Azizul attended IDFR training under Wisma Putra

All officers posted on overseas duties are required to go through a six months training and preparation course at the Institute of Diplomacy and Foreign Relations Malaysia (IDFR), according to Tourism Malaysia’s Director General, Datuk Mirza Mohammad Taiyab.

And Tourism Malaysia director in Stockholm, Azizul Raheem Awaluddin, who is facing charges of child abuse along with his wife, Shalwati Nor Shal, did attend the training before his overseas postings. So he would have already been familiar with the laws and culture of Sweden.

According to Wisma Putra, of which IDFR comes under, all serving officers will be equipped with two broad areas of training by IDFR – diplomacy and foreign affairs as well as foreign languages.

These two vast areas of training which includes foreign policy, laws, market studies and social etiquette among others, are crucial for all serving officers as to furnish them with the skills and knowledge to face challenges in conducting their professional duties in a foreign land.

IDFR is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or Wisma Putra's training arm which conducts training programmes for Malaysian diplomatic officers and other officers within the government’s ministries and agencies.

Datuk Mirza added that the overseas postings of their staff does not happen randomly.

"Only qualified staffs with high performance are selected, based on their merits and achievements throughout their service with the board," he said.

Azizul and Shalwati have been detained since Dec 2013 for allegedly abusing their four children, who are now under the care of their aunt in Kelantan.

They were brought home from Sweden by Deputy Foreign Minister Datuk Hamzah Zainuddin, last month.

The elder children, Aishah, 14, and Ammar are now schooling at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Padang Kala while Adam, 11, and Arif are now studying at Sekolah Kebangsaan Padang Kala, Kota Bharu.

The trial which is expected to run for 10-days at the Solna District Court in Stockholm will end on 12th March 2014. Sweden outlawed all forms of corporal punishment towards children in 1979.