Fourthly, we have the tragedy that the Home Minister, Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi cannot put the IGP on the right path, because he has his own skeletons in the cupboard.
Malaysians are still no nearer to the mystery of Zahid’s infamous letter to the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) vouching for the character of an alleged international gambling kingpin without the knowledge or sanction of the Police, the Foreign Ministry, the Cabinet or the Prime Minister.
In fact, the whole episode has become very much murkier with the latest contortion by the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim that the federal government is satisfied “in principle” with explanations provided by Zahid regarding his infamous letter to FBI on Paul Phua.
The country was told by Wisma Putra after the Cabinet meeting of 14th January which heard a report by Zahid on his infamous letter to FBI that the Cabinet did not “accept” Zahid’s explanation, but merely heard it. This was a clarification of an earlier statement by the Foreign Minister, Datuk Anifah Aman that the Cabinet had heard Zahid’s explanation and the Cabinet agreed to accept explanation.
Shahidan has now come out with a third version of the Cabinet stand on Zahid’s infamous letter to the FBI. First, Cabinet on 14th January heard Zahid’s explanation and Cabinet accepted the explanation to a clarification the same day that Cabinet merely “heard” but did not “accept” Zahid’s explanation.
Now Shahidan says that the federal government is satisfied “in principle” with Zahid’s explanation. Is Shaidan referring to Cabinet, if so, when did the Cabinet meet after the 14th January Cabinet to resolve its satisfaction “in principle” with Zahid’s explanation? If it is not the Cabinet, then what is this “federal government” which Shahidan is referring to.
Recently, Zahid announced that he has a “stack of letters and agreements” his predecessors as Home Minister had signed with the United States which are like his infamous letter to the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) vouching for the character of an alleged international gambling kingpin.
This is a real shocker, especially as his two immediate predecessors Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein and Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar (March 2008 – May 2013) had publicly denied that they had ever sent any such support letter unilaterally to the FBI. Zahid had insisted that his predecessor Home Ministers had written to the FBI like him.
Is Zahid suggesting that his two immediate predecessors as Home Minister have publicly lied? Do we have liars as Ministers, present and past?
This matter has gone beyond the realm of internal power rivalry in a political party as it now concerns not only national security and Malaysia’s international reputation as well.
If Zahid is referring to either Hishammuddin or Syed Hamid Albar, then there is only one final solution – let the truth be out and it is either Zahid on one side or Hishammuddin and Syed Hamid Albar on the other who have to bow out of public life. Or is Zahid referring to Home Ministers before Hishammuddin and Syed Hamid Albar?
The Home Ministers before Hishammuddin and Syed Hamid were: Datuk Seri Mohd Radzi Sheikh Ahmad (2006-2008), Datuk Azmi Khalid (2004 – 2006) and Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi (1999 – 2004).
Or should we go further back to the longest 13 years the Home Ministry was ever helmed by one person – the country’s fourth Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir who doubled up as Home Minister from 1986-1999.
Lets hear the truth from Zahid and all the six Home Ministers before him, going back to some three decades ago in 1986. Zahid has made a most astonishing claim about the “stack of letters and agreements” signed by his predecessors, especially after the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim has heightened the mystery in his parliamentary answer to the DAP MP for Segambut, Lim Lip Eng, refusing to disclose the information relating to the gambling kingpin Paul Phua, saying that it was a “huge secret” classified under the Official Secrets Act.
Since being elected as a Member of Parliament in 1969, this is the first time any Minister has refused to disclose any information in Parliament on the ground that it is a “huge secret” under the Official Secrets Act.
What is this “huge secret” with regard to “national security project” involving Paul Phua when information on mega defence procurements had never been denied on the basis that they were “huge secrets” but merely “secrets” under the Official Secrets Act?
However, with the most incriminating statement by Zahid that the “stack of letters and agreements” his predecessors had signed with the United State would, if revealed, caused them “great shame”, national interests and justice to all the previous Home Ministers from Mahathir to Abdullah demand only one course of action to be taken.
I call on the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak to declassify the “stack of letters and agreements’” all the previous Home Ministers have signed with the United States like Zahid’s infamous letter to FBI to vouch for the character of the alleged international gambling kingpin and for the Prime Minister to present a White Paper and to make a Ministerial statement on the matter in Parliament.
(Part 4 of Speech on the motion of thanks for Royal Address in Parliament on Thursday, 19th March 2015)