DAP backs PAS on White Paper, Ramasamy ropes in 1MDB and Zakir Naik
In a rare move today, DAP has thrown its support behind PAS' proposal for a White Paper to Parliament on the arrests of that police linked to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam (LTTE), but the party wants the document to cover more issues.
The party suggested that the White Paper should cover the entire spectrum of the problem of terrorism, including financial scandals faced by Malaysia, and not only be confined to the LTTE...
In a rare move, DAP has thrown its support behind PAS' proposal for a White Paper to be tabled in Parliament on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam (LTTE).
However, Penang Deputy Chief Minister II P Ramasamy (photo, above) said the White Paper should also cover the 1MDB scandal and Muslim preacher Zakir Naik.
"We want to know who exactly received money from 1MDB. Was PAS also a recipient?" he asked during a press conference in the Parliament lobby this morning.
"We also like to see the White Paper cover the arrests of those who fought for ISIS in Syria and preacher Dr Zakir Naik, and why he is being protected in Malaysia," he added.
"Is Zakir involved in international terrorism?" he asked in relation to the Indian-born preacher who has a Malaysian permanent resident status.
LTTE has been in the spotlight since Oct 10 when police launched a dragnet that saw 12 individuals, including two DAP assemblypersons, arrested over their alleged links to the former Sri Lankan separatist movement.
The 12 are being held under the Special Offences (Security Measures) Act (Sosma), which allows for detention without trial for a period of 28 days.
DAP senior leader Lim Kit Siang also backed the call for a White Paper but suggested that it includes the International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS), which is on the terror lists of four Gulf states - Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.
Without mentioning names but in an obvious reference to PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang, he said the leader of a Malaysian opposition party is linked to IUMS.
Meanwhile, DAP Batu Kawan division secretary David Marshel said the White Paper should also cover the presence of foreigners wanted for money laundering and terrorism-related crimes in their countries of origin.
"We have become a safe harbour for such foreign terrorists," he told Malaysiakini.
"Hence, I welcome the White Paper. This is about our national security and we know how incidents like the farmers' uprising in the 1970s and the Memali incident took place.
"Memali, which saw people killed, happened without technological advancement.
"Now with so much technological advancement, especially with the presence of social media, the danger is real," he added.
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