We refer to the Malaysiakini report KL sacks IAEA envoy after Iran atomic vote and 'Not fired, Arshad's term to expire' .

Citizens International strongly protests the sacking of Arshad Hussain as Malaysia's Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Vienna and calls on the government to reinstate him to his former position. The reason given by the Foreign Minister Anifah Aman that he was not sacked but only his contract not renewed is untenable and unconvincing.

Arshad, a seasoned diplomat, was, before his sacking, Malaysia's representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and held the chair of the agency's board of governors for the 2009-2010 term. His term as chairperson of the IAEA board has not expired and, therefore, what is the foreign ministry's reason for removing, and not allowing him to complete his term?

Arshad's dismissal is for voting 'no' to a resolution passed by the IAEA board in November 2009 to censure Iran for building a second uranium enrichment plant. Apparently, the ministry was pressured by the US to terminate his service. Giving in to pressure from a foreign government and removing a competent diplomat amounts to a serious compromise of our sovereignty which should not be tolerated.

Arshad's opposition to the resolution instigated by the US was brave and justified because he did not give in to US pressure and abandon our commitment to an independent foreign policy pioneered by the late Prime Minister Abdul Razak Hussein. Punishing him for upholding our nation's honour and independence is an act of gross injustice.

The US has been manipulating the IAEA and the United Nations Security Council to put pressure on Iran to discontinue its uranium enrichment programme. Iran has every legal right to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes under the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) which it will not give up and the US knows this.

The US and some European states have falsely accused Iran of developing nuclear weapons but the IAEA and even the US intelligence agencies have refuted this baseless claims. The hypocrisy and double-standard practised by the West in this case is obvious.

Israel has surreptitiously developed, and now possesses, more than 200 nuclear weapons with sophisticated delivery systems over the air, sea and land. It is not a party to the NPT and therefore, not subject to inspection by the IAEA while Iran is and subject to intrusive AIEA inspections.

Israel has committed aggression against neighbouring states and repeatedly threatened to use nuclear weapons. The 'international community', while closing its eyes to the unlawful activities of this rogue nation, is threatening to impose crippling sanctions on Iran for exercising its lawful right to enrich uranium for power generation and medical use.

The US concern over Iran's uranium enrichment programme is only a pretext for trying to bring about a regime-change that would serve its geo-political interests and protect apartheid Israel. It did it in Iraq and hopes to repeat it in Iran. There are already plans, and the US Congress has approved millions of dollars, for this illegal venture.

Arshad was therefore right in preventing Malaysia from being associated with the US conspiracy to bring about regime-change in Iran, a sovereign UN member state, in violation of the UN Charter and international law. He should be honoured and not punished.

The writer is chairperson, Citizens International.