Bukit Aman has yet to summon former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad for questioning despite over a hundred police reports lodged over the US-Malaysia reciprocal trade deal signed in October.
According to Pejuang information chief Rafique Rashid Ali, this comes despite the Classified Criminal Investigation Unit mentioning earlier that they would summon Mahathir to record his statement.
However, after 10 days, Rafique lamented that not a single call was made to the centenarian.
“As of Dec 2, 139 police reports related to the agreement have been lodged nationwide, including by Mahathir himself in Putrajaya, yet not a single investigation paper has been opened.
“This is not one or two reports. This is hundreds of reports from the people of various states, and how did the police respond? Pin-drop silence,” he told reporters outside Bukit Aman today.
‘Treasonous’ trade deal
On Dec 2, Mahathir lodged a police report against Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim over alleged “treason” related to the trade agreement signed in October.
In the report, Mahathir urged the authorities to investigate officials from the Investment, Trade and Industry Ministry, the attorney-general, and all parties involved in preparing, negotiating, and ratifying the agreement.
Apart from accusing Anwar of sabotaging the country, Mahathir also said he believed the Tambun MP had acted in a way that was detrimental to parliamentary democracy.
Among the clauses of the agreement in contention are Articles 5.1, 5.2, and 5.3, as well as other clauses such as restrictions on digital policy and domestic regulations, and those affecting bumiputera privileges guaranteed under Article 153 of the Federal Constitution.
Mahathir also called for an investigation into whether there were elements of foreign influence or actions that threatened national sovereignty and security when signing the deal.
The former Langkawi MP also urged the authorities to investigate if there were elements of abuse of power, gross negligence, and possible betrayal of trust regarding the management and decisions concerning Malaysia’s rare earth elements and other critical minerals.
‘A big problem’
Rafique claimed that concerns among the public and former security officials are growing after Malaysia signed another agreement with the US, namely a new memorandum of understanding (MOU) regarding defence cooperation, which is considered to involve sensitive national issues.
The concerns pertain to several issues, including joint patrols in the South China Sea and the Malacca Strait, radars, maritime assets, drones and technology sharing, and long-term defence planning that may include deployment of US assets.
“This has never happened in history. A neutral country like Malaysia suddenly becomes a buffer between two global superpowers,” he said.
Rafique also raised four questions to the government that remain unanswered. Firstly, he questioned whether the cabinet had received a draft agreement before the US-Malaysia reciprocal trade deal was approved.
"Second, were the cabinet papers distributed to the secretaries-general of the relevant ministries for feedback?
"Third, was the Conference of Rulers or the Yang di-Pertuan Agong informed of the full content of the agreement, and fourthly, did the attorney-general or the Attorney-General's Chambers ever review or provide legal input before the document was signed?" he asked.
According to Rafique, the agreement includes issues of rare earth mining and critical minerals that come under the jurisdiction of states.
"If neither the state government nor the rulers are aware, that's a big problem," he said.
Investigation on Yusoff
Rafique also alleged that the police haven’t done a thorough investigation into Anwar’s former aide, Yusoff Rawther’s case.
He came to the conclusion after neither Anwar nor his other former aide, Farhash Wafa Salvador Rizal Mubarak, was called in to record their statements.
“We’re asking the police the simplest question: has Anwar been called in or not? Has Farhash been called in or not?
“Their official answer is, there is no need,” he said.
The reasons given by the police contradict the court’s decision, which clearly stated that the investigating officer failed to conduct a thorough investigation, he claimed.
The counsel said he was raising the issue not due to politics, adding that it is directly related to the integrity of Malaysia’s security institution.
On June 4, the Kuala Lumpur High Court dismissed Anwar’s application to halt Yusoff’s civil suit over alleged sexual assault.
Judge Roz Mawar Rozain found that Anwar’s claims of immunity and potential harm to his executive functions had no constitutional basis, emphasising that all individuals are equal before the law.
In her judgment, Roz noted that Anwar’s application did not claim the lawsuit would hinder his ability to carry out his constitutional duties, nor was any evidence provided to support such a claim.
However, the Court of Appeal granted Anwar a temporary stay order, pending his appeal at the Federal Court to refer eight constitutional questions. - Mkini
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