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Yoursay: What price for putting our troops in harm’s way in Yemen

YOURSAY | ‘Deploying our troops without cabinet approval is surely a crime.’

RKB: Najib’s silence on Ops Yaman 2 due to Saudi allegiance?

Anonymous 2436471476414726: This whole mess, where former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak is accused of hiding Malaysia’s involvement in the Yemeni civil war, looks like it’s all about him trying to please the Saudis so they will stick to the script on the RM2.6 billion ‘donation.’

Did Malaysia participate in a senseless war which has killed hundreds of thousands and displaced millions, simply so that the former premier could save his own skin?

No Fear Nor Favour: Thank you to senator Raja Kamarul Bahrin Shah Raja Ahmad for highlighting this issue, and asking: “Was the (former) prime minister too indebted to the Saudi royal family because of the generous ‘donation’ which he claimed to have received?”

Because of greed, Najib and his cousin, former defence minister Hishammuddin Hussein, put our soldiers in harm’s way.

If what current Deputy Defence Minister Liew Chin Tong revealed in Parliament is indeed true, Malaysia is now complicit in the atrocities committed by the Saudi-led coalition. This is no different from the atrocities committed by Myanmar authorities against the Rohingya.

We cannot continue to deny our involvement. The leaders in the previous administration who are responsible must come clean on the issue.

Anonymous_1527925538: So, without parliamentary approval, someone got Malaysia involved in the brutal Yemen war where hundreds of thousands of innocent women and children died?

If so, it is a blemish on our country, and whoever responsible for doing so should be exposed and held accountable so that we do not have such nonsense in future.

Kangkung: Saudi Arabia's brutality in Yemen is well-documented. As Amnesty International says, “…the conflict in Yemen is showing no real signs of abating.

“Horrific human rights abuses, as well as war crimes, are being committed throughout the country by all parties to the conflict, causing unbearable suffering for civilians.”

And to think, Najib was party to these atrocities.

Annonnymous 080: Najib, Hishammuddin and all the cabinet members who signed off on this have blood on their hands.

I wonder how many were casualties due to the participation of the Malaysian armed forces. There is a need for a white paper on this. We need to know the exact extent of our involvement.

MMOBB: Yemen is located close to the birthplace of Islam, yet when grave sins are being committed by Malaysians, all the holier-than-thou types are nowhere to be found.

Instead, they want to march in protest against a United Nations treaty that Putrajaya isn’t even going to ratify. Don’t let these acts of shame continue.

Tpn: Where are the so-called champions of religion now? They are so busy trying to fix DAP, yet keep their eyes firmly closed to the murder of civilians in Yemen and corruption in Umno.

Why is PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang keeping quiet on this?

Jasmine: This was the Najib administration after all, that was dictated by his belief in the maxim “cash is king”.

As the depth and breadth of his administration’s corruption get unravelled daily, here as well as in other countries, we can clearly see the attempts of Umno and their newfound allies PAS trying to pull the wool over the people’s eyes by resorting to racial and religious extremism.

And yet this disgraced leader and his cohorts walk around proudly and unashamedly, like the emperor with no clothes, denying everything and obfuscating facts. And they are cheered on by the blind.

Harry L Ishmael: Raja Bahrin has asked the most pertinent question, "Where are all the champions of Islam in Parliament?”

Why did we decide to lend a hand to the killing of innocent women and children?

Najib and Hishammuddin, along with the other ministers and MPs who were aware of this, used to sit on a pedestal so high that they probably thought they could avoid the bloodshed they allegedly abetted.

Rick Teo: Involving our army in another country’s war is an offence if cabinet approval was not obtained. If this is true, Najib and his cousin may have committed a criminal offence.

Military aided Saudi's war efforts in Yemen, cabinet not informed

Roger 5201: Indeed, Ops Yaman 2 is illegal and did not receive cabinet approval. Those in the know, if Liew is right, are complicit in murder.

Drngsc: Do you mean to tell us that the previous defence minister sent our troops to Saudi Arabia without cabinet approval? Is this allowed under Malaysian law and the Federal Constitution?

Sunshine: This seems an aberration. And could have serious ramifications. Without informing the cabinet and not obtaining its approval are distinct issues.

Did the defence minister at the time act on someone’s approval or was it his own initiative? Did the armed forces chief adhere to whatever procedures/protocol?

Cogito Ergo Sum: Hishammuddin has put our troops in harm’s way for reasons only known to him. He treated them as if they were his own private troops.

Did Hishammuddin enter into an illegal war in lieu of a certain ‘donation’? Nevertheless, the Attorney-General’s Chambers has to deal with this swiftly. Risking our soldiers’ lives for no reason is a crime.

Well That’s Fantastic: We can't afford to educate, clothe, and feed all Malaysians that need it, and we are wasting money sending young Malaysian men and women into harm’s way?

How many lives lost? How many birthdays and anniversaries missed?

Mighty Righteous: According to the BBC: “In short, the situation in Yemen is, the UN says, the world's worst man-made humanitarian disaster. More than 6,800 civilians have been killed and at least 10,700 injured since March 2015, the UN says.

“Well over half of the dead and wounded have been caused by Saudi-led coalition air strikes.

“According to the UN Human Rights Council, civilians have repeatedly been the victims of "unrelenting violations of international humanitarian law."

Where is your heart, Malaysia?

Gaji Buta: Do we have a military, or do we have foreign legionnaires instead?


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These comments are compiled to reflect the views of Malaysiakini subscribers on matters of public interest. Malaysiakini does not intend to represent these views as fact.

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