Tuesday December 13, 2005
Azmi returns with China’s message for enforcers
SEPANG: China has appealed to local enforcement agencies not to be overzealous when conducting investigation on its citizens who had been arrested for suspected involvement in any criminal act.
Home Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Azmi Khalid who was asked to convey the message to the agencies here said while the Chinese government did not ask for any special treatment, they were concerned with the manner some of their citizens were treated.
“They would not protest if their citizens were arrested for breaking the local laws but have appealed to our enforcement people not to be overzealous.
“To the China government, such an act was like insulting their country as if all their citizens are criminals,” he told newsmen at the KLIA here after his one-week visit to China.
The visit, instructed by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, was to explain to the China government about the video recording showing a fair, naked woman doing ear squats in a police lock-up in Petaling Jaya recently.
Azmi was acompanied by Deputy Tourism Minister Datuk Zahid Hamidi and Deputy Home Affairs Minister Datuk Tan Chai Ho.
They met three ministers and officials of China National Tourism Administrator which has the power over all travel agencies in the country.
He said China had also asked Malaysia to investigate the case thoroughly and penalise those who had broken any law.
Asked whether the Chinese officials could positively identify the woman in the video clip as its citizen, Azmi said they too were not sure after being told that there were also Malaysians with similar skin colour and features.
“Whatever it is, the mission was successful as we managed to restore the confidence among Chinese nationals that it was safe to visit Malaysia and they would be treated equally like visitors from other countries.
“So we can expect tourists from China to come back in aircraft-loads in the near future,” he said.
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