Anwar: Government using terror as diversion
KUALA LUMPUR, June 17 — Pakatan Rakyat today accused the government of attempting to divert the public’s attention away from other national concerns by spreading alarm over terror plots in the country.
Pakatan Rakyat de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim challenged the government to give a detailed explanation and provide proof that these terror elements indeed existed in the country.
“Debate on this in Parliament. Let us see proof and if it is true and there is a need for us to support the country’s efforts to stop these threats, of course we will support [them].
“The issue of national security is non-partisan in terms of politics. All should support [this].
“However, to use this to cause fear and to threaten the people, to spread propaganda and distract the people from the true issues of national concern at hand — this, we condemn,” he told a press conference here this afternoon.
Anwar added that if these terror threats were truly worrisome and taking place in the country, those who were arrested recently would not have been immediately sent back to their countries without being charged.
He was referring to the nine foreigners and one local who were arrested in an anti-terror raid in Gombak earlier this year. The foreigners were later deported to their home countries in April, where they were further detained.
The group, allegedly linked to al Qaeda, were reportedly on a mission to recruit members for the international terror group and the Jemaah Islamiah (JI).
According to a report in an English daily today, the group comprising four Syrians, two Yemenis, two Nigerians, a Jordanian and a Malaysian, were planning to blow up two places of worship in Penang and Selangor but were caught before they could carry out the acts.
“We would like to advise the public not to be so easily swayed by the attempts by Umno-Barisan Nasional to shift the focus from other big issues by spreading fear, by creating a new strain.
“I believe that [the] Umno-BN government is just trying to distract the people from other issues of national concern like the APCO (Worldwide) issue, the surrendering of important land assets in the country, their properties in Sungai Buloh, Sungai Besi and so on,” said Anwar.
Pokok Sena MP Datuk Mahfuz Omar of PAS, agreed with Anwar and chastised Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan for revealing that JI members were attempting to recruit local university students and lecturers to join their terror group.
“I would like to tell the IGP that if he really is concerned about the safety of the people, why does he need to go and reveal this to the media, to the people?
“Just do your job and take immediate action through the proper process of the law. There is no need to announce,” he said.
He asked if the IGP was attempting to show the BN government that he was indispensible and should have his tenure extended.
“Is he trying to show the prime minister that he is still important, that he is still needed to protect and promote the political ideologies of the BN?” he said.
Mahfuz added that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s popularity rating among the people, while it was over 70 per cent now, was still questionable.
“Obviously, they are still lacking in confidence of the people’s support,” he claimed.
Malaysian Insider
18/06/10
KUALA LUMPUR, June 17 — Pakatan Rakyat today accused the government of attempting to divert the public’s attention away from other national concerns by spreading alarm over terror plots in the country.
Pakatan Rakyat de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim challenged the government to give a detailed explanation and provide proof that these terror elements indeed existed in the country.
“Debate on this in Parliament. Let us see proof and if it is true and there is a need for us to support the country’s efforts to stop these threats, of course we will support [them].
“The issue of national security is non-partisan in terms of politics. All should support [this].
“However, to use this to cause fear and to threaten the people, to spread propaganda and distract the people from the true issues of national concern at hand — this, we condemn,” he told a press conference here this afternoon.
Anwar added that if these terror threats were truly worrisome and taking place in the country, those who were arrested recently would not have been immediately sent back to their countries without being charged.
He was referring to the nine foreigners and one local who were arrested in an anti-terror raid in Gombak earlier this year. The foreigners were later deported to their home countries in April, where they were further detained.
The group, allegedly linked to al Qaeda, were reportedly on a mission to recruit members for the international terror group and the Jemaah Islamiah (JI).
According to a report in an English daily today, the group comprising four Syrians, two Yemenis, two Nigerians, a Jordanian and a Malaysian, were planning to blow up two places of worship in Penang and Selangor but were caught before they could carry out the acts.
“We would like to advise the public not to be so easily swayed by the attempts by Umno-Barisan Nasional to shift the focus from other big issues by spreading fear, by creating a new strain.
“I believe that [the] Umno-BN government is just trying to distract the people from other issues of national concern like the APCO (Worldwide) issue, the surrendering of important land assets in the country, their properties in Sungai Buloh, Sungai Besi and so on,” said Anwar.
Pokok Sena MP Datuk Mahfuz Omar of PAS, agreed with Anwar and chastised Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan for revealing that JI members were attempting to recruit local university students and lecturers to join their terror group.
“I would like to tell the IGP that if he really is concerned about the safety of the people, why does he need to go and reveal this to the media, to the people?
“Just do your job and take immediate action through the proper process of the law. There is no need to announce,” he said.
He asked if the IGP was attempting to show the BN government that he was indispensible and should have his tenure extended.
“Is he trying to show the prime minister that he is still important, that he is still needed to protect and promote the political ideologies of the BN?” he said.
Mahfuz added that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s popularity rating among the people, while it was over 70 per cent now, was still questionable.
“Obviously, they are still lacking in confidence of the people’s support,” he claimed.
Malaysian Insider
18/06/10
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