Fahmi: PM raises security concerns after MACC nabs military intel officers

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has voiced concerns regarding national security following the detention of several armed forces military intelligence officers by the MACC, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said.

Fahmi, who is also the government spokesperson, said the matter was raised during today's cabinet meeting, following reports that the anti-graft agency had seized substantial amounts of cash and detained five military intelligence personnel, four of whom are officers from the Malaysian Defence Intelligence Organisation (MDIO) - an agency under the armed forces.

"The prime minister raised some questions regarding concerns over this incident, particularly from a security perspective, that may arise.

"The Defence Ministry has been asked to prepare a full report to the cabinet after investigations being conducted by MACC and the armed forces are completed," he said at his weekly press conference today, after the cabinet meeting in Putrajaya.

On Aug 14, the Magistrate’s Court issued remand orders against 10 individuals, including five senior armed forces officers, to assist the MACC investigation into a smuggling syndicate operating in the country’s south, Bernama reported.

The report quoted the MACC saying that the others remanded include two journalists from an online media agency, a company manager, an administrative assistant at the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) and a foreign woman.

Bernama reported unnamed sources saying that the five senior military officers and five civilians, aged between 30 and 55, were arrested around the Klang Valley in “Op Sohor”, carried out by the MACC’s Intelligence Division, in cooperation with the police.

The military intelligence officers are suspected of colluding with the syndicate by leaking operational information to help them evade enforcement.

On Thursday, Defence Minister Khaled Nordin said that the recent arrests do not reflect the overall integrity of the country’s defence institution.

Bernama reported him saying that these were isolated incidents which should not undermine the people's respect and trust for the armed forces.

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