KOTA KINABALU: The Malaysian authorities have lost the golden opportunity to arrest London-based Sabah secession advocate Doris Jones when they allowed her to walk out of the Malaysian High Commission in London, said Kota Kinabalu-based legal consultant, Jeremiah Yee.
“It is known to all and sundry from the mainstream media that, firstly Doris Jones is wanted by the Malaysian authorities to assist police investigation for a possible offence under the Malaysian Sedition Act 1948.
“Secondly, a warrant of arrest was announced to have been issued against her by the police in Sabah.
“Thirdly, it was further revealed that a request was also made to Interpol to track and apprehend her, but was turned down.
“Under international law, the compound within the gates and walls of the Malaysian High Commission in London is protected and inviolable;
Jones could have been arrested and detained when she walked into it if she really has an outstanding warrant of arrest against her.
It will be a case of the Malaysian authorities arresting a Malaysian citizen on technically ‘Malaysian land’ for investigation into a crime allegedly committed in Malaysia,” said Jeremiah.
He was commenting on Jones’ recent comment that although she doubted there was actually a warrant of arrest on her, citing her walking out of the Malaysian High Commission in London recently, without being arrested.
“If there is such a warrant of arrest on me, they (Malaysian authorities) could have arrested me when I was inside the Malaysian High Commission recently, as that’s considered Malaysian territory,” she said.
It was reported recently that she had gone to the Malaysian High Commission in London early this month, to collect her passport which she had
applied for, only to be told by Immigration attache Azhar Abdul Hamid later that her pending application had been refused.
Jeremiah added that the Malaysian government could actually send police officers to London to interrogate and record her statement and subsequently set up court inside the Malaysian High Commission by flying judges, prosecutors, defence lawyers, witnesses and evidence there to try Jones.
“If convicted, a mini prison can also be arranged inside for her incarceration to serve out her sentence.
“Can the British authorities rescue Jones when such a scenario happens?
“In my view, the answer is in the negative as they are confined to outside the gates and walls of the Malaysian High Commission.
“From my perspective, it was a major slip-up and an embarrassing fiasco on the part of the Malaysian government in the London High Commission, and Jones is now a celebrity (an escape artist) thanks to the former,” he said.
On Jones’ ongoing campaign to get Sabah and Sarawak out of Malaysia, Jeremiah opined that whether Sabah and Sarawak continue to stay in Malaysia would depend on the collective democratic decision of the peoples living in Sabah and Sarawak – not individuals from outside.