Cops question 10 over Sunday's LCS protest
Police have recorded statements from 10 people today over their alleged involvement in Sunday’s protest in Kuala Lumpur against the littoral combat ship (LCS) scandal.
They are Muda president Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman...
Police have recorded statements from 10 people today over their alleged involvement in Sunday’s protest in Kuala Lumpur against the littoral combat ship (LCS) scandal.
They are Muda president Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, secretary-general Amir Abdul Hadi, information chief Luqman Long, and party member Muhammad Syahmi; DAP’s Paloh assemblyperson Sheikh Umar Bagharib Ali; Bersatu Youth information chief Mohd Ashraf Mustaqim Badrul Munir; human rights lawyer Siti Kassim; Suaram executive director Sevan Doraisamy; Ikram Youth committee member Usaid Muhamad Asmadi; and a loudhailer provider identified only as Peter.
They held a press conference outside the Dang Wangi district police headquarters upon arriving at 3pm and then went in for questioning for between one hour and one hour and 45 minutes.
Syed Saddiq, who is Muar MP, said they will fully cooperate with the police but questioned whether the authorities are enforcing the law selectively.
“Reports have been made to the police and the MACC (over the LCS scandal), not just to prosecute the small fries but the sharks too.
“Muda’s question is, why are the sharks at large in Putrajaya whereas those who stand up for Malaysia’s armed forces, our navy, are the ones going back and forth to court and to the police station?
“This is not right. We are exercising our constitutional right in order to defend our national sovereignty,” he said.
Apart from the LCS scandal, Syed Saddiq also highlighted the late delivery of three offshore patrol vessels to the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency and the direct negotiation to procure self-propelled howitzers.
‘Not just RCI, heads must roll’
Syed Saddiq said the government should convene a special parliamentary session to decide the future direction of the nation’s armed forces.
“This special session is not just to point fingers, but to produce a white paper […] even if there is a change of government, a fair and efficient defence procurement can still be done regardless of who is the prime minister and who is the defence minister,” he said.
He also urged authorities to prosecute those responsible for the scandal.
“We don’t just need a royal commission of inquiry, we need to press charges since the names have already been mentioned in the Public Accounts Committee report and the forensic audit.
“Action must be taken against them. What are we waiting for?”
Meanwhile, Siti said the police are investigating the group under Section 9(5) of the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012, but did not inform whether they are being questioned as suspects or witnesses.
On Sunday, about 200 protestors gathered outside the Sogo Shopping Complex in Kuala Lumpur to hold an hour-long protest against the LCS scandal.
Yesterday, Kuala Lumpur police chief Azmi Abu Kassim said 13 people will give their statements today in relation to the protest.
However, it is understood that one of them already had their statement recorded yesterday, and another this morning. The remaining person is expected to be questioned tomorrow.
The identities of these three people are not known.
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