KUALA LUMPUR: Leaders from PAS and DAP have called for a white paper on the Liberation of Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) following the arrest of 12 people including two DAP assemblymen over alleged links to the group.
PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan said a white paper was needed to uncover the extent of the ideology, networks and activities of those suspected of having links to the group.
“PAS views the arrest of several high-profile individuals suspected of supporting LTTE’s extremist ideals seriously, as revealed by the police,” he said.
In a statement, he added that the police should be given the space to investigate the issue and to take any necessary action to stop the activities by the group which could harm safety and harmony in the country.
DAP’s Melaka exco member and Gadek assemblyman G Saminathan and Seremban Jaya assemblyman P Gunasekaran are among the 12 arrested so far over suspected links to LTTE. They are being held under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma).
LTTE has been listed as a terrorist group in Malaysia since 2014.
DAP leaders meanwhile agreed that a white paper should be tabled, but said it should cover other issues as well including the full spectrum of terror-related problems in the country and alleged 1MDB beneficiaries from PAS.
Penang Deputy Chief Minister II P Ramasamy told reporters in the Parliament lobby that a white paper should also be tabled on Islamic State fighters in Syria and controversial preacher Dr Zakir Naik.
“On Zakir Naik, why give protection to him?” he said.
He added that he was not against the tabling of a white paper but said it cannot focus only on LTTE.
“I also ask for the government to prepare a white paper on 1MDB and the beneficiaries of the money, and how much PAS received.”
He also said he had never denied that the police have evidence, but said the evidence should be brought to court.
He likewise criticised the use of Sosma against the 12 individuals, saying the law should be abolished.
“This was in the Pakatan Harapan manifesto,” he added.
DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang also said he agreed with PAS’ call for a white paper.
However, he said the report should not stop at LTTE.
“It has been reported that the four Gulf states – Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain – dubbed ‘the anti-terror quarter’, have added the International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS) to their terror lists.
“As the leader of a Malaysian opposition party is a vice-president of IUMS, this is also a matter which should be addressed by the white paper on terrorism,” he said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said MPs from the coalition would support the tabling of a white paper on LTTE if the government accepts the suggestion.
However, he said there had been no official discussion on the matter yet among opposition parties.
“We want to explain to the people, especially to those who sympathise with LTTE, even though there were some statements from MPs who said that sympathy is not a sign of support.
“We have to look at it from the aspect of national safety – what is the form of sympathy, especially donations which is considered support for this terrorist organisation,” the Umno president told reporters at the Parliament lobby.
Zahid, during whose tenure as home minister Sosma was introduced, also defended the use of the law to detain the 12 individuals.
“The action taken by the counter-terrorism team must have been based on observation and intelligence,” he said. - FMT
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