Malaysia to return envoy wanted in sex case to N. Zealand

Yahoo – AFP, 2 July 2014

General view shows the exterior wall of the High Commission of Malaysia

building in Wellington on July 1, 2014

Malaysia said Wednesday it would send an envoy back to New Zealand to face an attempted rape charge as a diplomatic storm erupted over the case.

The Southeast Asian nation had earlier asked Wellington to drop the case against defence staff assistant Muhammad Rizalman Ismail, promising he would never return to the country, according to documents released Wednesday.

Muhammad Rizalman appeared in a New Zealand court on May 10 accused of stalking a 21-year-old woman the previous night and attacking her at her home in the same Wellington suburb where Malaysia's High Commission is located.

Malaysian Foreign Minister Anifah Aman

 (seen in Putrajaya on July 1, 2014) told 

reporters that Kuala Lumpur had initially

 been prepared to waive immunity but

 decided not to when New Zealand

presented the option of returning

Muhammad Rizalman home.

Police charged him with burglary and assault with intent to commit rape -- both offences that carry jail terms of up to 10 years -- but he escaped prosecution after invoking diplomatic immunity and returning to his homeland.

But in an about-turn, Malaysia's foreign ministry said Wednesday that Muhammad Rizalman would return to New Zealand "to assist in the investigation for the charges".

"The Malaysian Government is of the view that this decision will provide an opportunity for Mr. Muhammad Rizalman to cooperate fully and assist the New Zealand authorities in the on-going investigations on the allegations made against him," it said in a statement.

New Zealand Foreign Minister Murray McCully said this was a "very welcome development which underlines the good faith and integrity with which they (Malaysia) have approached this issue".

The case has caused uproar in New Zealand, with the government facing criticism for failing to ensure the diplomat stood trial.

The Malaysian government has also been accused by its nationals of wrongly protecting Muhammad Rizalman.

Committment to 'justice'

"There was never any intention by either government to let this matter rest, and regardless of whether the process took place in Malaysia or New Zealand there was a strong commitment to seeing justice done," McCully said in a statement.

Malaysia said it would provide legal assistance to Muhammad Rizalman, who "is considered innocent until proven guilty".

In an unusual move, New Zealand earlier Wednesday released correspondence between foreign affairs officials and the Malaysian High Commission, in which the diplomatic mission refused to waive immunity and asked that the charges be dropped and the matter kept quiet.

New Zealand Prime Minister John Key has said he feels the accused should be in the dock in the country where the alleged offences took place.

"There is absolutely no question in my mind that this individual should be tried through the New Zealand system and face his penalties, if he is found guilty, in New Zealand," he told reporters.

New Zealand police had said in a statement that they were examining the possibility of applying for Muhammad Rizalman's extradition.

The High Commission of Malaysia in

Wellington pictured on July 1, 2014

Malaysian Foreign Minister Anifah Aman told reporters Tuesday that Kuala Lumpur had initially been prepared to waive immunity but decided not to when New Zealand presented the option of returning Muhammad Rizalman home.

He had said the case would be treated seriously by authorities in Malaysia.

McCully said the option of sending the diplomat home should have never been put on the table and apologised for his department's handling of the affair.

"The government's been poorly served and I've apologised to the prime minister for that," he told reporters.

In Malaysia, opposition politicians, activists and some of the country's active web users have also called on the government to return the envoy to New Zealand.

"Heavy rain in (Kuala Lumpur) but cannot wash away the embarrassment for my country," one user wrote on Twitter.

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