What role did the Scorpene subs play?

Suaram director Kua Kia Soong questions the strategy used against the Sulu intruders in Lahad Datu.

KUALA LUMPUR: Suaram director Kua Kia Soong has questioned the strategy used by the armed forces in Lahad Datu.

“What role did the Scorpene submarines play in the Lahad Datu crisis?

“Is it wise to use jet fighters like the Hornets against a motley group of 250 Sulu men in a 4km radius? Shouldn’t we be using helicopters such as the Apache instead?

“Where was the Navy to prevent the invaders from coming in?” he asked during the launch of Malaysian civil society’s 20-point demands for the 13th general election at the Kuala Lumpur Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall this morning.

The armed conflict in Lahad Datu began last month when a large group of Sulu men claiming to be soldiers of the Sulu sultan invaded a village in Lahad Datu.

Last week, several policemen who were deployed to Lahad Datu died as a result of mortar attacks by the Sulu men who are from the modern day Philippines.

Yesterday, the Royal Malaysian Air Force conducted air bombardment in the area where the Sulu were believed to be holding up using Hornet jet fighter planes.

Kua also questioned why the policemen deployed there were not equipped with bulletproof vests and safety helmets.

He said this while presenting one of the 20-point demand in light of the upcoming 13th general election

The demand pertaining to the defence sector called for defence cuts and promotion of peace and disarmament.

The demand also called for defence budgets to be below 1% of the Gross Domestic Product, a parliamentary defence committee led by an opposition lawmaker and an independent Ombudsman to oversee the defence budget.

It also called for National Volunteer Corp’s (RELA) power to arrest, detain and carry firearms to be abolished since the police are empowered to do that.

On another note, A Jayanath of Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia (SABM) elaborated on the demand to eradicate institutionalised racism.

He called for education and economic policies to be based on need not race with priority to indigenous, marginalised, and poor communities.

“The New Economic Policy (NEP) must be abolished since it has already ended in 1990. Abolishing something that has ended is not lofty,” he said when asked by the press.

The NEP was tabled in 1971 as a result of the May 13, 1969 clashes with dual prong objectives to end poverty and abolish income inequality.

“Poverty and income inequality are getting worse,” Jayanath said.

The NGOs also wanted amendment 8(A) in Article 153 to be amended because it is not in the original federal constitution. The amendment was passed during the emergency in 1971.

The amendment is part of Article 153, which is seen as controversial because it provides for preferential treatment that favours the Malays and the Bumiputera.

Aside from the two, the balance 18 demands emphasised on human rights, free and fair election, corruption eradication, representative and accountable democracy and freedom of information expression and assembly.

The group of 34 NGOs also demanded for rights of the workers, refugee rights, women, and indigenous rights.

They also demanded for progressive economic and fiscal policy, animal and environment protection. The demands also include public health care, people centred social policy, diverse cultural policy, and public safety.

All the demands will be made available online on the NGO websites and through social networking website, Facebook.

A copy of the demands will also be sent to political party headquarters soon.