Minister raps foreign media over Mugabe report

comments     Leong Kar Yen     Published     Updated

Foreign Affairs Minister Syed Hamid Albar today lambasted the international media for rumour-mongering over reports which claimed Zimbabwes controversial president Robert Mugabe had funds in Malaysia.

People like to speculate on Malaysia, we cannot act on this kind of speculative rumour-mongering.

If people have evidence, they should not make it a press campaign to tarnish Malaysias name, the minister told reporters after a meeting with Singapores Deputy Premier Lee Hsien Loong at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Kuala Lumpur.

Syed Hamid added that reports by the foreign media should be taken with a pinch of salt.

We should not look at these reports as the gospel truth, there were a lot of things they said which were subsequently proven wrong.

Why should we investigate on what people say when there is no cogent evidence? stressed the minister.

Last Tuesday, Bernama quoted Zimbawean High Commissioner to Malaysia Chitsaka Chipaziwa refuting a foreign media report that Mugabe had channelled £:10 million (RM55 million) into Malaysia via banks in the Channel Islands.

Meanwhile, Syed Hamid also confirmed that 10 Malaysian students detained by Yemeni authorities since last week have been released.

Authorities there wanted to make a sweep at all universities for extremists elements but after finding nothing, the students were released, he explained.

The 10 were arrested after returning from a pilgrimage to Mecca.

Last month, Yemeni authorities detained 12 Malaysian students for security reasons but they were released a week later.

Suhakam appointments

In an unrelated matter, Syed Hamid declined to comment on the rumours that four members of the Malaysian Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) would not be reappointed.

All these appointments are by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and I should not be making any comment without the prior consent of the King, it would not be proper for me, he said.

According to commissioner Prof Hamdan Adnan, those slated to be dismissed are himself and colleagues Mehrun Siraj, Anuar Zainal Abidin and also chairperson Musa Hitam.

The two-year-old commission has published ground-breaking reports on Freedom of Assembly, a critical annual report, as well as an inquiry report on the abortive Peoples Gathering accusing the police of human rights violations on Nov 5, 2000.

The appointment of commissioners, according to the Suhakam Act 1999, is left largely in the hands of Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad who recommends and then the Yang di-Pertuan Agong elects them.



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