PAS is urging the government to conduct an immediate investigation into claims that the US-based International Republican Institute (IRI) had worked with opposition parties in Malaysia since 2002.
The party's deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man said this is because if the IRI's claims were true, it would amount to an interference in the country's political system.
"We urge them (the Pakatan Harapan) government to reveal the amount of funds given.
"We hope a probe will be initiated to establish the extent of IRI's involvement in the country's politics," Tuan Ibrahim told a press conference at the Parliament lobby today.
PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan echoed Tuan Ibrahim, urging the government to provide a detailed explanation on the institute's claim.
"The IRI had said that they provided strategic and financial assistance to opposition parties, which is not PAS.
"I urge those who had help from IRI, to the extent they became the federal government, to explain to the rakyat.
"They must explain if the claims are true, or not. If they deny (involvement), they must prove it," he said.
NGO lodges police report
Meanwhile, non-governmental organisation Pergerakan Malaysiaku Tanah Airku lodged a police report, urging the police to investigate a Harapan leader who had allegedly received assistance from IRI to topple the BN government.
The NGO head Raggie Jessy (above) said that the action had amounted to treason and belittled the democratic rights of Malaysians.
"This is very serious and there are elements of interference.
"The party involved had indirectly declared war against the Yang Dipertuan Agong with the treason act," he told reporters outside the Petaling Jaya police district headquarters today.
"There is a clearly a conspiracy involving certain leaders (to topple the then BN government).
"If the police don't do anything about it, we can assume they are in cahoots with the Pakatan Harapan government," he said.
Denial of claims
Earlier today, IRI denied claims that it had worked with the Malaysian opposition to undermine BN prior to May 9, saying it had also worked with BN in the past.
This, Raggie said, was the group's "damage control".
"Well, anybody can meet with IRI. The most important thing is the intention. BN was the government then, and it wouldn't meet the IRI to topple itself.
"What was the intention of Pakatan Harapan leaders when they sought help from IRI then?" Raggie asked.
IRI president Daniel Twining had told a forum in Washington on July 11 that his group has been working to “strengthen” opposition parties in Malaysia, but did not provide details.
Twining claimed he met senior Harapan officials after the fall of the BN government in the “Prime Minister's Office”.
However, he said the IRI does not claim credit for BN’s downfall and instead blamed it on the former ruling coalition's excesses, corruption and abuse of power.
Several PKR leaders had said that its cooperation with IRI was limited to leadership training, and did not involve any concerted plan to topple BN or otherwise influence domestic politics.
DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng had said that DAP has no contact with IRI at all.
IRI is one of four think tanks bankrolled by the National Endowment for Democracy, which is funded by the US Congress.
Although the four groups were supposed to help spread democratic ideals globally, IRI has often been singled out for training opposition or coup leaders in Honduras, Haiti, Cuba, Egypt and Tunisia, among other countries. -Mkini
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