DAP’S Charles Santiago is shocked by the arrest of his two party colleagues over their alleged links with the long defunct Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) of Sri Lanka.

The Klang MP said he was aware there were Malaysians who sympathised with the separatists but there had not been attempts to revive the group here or in Sri Lanka.

“So this is shocking, a bit strange, and why now? I mean nobody talks about the LTTE. Nobody talks about it in Malaysia,”

“I am not sure what the police motive is for detaining them. This is silly and a waste of police resources. Maybe if the LTTE has a strong network in Malaysia, but that is not the case here. There is no attempt to collect money and revive the LTTE here,” he told a media conference in Parliament today.

Seven suspects, including Malacca executive councillor G. Saminathan and its Negri Sembilan assemblyman P. Gunasekaran, were today arrested for promoting the activities of the LTTE, Bukit Aman said today.

Federal police counter-terrorism division chief Ayub Khan Mydin Pitchai said the seven men were arrested in several locations in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Negri Sembilan, Malacca, Perak and Kedah, between 9am and 2pm today. 

Police also seized items used to promote the activities of LTTE, which had fought for a separate state in Sri Lanka. 

Pressed on the DAP position on the arrests, Santiago said secretary-general Lim Guan Eng will answer the question.

“But I think our Malacca unit has had a discussion and they will send a report to the party headquarters for further discussion,” he said. – October 10, 2019.