YOURSAY ‘Indeed, were you consulted when the May 21 letter was drafted?’
Wisma Putra will decide Rizalman’s return to NZ
Appum: Defence Minister Hishamuddin Hussein, you got it all wrong. The accused in not on trial by media here but the handling of the affair is. See the difference?
What we are concerned with is how and why military attache Muhammad Rizalman Ismail left New Zealand with the connivance of the foreign office; why he is still here; why more medical tests are needed, etc, etc.
Rizalman seems “withdrawn and depressed” and the doctors justify this by saying he needs more tests. What do the doctors expect of Rizalman? Guilty or not, you don’t expect Rizalman to be jumping for joy.
See, Hisham, we are not criticising Rizalman. We are taking to task all the people working on his case.
Sleepy: I think Appum has got it spot on. The public opinion is on the handling of the affair, not the trial. The public knows the difference but I can see that you don't, minister. How shameful.
Abasir: Hishamuddin, as defense minister, were you consulted when the May 21 letter was drafted and sent to the New Zealand government?
If you were, then you are complicit with the attempt to get NZ to drop the charges, seal the documents and pretend the alleged crime did not happen.
And if you were behind that promise to the NZ government to ensure Rizalman never sets foot in NZ again, then you had already judged the man, found him guilty even before a trial.
But if you say that you were kept in the dark and had no knowledge of this sordid affair and the Foreign Ministry actions, it is clear you are not really a defence minister as you make yourself out to be.
So come clean even though it is a case of 'damned if you do' and 'damned if you don't'.
Hytan: The decision by the Malaysian government not to waive the diplomatic immunity of the military attache is arguable, but not to request the sealing all documents relating to the police investigation and the withdrawing all charges against Rizalman.
If this is not a cover-up, what is it then, Minister Hishamuddin?
Anonymous_1398011840: Our diplomat are wanted to "assist" in the investigation of the alleged attempted rape and our government is dragging its feet to sent the accused back for trial?
If the victim was a well-connected politician, everything would have been different. The sad part is the victim was not given justice.
Cover up or not, it took more than one month for this case to see the light of the day. Worse still, Malaysia had officially requested the case to be "sealed" and charges dropped.
Anonymous_1371547149: When Rizalman chose to flee New Zealand, he was already judged by the public. He should have stayed to defend himself if he was innocent. It's not like he's going to be put on trial in a country with poor human rights record.
Anonymous_3e86: Indeed, only the guilty will fear a fair trial. But in Malaysia, the corrupt don't fear Malaysian courts, it is the innocent who fear it.
Turvy: They say the poles have changed - North is South and South is North.
In this country, the moral compass has shifted making right wrong the direction of the leadership of this government.
The soldier's wrong, if proved, is a human failing of one individual. It is the failing of the ruling group that we worry about - systemic incompetence and collective lying.
CQ Muar: Hishammuddin, you seem to have a zeal to blame Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim at every occasion.
The controversial cover-up is not just Anwar's opinion , but a fact Foreign Minister Anifah Aman schemed for over one month before it came to light.
Now you even resort to blaming the media and public for being unfair to the accused (Rizalman) for 'pre-judging' him with comments.
Just why are you so bent in your defence of Rizalman? Would you be giving similar attention if it was someone ordinary or a non-Muslim? Is this eccentric attache someone's son hailing from VVIP in Umno or an elite minister that prompted you to such defence?
Considering the fact MH370 wasn't fruitfully or satisfactorily handled, which was a mockery worldwide, we suggest you refrain from making hypocrital comments or allegations.
Anifah should get the admonishment and not Anwar, please.
Hank Marvin: You made a good point Hishammudin, but the problem your inconsistency. When it comes to Anwar and Pakatan Rakyat, you try them with your media, especially Utusan Malaysia and TV3.
Rick Teo: No need to procrastinate. Just put Rizalman on the next plane. Don't give excuses and delay sending him back to face trial.
Caripasal: Precisely as mentioned earlier, psychiatric illness is the best excuse to delay extradition, if at all.
Perhaps it is the treating doctor, Defence Ministry and the government that require further psychiatric assessment.
Senior: Also, can we have psychiatric evaluation before we appoint our diplomats?
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