PETALING JAYA: Several opposition MPs trained their guns on former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad for attempting to absolve himself from any wrong-doings over the infamous “Ops Lalang” arrests in 1987.
Calling Mahathir a liar, PAS vice-president Mohamad Sabu said the former prime minister could have released the detainees if he had wanted to.
“He was also the home minister then. I think he is trying to hide something,” said Mohamad Sabu.
In a book penned by Tom Plate titled “Doctor M: Operation Malaysia – Conversations with Mahathir Mohamad”, Mahathir blamed the police for the crackdown in 1987.
He reportedly said, “Well, I would have handled it differently, except that the police wanted to do these things because they say it is necessary…
“I actually met all of the opposition members (beforehand) and assured them that they would not be arrested. And you know what the police did? They arrested them. My credibility is gone.”
DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang, however, took a swipe at Mahathir yesterday for trying to pin the blame on the police alone, accusing the long-serving premier of spinning untruths.
Lim was one of those detained in the crackdown.
In Mahathir’s defence, the-then inspector-general of police (IGP), Haniff Omar, told an online portal today that the crackdown was entirely a police decision and the former premier had actually opposed the arrests.
Dastardly act
Mohamad Sabu said though the law allowed the police to detain anyone under the Internal Security Act (ISA) for a maximum of 60 days for questioning, any extension after that requires the endorsement of the home minister.
“That is why I do not believe Mahathir’s recent statement at all,” said Mohamad Sabu, who was detained for more than a year.
Suaram director, Kua Kia Soong, sarcastically said it was good that finally Mahathir now seemed to be ashamed to be affiliated with the arrests.
“And he should feel so after more than two decades of trying to justify the dastardly act,” he added.
Kua, who was also a former detainee, took potshots at Haniff for absolving Mahathir from the act.
“What do you expect of a former IGP who, upon retirement, was prepared to walk straight into a corporation that makes its money from gambling?”asked Kua, referring to Haniff, a Muslim, working as a director in a casino in Genting Highlands.
He added that Mahathir had craftily pounced on the ignorance of his interviewee (Plate) that a two-year detention needed his endorsement as the home minister.
“If the interviewee had asked him that, neither Mahathir nor Haniff would be able to wriggle out of that,” said Kua.
In a text message to FMT, fellow detainee, Kepong MP Tan Seng Giaw admitted that he had met Mahathir a few days before the crackdown but it was to discuss other matters.
“He is ultimately responsible for the arrests as he was in charge then,” said Tan, who was detained for eight months.
Downright lie
Another detainee, DAP’s Karpal Singh meanwhile labelled Mahathir’s remark as “a downright and unadultrated lie”.
He stressed that the police had acted as directed by Mahathir.
“He should not forget that he personally signed the detention orders … blaming the police now does not speak well of his maturity and credibility as a former premier,” he said in a statement.
Karpal added that Mahathir’s lie was futher nailed by the fact that he (Karpal) was rearrested under the ISA after Mahathir himself had signed the second detention order.
“I would advise Mahathir not to, in his twilight years, to make a spectacle of himself by lying through his teeth. I would have thought Mahathir would have retired peacefully,” he added.
In October 1987, the government invoked the ISA to arrest over 100 people, including politicians and activists, to curb mounting political tension due to racial provocations.
Two dailies, The Star and Sin Chew Jit Poh, also had their publishing licence suspended at the time. - FMT
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