YOURSAY ‘Tania, pursue the attempted burglary and sexual assault to the hilt.’

Alleged victim angry over 'diplomatic escape'

Versey: Tania Billingsley, all decent right-thinking human beings are with you and wish to see that justice is done.

Indeed, right-minded Malaysians feel very sorry for the trauma that you have gone through in the alleged indecent assault by Muhammad Rizalman Ismail, a Malaysian diplomat, and to say the least, the unreasonable request to seal all documents pertaining to your case and to see the suspect flown back to Malaysia instead of facing the trial in New Zealand.

We support you wholeheartedly in your bid to press your government to pursue the case relentlessly and we also hope to see that our government is seriously committed to address such unbecoming culture in using all possible means to protect an alleged criminal to the extent of obstructing justice.

We salute you for your courage to speak up and hope Rizalman be a man and not a coward - to return to NZ as soon as possible to face trial and prove his innocence.

Magnus: It looks like Billingsley has played an ace by going public voluntarily and I am certain her strong, well-reasoned voice will easily trump the deadly silence from the Malaysian side on this serious matter of an alleged break-in by a Malaysian armed forces warrant officer with intent to commit burglary, sexual assault and/or rape on the occupant of the property when the offender knew he had diplomatic immunity.

Whether the alleged rapist misunderstood any intentions/actions of the other party or if he was drunk or high at the time, that does not excuse any of his alleged criminal actions that night.

But what is most damning is the allegation that the Malaysian authorities had asked the Kiwi authorities to drop all charges against the alleged intruder and to forget about the nasty incident, thus denying the victim the right to justice.

Ferdtan: It looks like NZ leaders, like most politicians around the world, need to be pressured before they pro-actively act in the interest of their people.

However, compared to our Malaysian government and its politicians, they are without saying poles apart. When we talk about human rights, it is practically non-existent in Malaysia.

Now that the Malaysian authorities (and that may include the NZ government too) are slowly relenting to the public demand, are they hoping that the peoples of both countries would soon forget about it and they could come up with an amicable solution?

That is why Tania Billingsley had to reveal herself to give the victim a face as many people cannot empathise when they can’t see or hear directly from the victim.

Apa Nama: Tania, you better pressure your government for more information on Rizalman's psychiatric assessment since this assessment is perhaps used as a delaying tactic and to avoid future prosecution against him.

We here could smell rat. Beside requesting for an update, try get one independent psychiatric assessment on him also. Otherwise I worry that your case may not move even an inch.

By the way, I salute you for your courage. May all the women learn something from you.

Anonymous_1400076912: A gutsy 21-year-old woman who actually speaks for all women who are victims of rape and assault. Kudos Tania!

Now, I hope your PM will be more vocal on this case, and take all necessary actions to see that justice is done, unlike ours which prefers to be elegantly silent.

CQ Muar: Tania, pursue the attempted burglary and assault to the hilt. Beyond doubt, the Malaysian government will leave no stone unturned to get him off the hook, and he would get away scot-free like many other cases involving Umnoputras.

Under such circumstances, Tania, ensure the NZ government won't compromise with some amicable settlement - justice must be served at all cost.

Dr Jacob George: What residue respect anyone had for us as a nation is now gone, post-MH370, the infamous Kinabatangan MP Bung Moktar Radin’s tweet and now, the total mismanagement of an alleged crime in a foreign land.

It’s sad that we have yet to acknowledge that others address these issues with precision, speed, accountability, good governance and transparency, while we are alleged to have tried to sweep the matter under the carpet and are still pussy footing instead of letting the accused to stand up to legal scrutiny.

Anonymous_1389080833: Some commentators are straying. Race is not and cannot be made an issue. He is innocent until proven otherwise in a court of law. The only issue here is the circumstances in which he left NZ - under the cloak of diplomatic immunity.

P Dev Anand Pillai: New Zealand is not Malaysia. The women there are well aware of their rights and highly informed.

They had a woman prime minister leading them for sometime so it is not surprising that this young woman has come up to show her face and seek justice.

But as usual, supremacist mentality here will ensure that perpetrator stays here and is not extradited.

Telestai!: Wisma Putra and Mindef ought to know this situation is not going away. In fact it'll get worse with every day the accused is delayed from answering the charges.

Judging by the way Rizalman was allowed to leave NZ, I am pretty sure he'll get a fair trial. The again, a fair trial is probably what the Malaysian authorities are afraid of.

Axolotl: Let's ask one question: many have been arrested and charged with a wide range of crimes, ranging from snatch theft to rape, murder, even sodomy.

In every case, the one who faces trial and a possible prison sentence would be likely to feel depressed and dispirited, suddenly faced with a bleak future.

How many of those who have been through such an experience been given official protection on humanitarian grounds? Was Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim not depressed enough to have his trial postponed repeatedly?

Does it mean anyone who shows signs of personality breakdown can be let off from being dragged through the courts? For the top military brass to come to Rizalman's defence is simply abominable.

Unless, of course, the same kindness is shown to all who face criminal charges. Let's begin by postponing every court case so the accused will have the benefit of psychological tests and medical rehabilitation.

Abasir: Given the track record of deviousness of the scumbags (preparing a false statutory declaration, spiriting families out of the country, using opportunistic carpetbaggers to organise payouts, fixing judges, etc) it is possible they are playing for time while feverish negotiations take place in the background.

Tania Billingsley coming out like this must have thrown a spanner in the works. Given the political shenanigans in NZ, justice may well depend on an unrelenting media scrutiny.

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