Arms heists- court martial whole chain of command |
Media Statement by DAP National Chairman Lim Kit Siang in Petaling Jaya on
Monday, 10th July 2000:
Cabinet should give assurance that there would be public court martials down
the whole chain of military command for those responsible for the Grik arms
heists scandal
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Last Friday, Defence Minister Datuk Najib Tun Razak said that initial
findings of the arms heists in two military camps in Grik, Perak on 2nd
July 2000 point towards a failure at the end of the chain of command.
The Defence Minister appears to be preparing the ground to absolve himself
as well as all senior military officers of all responsibility for one of
the most disgraceful episodes in the history of Malaysian armed forces -
where a ragtag gang of 15 people led by a 29-year-old "mentally-unstable",
ex-army private could empty the high-security armouries of vast cache of
high-calibre weapons, including some 100 M-16 rifles, heavy and light
machine guns, grenade launchers, high-exposive shells and thousands rounds
of ammunition.
With such a vast arsenal of high-powered weapons, a veritable bloodbath
could have ensued - but the country was spared such a bloodbath although
three lives were lost, probably because the Inspector-General of Police, Tan
Sri Noran Mai was right, that the Al Mauna arms heists leader, Sheikh Amin
Mohd Razali, was "mentally-unstable".
The brutal torture and killing of police detective Kpl R. Sagadevan and
commando Matew ak Medan must be condemned and the full rigours of the law
must be brought to bear against criminals who had committed these heinous
crimes, but from the events that unfolded after the arms heists in the two
military camps, it is clear that national security, safety and welfare was
compromised not so much by a motley gang led by a "mentally-unstable"
ex-army private, but by the shocking breakdown in military discipline and
weapon security system.
To ensure that the army does not become the greatest threat to national
security and safety because of the laxity of military discipline and
security, the Cabinet should give assurance that there would be public court
martials down the whole chain of military command for those responsible for
the Grik arms heists scandal.
In this connection, Malaysians are still waiting for an explanation from
Najib as to why the armed forces did not know that Matew was missing and was
one of the four hostages in the Kampong Jenalik hostage siege until after
the surrender of the Al Mauna group, as this reflects another shocking lapse
of military efficiency.
Malaysians also want to know why the Police is not taking action to
recognise the service of Sagadevan through a posthumous promotion and
award, which the Defence Ministry proposes to do in the case of commando
Matew. The Home Ministry should come out with a clear statement on the
posthumous promotion and award for Sagadevan.
It has been reported that apart from the 28 people detained in Kampong
Janelik when the Al Mauna gang surrendered last Thursday, the police have
arrested another 24 people in connection with the Al Mauna group from
various parts of the country.
The Police should release the full list of the 24 people arrested and the
Home Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Badawi should direct the police not to
use the Internal Security Act powers of detention-without-trial but under
other existing laws which will give every person the chance to defend
oneself in an open trial.
- Lim Kit Siang -
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