CCM reboots Suaram probe, calls up seven

The Companies Commission Malaysia's (CCM) investigation against Suaram appears to be still on despite submitting its investigation papers to the Attorney-General's Chambers last month, with its officers serving a notice on the NGO's staff today.

"We all thought it was over but they are coming at us again, we are surprised," said Suaram executive director E Nalini (right) when contacted today.

This morning three CCM officers served the notice under Section 7D(1) of the Companies Act 1965 on seven serving and former staff at Suaram's office, she said.

They are current staff Diane Savari, Maisarah Muhd Najib, Lee Hui Fei and ex-staff Ong Jing Cheng, Fang Pei Fen, Andika Wahab and Yap Heng Lung.

They are to present themselves at the CCM headquarters in Putrajaya on Dec 17 at 10am to facilitate the commission's investigation.

Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob had on Nov 1 revealed that CCM's Suaram investigation papers were accepted by the Attorney-General's Chambers in early October.

This comes after its submission on Suaram's "confusing accounts" in September wasrejected on the grounds that the investigation was incomplete.

Since then, the Registrar of Societies and police have initiated their own probes against Suaram with the CCM taking a back seat, that is, until today.

Authorities launch broadside

Meanwhile, the ROS seems to have launched a dragnet in its investigation against Suaram, calling up at least a dozen individuals, including the human rights group's staff members as well as politicians, lawyers and social activists.

The latest batch of individuals called up by ROS under Section 66 of the Societies Act 1966, namely Nalini and lawyers Fadiah Nadwa Fikri and Amer Hamzah Arshad are to present themselves at the ROS headquarters in Putrajaya on Dec 12.

According to that section, any individual under suspicion of having information on the existence or operation of any illegal society or on the operations of any registered society can be summoned.

On the police front, at least ten have been called up after CCM lodged an illegal assembly complaint against Suaram supporters who had gathered at the commission's headquarters in support of their leaders being questioned there on Sept 18.

Five of them will be presenting themselves at the Petaling police station today to give their statement.

They are Suaram activists Wong Kar Fai, Cynthia Gabriel, K Arumugam, Sarah Devaraj and lawyer Fadiah.

'Action against Suaram'

In a related development, Umno supreme council member Puad Zakarshi called for stern action against Suaram to prevent the NGO from "spreading lies" and "confusing the people".

"Why shouldn't Suaram, an unregistered NGO, face action when others committing the same offence (unregistered) are not allowed to escape?" he was quoted as saying in Berita Harian today.

The human rights NGO has insisted that Suaram and its vehicle Suara Inisiatif Sdn Bhd are one of the same, registered under the Companies Act 1965.

Suaram is presently pursuing a case in the French courts over alleged kickbacks in Malaysia's purchase of two scorpene submarines from French defence company, DCNS.