Patriot wants probe on military intel chief's alleged GE14 role

Persatuan Patriot Kebangsaan (Patriot) is demanding that an investigation is immediately launched into the alleged role played by the country's military intelligence chief to drum up voter support for BN during the 14th general election.

In a statement, the veterans group claimed to have been privy to incriminating messages, via social messaging app WhatsApp, that accused the "director of military intelligence (DMI)" of playing into the hands of BN politicians.

"The WhatsApp messages alleged that the DMI had played into the hands of BN politicians, to drum up voters support in order for BN politicians to win the election," Patriot president Mohamed Arshad Rajhi said today.

Arshad listed several of the allegations the group received. They are:

• That he (the DMI) and other military officers had utilised offices within the Defence Ministry's complex as an operation centre for political activities in support of the then BN government.
   
• That the DMI had authorised the use of the Cyber Defence Operation Centre (CDOC) for the monitoring of phone calls, social media accounts and emails deemed to be in opposition to the government.
   
• That he, a senior military officer and a director-general in the Prime Minister's Department, had removed a huge amount of cash, believed left over from the election, to an undisclosed location on the day after polling day. It was further claimed that the latter director-general is now in hiding.
   
• That he had ordered the destruction of all files related to the department’s past political activities.
   
• That he had ordered covert propaganda activities to be carried out to discredit the opposition political parties and opposition politicians during the run-up to GE14.

However, Patriot did not name the director in question.

Even so, Arshad said these acts, if true, constituted serious breaches to the roles and responsibilities of the Department of Military Intelligence.

"Patriot urges the appropriate authorities to investigate the above allegations in order to take remedial measures and set things right in the Ministry of Defence," he said.

Arshad also called on the DMI in question to "resign honourably as he had compromised himself as the sole military intelligence authority to protect and defend the nation against all possible military threats to the nation" if the allegations are found to be true.

He also opined that any military commander found to have allowed BN candidates into the camps to campaign or who compelled subordinates to vote for BN, does not deserve to remain with the military.

"Military commanders should be able to distinguish what is official and what is political in their dealings with politicians," Arshad added. -Mkini