PM denies LTTE detentions to weaken any party

Zaim Ibrahim Zaim Ibrahim Updated 4 years ago · Published on 13 Oct 2019 2:45PM · 7 Comments

Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad says neither he nor Home Minister Muhyiddin Yassin is ordering police to detain those suspected of having links to Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. – EPA pic, October 13, 2019.

THE detention of 12 people, including two DAP assemblymen, over alleged links to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) is not to weaken any party or group, said Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

He said police detentions under the Security Offences and Special Measures Act (Sosma) were done without interference from the administration.

“The government wants to know why this has happened. We do not like to use power to weaken anybody.

“I am not detaining them, not (Home Minister) Muhyiddin (Yassin)  who is doing it.  Police are doing this and it is being done according to the law,’ he told reporters in Langkawi today.

On Thursday, two DAP representatives, Gadek assemblyman G. Saminathan, who is also a Malacca executive councillor, and Seremban Jaya assemblyman P. Gunasekaran, were among the first batch of seven people arrested in the LTTE probe.

Another five were arrested yesterday, bringing the total to 12.

All arrests so far have taken place in Malacca, Negri Sembilan, Selangor, Perak, Kedah, Penang and Kuala Lumpur.

Sosma for allows detention for up to 28 days without a charge.

Dr Mahathir said Pakatan Harapan will study if the detentions will have an impact on the pact chances in the imminent Tanjung Piai by-election.

“If there will be any political effect we have to study. We have to look at their background (the two DAP assemblymen detained).” he added. – Octotber 13, 2019.

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Comments

  • This is an old Mahathir strategy, deny any knowledge. But the modus operandi hasn't changed because he hasn't changed and is still stuck in his 20th Century mindset. This looks like a mini-Ops Lalang (confined to the Indians), FOR NOW! This is the easiest way to partly satiate the ravenous wolves in the Malay community. By waving the big stick and punishing any non-Malay AND the easiest, most vulnerable target are the Indians. The Chinese persecution is probably around the corner when he has to deliver the fatal blow on multiple targets, viz Anwar, DAP and everyone else who may be used to further his own interests. Thank God he is 94!! Thank God.

    Posted 4 years ago by Simple Sulaiman · Reply

    • Spot on mini Ops Lalang to distract from the real stuff!

      Posted 4 years ago by K Pop · Reply

  • Oh yeah, we believe you. Ha Ha Ha!

    Posted 4 years ago by Arul Inthirarajah · Reply

  • Yup.

    And You are the PM for all

    Posted 4 years ago by Watch Dog · Reply

  • SOSMA like the PTO and PCA was supposed to be repealed by the PH. Instead we see a security dragnet based on fears of the revival of a 10 year old defunct LTTE. Why hasn't the SOSMA been used against those of support Hamas, Hezbollah, the Taliban and various other separatists terrorist groups in Syria, Kashmir, Xinjiang, Chechnya etc? Why was the SOSMA not used on Zakir Naik considering that Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, the UK and Canada consider him to be a terrorism supporter, sympathizer and/or instigator?

    Posted 4 years ago by Gerard Lourdesamy · Reply

  • Let the police do their job and wait for the investigation results. National security can never be compromised

    Posted 4 years ago by Derrick Tan · Reply

  • Millions of Malaysians had a legitimate expectations of change. We wanted Anwar Ibrahim to be the PM. But for reasons only know to PH leadership this leopard was chosen. There were specific agreements enshrined in the manifesto prior to elections. The dismissal of draconian legislation , like detention without trial, death penalty were all to be dumped into the dustbins of times as they represented colonial oppression which was carried on by BN.

    Now we are at it again. The fear that there will be no judicial intervention for arbitrary arrests shows its ugly face. Can the leopard change it spots. Corruption was encouraged in the 1980s, Islamization was also encouraged-all these policies we thought would be gone. But they have arisen with full force. It damages the party, it weakens the new government to rely on dictatorial laws-a mere signature by a public servant can deny a citizen his constitutional rights.I suppose those positions that were held by hindus will now be replaced by Muslims from DR M's party. We are going down that slippery slope. The next PM will be Mahathir's son, soon.

    Posted 4 years ago by Magnolia Chan · Reply