MCA notes that Malaysian embassies and high commissions overseas have been providing consular services to Malaysians residing abroad, or that in times of trouble, our Malaysian missions overseas have done their level best to assist in safeguarding the rights of Malaysian citizens abroad or in evacuating them to reach back home safely.

All services rendered to Malaysians by Malaysian diplomats stationed abroad have consistently been colour blind irrespective of race and religion.

MCA also notes that Wisma Putra has acknowledged its oversight of not inviting the Chinese media to cover the meeting by Foreign Minister Anifah Aman with family members of Malaysian diplomats stranded in North Korea and the assurance that such an oversight will not recur (Malaysiakini, March 12, 2017).

From the list of 11 media outlets that were invited to cover, all of them are from the mainstream press. Not one of the news agencies were from the Chinese or Tamil dailies, and not one from online news portals.

Of the 11 original Malaysians who were barred from leaving, eight are Malays, two are Indians and one is a Chinese. Later, the sole Chinese and an Indian, both of whom were attached with the United Nations Food Aid Programme, were allowed to depart.

MCA recognises the anxieties felt by the next-of-kin of the families and place full confidence with Wisma Putra and the federal government in negotiating with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) to secure permission for the stranded Malaysians to leave North Korea.

Nevertheless, as initially there were two Indian and one Chinese hostage, it is only appropriate that the Tamil and Chinese dailies too should have been invited.

Likewise, as Malaysian and international readers are keenly keeping abreast on the latest developments related to Malaysian diplomats and their dependents stranded in North Korea, or of matters involving King Jong-nam’s assassination, or North Koreans in Malaysia, online news portals too should have been included so that the stories could have been immediately uploaded.

If lack of space was an issue, surely Wisma Putra, which has organised, hosted world class summits and coordinated the logistics and transport arrangements of international VIPs, entourages and media personnel in Malaysia, could have easily located a larger and more ideal venue.

CHAI KIM SEN is MCA publicity bureau chairperson and MCA deputy national organising secretary.