The federal government will not answer any questions relating to alleged gambling kingpin Paul Phua Wei Sang, who has been arrested in Las Vegas.

It terms Phua's involvement in national matters a "big secret".

 

This was stated in a written answer today by the Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Shahidan Kassim, to Lim Lip Eng (DAP-Segambut), who asked the government to state the number of ministers who had written to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the number of national security projects Phua was involved in.

 

Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi late last year wrote a letter to the FBI vouching for Phua after the latter was arrested in US for allegedly running an illegal betting ring in Las Vegas.

 

In the letter, Ahmad Zahid claimed that Phua had assisted the country in "national security matters."

 

"The government does not plan to reveal any information regarding Phua in national security matters as it is a big secret and is classified under the Official Secrets Act (OSA)," Shahidan ( left ) said in a short written answer.

 

Lim later expressed his unhappiness with the answer, pointing out he did not ask for the details of the national security matters in his question.

 

"I merely asked how many times Phua had assisted in national security. This won't threaten our national security," he asserted.