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Is Malaysia against terrorism and militancy?

The Malaysian deputy prime minister, Dato' Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, is certain an unnamed former cabinet minister is behind Malaysia's woes with the US government and media. The organisations linked to him work so hard for Malaysia to be labelled a country involved in militancy and terrorism. "I have always wondered why the US and its media made so many accusations against us. Now we know why," he said. If he has the evidence, then that man must be named, charged in court, jailed, and, if the Inspector-General of Police would obligingly put his career on the line, beaten to a pulp. Does not the US and its media know Malaysia is against terrorism in any form? They believe this unammed cabinet minister and not the named assurances of the deputy prime minister, no less?

How did Malaysia come to this remarkable conclusion of this man's involvement in turning her into a den of terrorists and militants? What better authority for an ulama-friendly country than the words of the chairman of the Islamic Suprteme Council of America, Shaykh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani. He says the former Malaysian minister funded organisations which "might" have links with "certain" groups elsewhere. The leader of one organisation had told him he received US$10 million (RM38 million) from this treacherous former minister. Mark you, Shaykh Muhammad Hisham inists the prime minister, Dato' Seri Mahathir Mohamed, and the Malaysian government are innocent. So, the former minister is down on two counts.

Let us take that at its face value and examine thes charge. Without knowing who the ex-minister is, it would be difficult to proceed. Is is Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah? Tan Sri Ghazali Shafie? Tun Daim Zainuddin? Tan Sri Mohamed Khir Johari? Tun Omar Yoke Lin? Tan Sri Lee San Choon? Or he whose name cannot be mentioned even by the deputy prime minister? I shall leave to guess who amongst them, and those unmentioned, is the treacherous rascal who besmirches Malaysia's good name. Why does he want to tarnish the good names of all retired cabinet ministers when his grouse is only with one? He should name him promptly if his accusations are to be believed.

Meanwhile, let us look at Malaysia's own record in combatting terrorism and militancy. Mr Yazid Sufaat, a former capitain in military intelligence, is detained without charge under the Internal Security Act in Kamunting for terrorist activities. He was managing director of a company called Intech Focus, the chairman of which is a retired lieutenant colonel. The US would like to ask Mr Yazid a few questions about how he came to appoint Mr Moussavi Zacchiaras, now facing a charge of terrorism, as its representative in the United States. This is denied now, but it was on that basis that Mr Zacchiaras obtained his entry visa into the United States; as those who have dealt with the US consular service know, they are pretty thorough on checking the backgrounds of those who want visas.

The graver US accusation is that Malaysia where some of the planning, organising, and fund raising was done. Could this be true? Malaysia, which embraced President Bush's war on terror, and used it to accuse the opposition PAS of involvement in it, is suddenly on the defensive. The prime minister, Dato' Seri Mahathir Mohamed, used it to strengthen his own political hold. But he could hold on to it for long. Soon, the focus was on the Prime Minister and his government for allowing this to happen. Whatever is said and done, the Malaysian Special Branch is still a top-flight organisation, especially on counter-intelligence matters, to have not known of these dealings and developments. To continue with tarring the opposition of colluding with terrorism could not hold. Especially, when he and his government, not the Kesatuan Militan Mujahideen or PAS, became the target in Washington. It was he who allowed Mr Osama bin Laden to have a foothold in Malaysia. Sure it was in better times, when the US was glad someone did. But when the chips are down, it does not save you. As it does not.

But his larger vision of an Islamic state now haunts him. He has designs of Malaysia as the centre of the next Islamic empire after the Ottomans. To prove it, he spends a minimum of RM1,000 million to build a convention centre and 85 mini palaces in Putra Jaya for the Organisation of Islamic Countries conference next year. The convention hall alone is, without furnishings, RM700 million. His description of Malaysia as an Islamic state is in line with that. And to prove his credentials he was not beyond getting involved in funding Islamic militancy. When in Rome, do as the Romans do. And he could not get the Islamic nations to accept him as a comrade-in-arms if he was not about to do what they do.

So, military intelligence was involved in this. Buying arms from Latin America and Africa and flown to Bosnia, Chechnya, Afghanistan, Mindanao. Many army officers were involved in this, many retired early to continue with it. The Philippines government accused one director of military intelligence of involving in the Mindanao imbroglio. To make Malaysia more acceptable to the Middle East, Arabs and Muslims from Africa could come into the country with few checks, and had carte blance to do as they pleased. It made very easy for plotters like those who crashed jets into the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington to gather here. One head of military intelligence, now retired, is said to orchestrate the arms shipments, and remains a special adviser in the government after retirement.

It is for actions like these that the United States and its media come to their conclusions about Malaysia's culpability in this war against terror. If, as Dato' Seri Abdullah insists, this is caused by this ex-minister funding US organisations close to terrorist groups, why did not the Malaysian government react at the time? If he was indeed responsible, it should have alerted the US government. Did it? Did it mount a public relations offensive to counter the ill-effects of this campaign? Did it lobby Congress about it? In a country like the United States, lobbying is what needs to be done if you want your point of view heard. This ex-minister understood that as the Malaysian government does not. If it had, it would have an effective lobbying system that would have countenanced this campaign.

Malaysia brought this charge of terrorism on her own head by its campaign to be accepted as a model Islamic state others would look up to. It came with many conditions, and Malaysia, to not put a fine point to it, went on to fulfill them. That included skirmishing with terrorism and militancy. When she accused the opposition parties of involvement in terrorism, it was but a small step when its own actions would come under scrutiny. She wants the high moral ground, she would not consult the opposition and others about how to overcome it, and makes stupid statements as the deputy prime minister yesterday, on apportioning blame.

Yes, the mentri besar of Perlis, Dato' Seri Shahidan Kassim, is right: the Government should investigate this claim forthwith "as it involves a former senior minister who is still around". He has accepted the truth of the allegations, and demands that the government investigate the source of the funds. "Where did he get the millions of ringgit to give the organisations?" Who could this minister be? Is he perchance to whom Dato' Seri Shahidan was once so close to benefit much from that relationship, only to stab him when he got into difficulties?

Clearly, Dato' Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Dato' Seri Shahidan Kassim know who this ex-minister is. Both are convinced he has done something treacherous. So, why are they coy about naming him? If a ex-senior cabinet minister did all he is accused of, he should be treated as lower than vermin. Could it be they cannot? That if they did, they would not only replay the political convulsions of the past four years, but put themselves, the prime minister and UMNO into a tailspin so severe that a permanent and constant attack of vertigo is preferable. For the man whose name must not be muttered is he who must be destroyed at all cost. Aka Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim, a man they wish would just disappear into thin air.

M.G.G. Pillai
pillai@mgg.pc.my






        
Ke atas    Balik Menu Utama    Tarikh artikal diterbitkan : 18 Februari 2002

Diterbitkan oleh : Lajnah Penerangan dan Dakwah DPP Kawasan Dungun, Terengganu
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