Veena Babulal
KUALA LUMPUR: A complaint has been lodged to Wisma Putra by the Namibian High Commission after its mission head and nephews were allegedly mistreated by an Immigration Department officer in KLIA.
The complaint claimed that the officer, who was identified, had violated the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations where the nephews of the Namibian High Commissioner Namakau Mutelo were denied their diplomatic privileges.
The complaint by the mission which was made available to the New Straits Times claimed that the men, Adventure Simataa Simasiku and his brother Roydie Mabengano Simasiku, were subjected to “unlawful harassment, arbitrary detention and malicious ill-treatment of the citizens by an immigration officer.”
It claimed that the men were directed to leave the line at the immigration queue and sent to a room in the authority’s office where their passports would be stamped.
They were detained for three hours in the Immigration Office together with many other Africans and other nationalities.
The letter also said Mutelo experienced “first hand the rudeness, uncultured behaviour and threatening demeanour of (the officer in question)”.
It also claimed that the officer in question shouted and instructed one of Mutelo’s nephews to forcefully delete the recording of the incident which he took from his phone.
They were later allowed to leave.
It was learnt that the Immigration Department is aware of the matter and is in the midst of conducting checks.
Malaysia is a signatory to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations that allows the family members of diplomatic personnel privileges and immunities.
“They are not liable to any form of arrest or detention while the receiving state are also obliged to treat the members with respect and divinity.”