DID SPECIAL BRANCH KNOW? Why did Najib allow intruders to set up base & attack us from within - Gobind

PM Dato Seri Najib Razak says the Lahad Datu terrorist intrusion is a wake up call. He says we must be better prepared to face external threats, and that we cannot take security for granted. As such, there is a need for us to ensure our forces are well trained, well equipped and prepared to deal with incidents of this nature in future.

No one would disagree with the PM that matters of security should be given top priority.

But the PM cannot run away from the fact that there is also a serious need for us to examine why it is we left ourselves so vulnerable, so much so that these so called terrorists were allowed to set up fort in our country and attack us from within.

It is no secret that we have the special branch, an organization which penetrates the grounds, moving with the masses and looking out for subversive elements or anything that poses a threat to national security. They are said to be amongst the best in the world.

So how does the PM explain what happened in Lahad Datu?

How did a group of 150 to 200 men quietly land on our shores without being noticed? How did they arm themselves to the hilt with weapons without being noticed? And how did they hole themselves up in a village preparing for war without being noticed? Did the special branch not know about it at all?

Did they really know about it?

On the reverse is the argument that they actually knew about it. If that is the case, then why wasn't anything done about it?

So whilst the PM speaks about the need to boost security, why does he ignore the equally important aspect of accountability, namely the need for those who allowed this to happen to be dealt with as well?

The PM cannot ignore the fact that what happened in Lahad Datu is most serious in nature. He must tell us what exactly happened and he must reassure us that it will not happen again.

The PM must tell us whether our special branch and our government had knowledge of the build up of these terrorists in Lahad Datu and if yes, why wasn't the problem dealt with earlier? Why did we allow the enemy to set up base and attack us from within?

GOBIND SINGH DEO

MP Puchong