Why is BN buying pistols, grenades from underground sources

Raja Petra Kamarudin

(Malaysia Today) - What I am concerned with is the latest revelation of the Malaysian government purchasing millions of rounds of ammunition and tens of thousands of pistols, submachine guns and stun grenades. And this is the Malaysian government's shopping list.

9mm pistols & accessories
9mm submachine guns & accessories
7.62mm sniper ammunition
9mm para subsonic ammunition
9mm para hollow point ammunition (a hit from this bullet in the body = 100% dead)
Stun grenades One-Bang
Stun grenades 7-Bang

Now, there is nothing wrong with governments buying bullets, pistols, submachine guns and stun grenades, even in the millions of rounds and tens of thousands of pieces like what the Malaysian government is doing. All governments do this, even the Malaysian government. But this particular cache is not being procured through normal channels. There is no tender being called for this purchase. It is being negotiated through "underground" sources, the way illegal organisations or terrorist groups would normally do.

Why would Malaysia want to by-pass the official or legal channels in buying all these guns, ammunition and grenades? Are they meant for illegal purposes? Are they meant for onward transmission to terrorist groups that Malaysia is supporting? Or is the final destination of this cache of weapons Malaysia itself?

This is most alarming. They most certainly cannot be for the Malaysian security forces. If they were then the government would buy them through an official tender and from authorised or legitimate suppliers instead of through underground sources. But if they were for foreign terrorist groups then for sure Malaysia would not want to do it the legal way because then they can be traced back to Malaysia.

What is most worrying is the recent announcement that Umno intends to send its Youth Movement members for paramilitary training. Does Umno intend to train and arm its Youth Movement? If so then what is the purpose for doing so? And is this latest underground procurement of millions of rounds of ammunition and tens of thousands of pistols, submachine guns and stun grenades part of this plan?

The Malaysian government needs to reply to all these questions. The rakyat cannot remain silent about this very alarming turn of events. We know that there are moves to buy these armaments. That, the Malaysian government cannot deny. To deny this is futile. But what we do not know yet is the reason the Malaysian government is buying them on the black market and whether these would all finally end up on the streets of Malaysia in the hands of Umno Youth who would soon be trained on how to use them.

The Members of Parliament from both Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat need to demonstrate outrage. This is not just about swindling the rakyat out of billions of our tax money. That, after all, is only money. This is more serious. This involves the nationâl security. Governments cannot turn rogue by dabbling in illegal arms and ammunition purchases without explaining what they intend to do with enough firepower to start a civil war in the country.

Lim Kit Siang, Anwar Ibrahim, Abdul Hadi Awang, and all those presidents of the non-Umno component members of Barisan Nasional hello can you hear me? Please get to the bottom of this matter and demand that the government explain itself.

Don' deny it. Don't issue statements that the police will be asked to investigate this latest lie from Malaysia Today.

This is no lie.

We are aware of what you are buying.

What we want to know is why you are buying them and what you intend to do with them.
And why are you going onto the black market to buy them from underground sources if there is nothing sinister about what you are doing? - Malaysia Today