Ignore DAP, says Musa Hassan
(The Mole) – Former inspector-general of police Tan Sri Musa Hassan has called on the police to ignore DAP’s “political interference” over yesterday’s arrest of its two state assemblymen, linked with terror group Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
The undue influence that Musa deemed DAP had exerted was the remark by party secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, who claimed that the arrested duo were innocent.
The arrested DAP assemblymen are G. Saminathan of Gadek, Melaka and P. Gunasekaran of Seremban Jaya, Negeri Sembilan. They were being investigated under Security Offences and Special Measures Act (Sosma).
“As an agency responsible in ensuring safety and security of the public and country, the police should ignore such political pressure and take action professionally on the intelligence and evidence that they have gathered,” Musa said to The Mole today.
“Present the evidence to the court and let it decide on their criminal involvement with the said organisation that had been declared to be involved with violence,” he added.
Musa also rubbished a claim by DAP’s Klang parliamentarian Charles Santiago that the arrests were a waste of police time and resources because LTTE is supposed to no longer exist after defeated in the Sri Lankan civil war 10 years ago.
He said LTTE should not be considered as defunct as there were still those who have been trying to revive it by organising functions such as the LTTE’s “Heroes Day” in Melaka in November last year.
“Defunct means defunct. Why are they trying to revive it?” was Musa’ rhetorical poser.
According to Bukit Aman Special Branch Counter-Terrorism Division principal assistant director, Datuk Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay, the DAP state assemblymen, along with five other suspects were arrested for participating in the event in Melaka, which glorified LTTE.
“The duo (DAP state assemblymen) delivered speeches that contained elements that showed support towards LTTE and had also distributed materials related to the group,” said Ayob Khan at a press conference yesterday.
Ayob Khan also revealed that those arrested were also allegedly involved in promoting, supporting and sourcing funds meant for the LTTE which Malaysia had officially declared a terrorist group in 2014.
Founded in 1976, the LTTE waged a civil war against the Sri Lankan government with the aim of securing an independent state of Tamil Eelam. The group however, admitted defeat in May 2009.
In August 2009, the Sri Lankan military and the Malaysian local authorities had managed to capture LTTE then-leader Selvarasa Pathmanathan at a hotel in Kuala Lumpur and was subsequently handed over to the Sri Lankan government.
