MP SPEAKS Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s revelation that he has a “stack of letters and agreements” his predecessors as home minister had signed with the United States which are like his infamous letter to the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) vouching for the character of an alleged international gambling kingpin is a real shocker.

This is especially as his two immediate predecessors Hishammuddin Hussein and Syed Hamid Albar (March 2008 - May 2013) had publicly denied that they had ever sent any such support letter unilaterally to the FBI.

Is Zahid seriously suggesting that his two immediate predecessors as home minister have publicly lied [...]?

This matter has gone beyond the realm of internal power rivalry in a political party as it now concerns not only national security and Malaysia’s international reputation as well.

If Zahid is referring to either Hishammuddin or Syed Hamid Albar, then there is only one final solution - let the truth be out and it is either Zahid on one side or Hishammuddin and Syed Hamid Albar on the other who have to bow out of public life.

Or is Zahid referring to home ministers before Hishammuddin and Syed Hamid Albar? Who are they?

The Home Ministers before Hishammuddin and Syed Hamid were: Mohd Radzi Sheikh Ahmad (2006-2008), Azmi Khalid (2004 - 2006) and Abdullah Ahmad Badawi (1999 - 2004).

Or should we go further back to the longest 13 years the home ministry was ever helmed by one person - the country’s fourth prime minister, Dr Mahathir Mohamad who doubled up as home minister from 1986-1999.

Keeping secrets from Parliament?

The quartet should speak up as elder statesmen to clear the air whether there is a “stack of letters and agreements” which they had signed with the United States like Zahid’s infamous letter to the FBI vouching for the character of an alleged international gambling kingpin, done without the knowledge, authority or sanction of the police, the Foreign Ministry, the cabinet or even the prime minister at the time.

Zahid has made a most astonishing claim, especially after the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Shahidan Kassim has heightened the mystery in his parliamentary answer to the DAP MP for Segambut, Lim Lip Eng, refusing to disclose the information relating to the alleged gambling kingpin Paul Phua, saying that it was a “huge secret” classified under the Official Secrets Act.

Since being elected as a member of parliament in 1969, this is the first time any minister has refused to disclose any information in Parliament on the ground that it is a “huge secret” under the Official Secrets Act.

What is this “huge secret” with regard to “national security project” involving Paul Phua when information on mega defence procurements had never been denied on the basis that they were “huge secrets” but merely “secrets” under the Official Secrets Act?

However, with the most incriminating statement by Zahid that the “stack of letters and agreements” his predecessors had signed with the United State would, if revealed, caused them “great shame”, national interests and justice to all the previous home ministers from Mahathir to Abdullah demand only one course of action to be taken.

PM must declassify letters

This is for the Prime Minister Najib Razak to declassify the “stack of letters and agreements’” all the previous home ministers have signed with the United States like Zahid’s infamous letter to FBI to vouch for the character of the alleged international gambling kingpin and for the prime minister to present a White Paper or a ministerial statement on the matter in Parliament in the coming week.

Meanwhile, all the previous home ministers from Mahathir to Abdullah owe the Malaysian public a personal explanation as to whether they had signed a “stack of letters and agreements” with the US during their tenure of office which would cause them to “suffer shame” if revealed - as explicitly stated by Zahid.

LIM KIT SIANG is Gelang Patah MP and DAP parliamentary leader.