PAS calls for urgent Parliament sitting on Lahad Datu intrusion

Mahfuz warned that keeping mum would not help arrest the rumours that were spreading like wildfire and causing unnecesary alarm. – File pic

KUALA LUMPUR, March 3 – Putrajaya must call a special Parliament sitting to discuss the deadly ongoing clash between Malaysian police and armed Filipino militants in Sabah that is claiming more lives and risking the country’s security, PAS lawmaker Datuk Mahfuz Omar said today.

The Pokok Sena MP said the Najib administraton needed to explain the situation in Sabah as people’s lives, as well as the country’s security, were at stake.

He warned that keeping mum would not help arrest the rumours that were spreading like wildfire and causing unnecesary alarm.

“Putrajaya must convene a special Parliament sitting... until now we see there has been no action, is the government weak or does it want to politicise this issue even though lives have been lost?” he said in a news conference at the Islamist party’s headquarters here.

“Issue a white paper as soon as possible, and explain to Parliament members so we can help find a resolution... so long as the government does not give out information, many will speculate and the government cannot get angry if the people say this is a conspirasy because there is no resolution,” the opposition leader said.

The PAS vice-president said the government’s handling of the situation showed up weaknesses in Malaysia’s intelligence system.

“What has happened is as if our intelligence is weak and they are also seeing that our country’s security is seen as too weak when our borders can be so easily breached,” he said.

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