn’t have carried out diplomatic immunity. During a discussion regarding the case on May 12, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman said that New Zealand offered for the accused to be sent back home to Malaysia.
“It was never our intention to treat the matter lightly. The Foreign Ministry was prepared to waive diplomatic immunity of the accused to enable prosecution in New Zealand. Those involved in the discussion were the Malaysian High Commissioner in Wellington, the (New Zealand) deputy chief of protocol of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and officers from the New Zealand police.”
Anifah mentioned that the Foreign Ministry had no plans on carrying out diplomatic immunity. “We would have brought him back on our own had we felt that he would not get a fair trial or his life was in danger. But in countries like New Zealand, we have no doubt about their justice system as we have almost the same system.”
“But we were offered an alternative, so we thought it was best to take the offer to bring him back but a thorough investigation will follow with the full cooperation of the New Zealand authorities,” he also said.
A Warrant Officer 2, the 38 year-old Muhammad Rizalman has been attached to the high commission since last year. On May 9, he was arrested and brought to court the day after, with the charges of burglary and assault with the intention to rape a young woman.
Apparently, Muhammad Rizalman had followed the woman back to her home in Brooklyn on the night of May 9. The Star reported that TVNZ had called Anifar for a phone interview yesterday, where he read a note that was sent by the New Zealand ministry’s deputy chief of protocol.
Parts of what was mentioned in the note included: “If he (the accused) were to complete his posting prior to May 30 and return to Malaysia with his family, that would be the end of the matter.”
It was said that Muhammad Rizalman was originally due to be in court on May 30 to face the charges that he was held responsible for. Anifah also pointed out that Mindef has set up a board of inquiry to further investigate the case in a comprehensive manner.
He said that if it was necessary for the accused to be sent back to New Zealand for the extradition, it wouldn’t be a problem with Wisma Putra. “But we have confidence in Mindef and the board will communicate with the New Zealand authorities for evidence. What is important is that he must be investigated thoroughly and given a fair hearing. If he is found guilty, punishment must be meted out accordingly.”
Anifah stated that the government is not taking this matter lightly and knows how serious these charges are. In fact, they have no intention of “sweeping it under the carpet.” The accused also has been sent for psychiatric evaluation to determine his mental and emotional condition.
He also confirmed that the bilateral relations between the two countries wouldn’t be affected.
