A veteran newsman has called on both Foreign Minister Anifah Aman and Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein to prove that they have backbones.

A Kadir Jasin made this call in relation to the case involving a Malaysian diplomatic attache, who was accused of sexually assaulting a woman in New Zealand.

Armed Forces officer Muhammad Rizalman Ismail was serving with the Malaysian High Commission in Wellington. He has since returned to Malaysia, where he is slated to be tried before a military court.

Stressing that Malaysia and New Zealand have good ties, Kadir said the actions of those who soiled the nation's name abroad must be condemned.

"Masya-Allah! If the charges in New Zealand are true, then it is a great embarassment. (The accused being) Malay and Muslim on top of that," he added.

In view of this, Kadir challenged both Anifah and Hishammuddin to take stern action, failing which, they too must be taken to task.

"I challenge the foreign minister and defence minister to take stern action in order to clean the name of the nation," he wrote in his blog.

The former New Straits Times Group editor-in-chief also revealed that he knows the two ministers well.

"The one from Sabah (Anifah), I have known him since his younger days as a businessman. And the one from Johor (Hishammuddin), I have known him since he was the youth minister. I even knew his father (former premier Hussein Onn)," he added.    

As for the Malaysian Armed Forces, Kadir said he preferred not to elaborate on this since its performance with regard to the missing MH370 plane is common knowledge.

"As an ancient animal who refuses to give up, I am nostalgic about the Malaysian Armed Forces' past in battling the Communist and making Malaysia proud in Congo and other parts of the world.

"So ministers and generals, show your determination and professionalism. Don't be weak, soft and apologetic for the wrong reasons," he added.