Deputy minister blames ‘deep state’ for Tamil Tigers arrest

Sheridan Mahavera Sheridan Mahavera Updated 4 years ago · Published on 27 Nov 2019 10:17AM · 7 Comments

Families of the Sosma detainees handing over a memorandum to Suhakam commissioner Jerald Joseph on Monday. Twelve men were arrested over alleged links to a defunct Sri Lankan Tamil militant group. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Hasnoor Hussain, November 27, 2019.

DEEP-STATE elements within the police force and Attorney-General’s Chambers were behind the arrests of two state lawmakers under a controversial anti-terror law, said deputy minister Sivarasa Rasiah.

The arrest of the two, along with 10 others for supposedly trying to revive a defunct Sri Lankan Tamil militant group, was aimed at politically damaging Pakatan Harapan, said the lawyer-turned-politician.

Sivarasa said their arrests under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma) angered those who supported PH in the 14th general election.

The arrests were never endorsed by the cabinet or any senior minister in the administration and presented as a fait accompli by elements in the police, Sivarasa said. 

The presence of the deep state, he said, is one of the biggest challenges facing PH in its efforts to reform key institutions.

The deep state refers to individuals or groups within the bureaucracy pursuing their own agenda which may be in conflict with the aims of an elected administration.

“The political damage from this is that it has upset significant numbers of Indian voters and some of our supporters of all races – Chinese and Malays,” Sivarasa told The Malaysian Insight. 

“The effect of it is we saw in Tg Piai because (our supporters) said you promised to repeal draconian parts of Sosma and here you are using it on grounds that sound so frivolous, which is on the revival of LTTE (Liberation Tamil Tigers of Elam) which does not exist.” 

PH suffered a crushing loss in the Tg Piai by-election when its candidate was defeated by 15,000 votes – the biggest loss for any ruling coalition.

“So, our supporters are upset and people who are doing this are intending to cause political damage to Pakatan. But they are inside the institutions, such as the police, and have loyalties to the old government.”

R. Sivarasa says many Pakatan Harapan supporters punished the coalition during the recent Tg Piai by-election. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Nazir Sufari, November 27, 2019.

DAP state lawmakers P. Gunasekaran from Negri Sembilan and G. Saminathan from Malacca, along with 10 others were charged under Sosma last month.

They are accused of gathering funds and support to revive the LTTE. 

Other PH politicians have claimed that the arrest of the DAP duo was in retaliation over the party’s criticism of controversial preacher Dr Zakir Naik. 

LTTE was wiped out in a major Sri Lankan military operation in 2009, two decades after they waged an armed struggle for equal rights for the country’s Tamil community.

Sivarasa said the decision to charge the 12 detainees occurred while Attorney-General Tommy Thomas, who was appointed by PH, was overseas. 

“The deep state exists in more than one institution. The AG was on holiday for two weeks. This is what I mean. Sometimes there is only so much one person can do.

“If the authority to prosecute is already signed, it is hard to retract because there is backlash. So, you need to stop it before it happens. So you see the deep state is multi-layered.”

Previously, PH also blamed deep-state elements for derailing efforts to sign on to the Rome Statute, which would have made Malaysia a member of the International Criminal Court (ICC).

To curtail the influence of these individuals, the administration is amending laws, such as Sosma, that could be abused, Sivarasa said.

Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad himself instructed that amendments to Sosma be tabled at this sitting or at the latest, next March.

“He did that to cool things down,” he said, adding that the amendments will dilute Sosma’s power.

“Because right now, Sosma in its current form has huge powers which they have demonstrated to us.” – November 27, 2019.

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Comments

  • Well Siva, the AG is back now and he should review the LTTE cases and decide if the prosecutions should proceed or not. As for the deep state within Bukit Aman, what is the IGP doing about that? Same with the rogue elements in the Home Ministry and AGC? Those operating on their own with impunity and misusing the law to serve the agenda of the former BN government or Opposition parties like PAS ought to be sacked from the public services.

    Posted 4 years ago by Gerard Lourdesamy · Reply

  • We want SOSMA to be repealed, and not diluted. Second the police guy who gave the order for the unjustified arrest should be removed from his position.

    Posted 4 years ago by Rupert Lum · Reply

  • Blame game again? You are now the government, just act!

    Posted 4 years ago by Tanahair Ku · Reply

  • You and your prime minister are responsible so please dont pretend it is the problem of others. Resign if you have no ability to run the country

    Posted 4 years ago by BC Lim · Reply

  • You and your prime minister are responsible so please dont pretend it is the problem of others. Resign if you have no ability to run the country

    Posted 4 years ago by BC Lim · Reply

  • You and your prime minister are responsible so please dont pretend it is the problem of others. Resign if you have no ability to run the country

    Posted 4 years ago by BC Lim · Reply

  • So what are you saying? As an elected official of the new government, appointed to be purportedly a responsible member of the cabinet-you are saying that the arrests ( and detention without trial) as terrorists is wrongful. You have been a lawyer for so many years-complaining about these draconian laws like the ISA. You kept on condemning this legislation all over in your speeches to the people as an opposition member seeking to be a member of the government. Now the opportunity has come-all you can say is that the arrests are
    wrong in law? DO YOU REALIZE THE RAMIFICATIONS OF WHAT YOU ARE SAYING? Why have
    not these people who arrested these innocent indian DAP members not hauled up, given an opportunity to be heard-and fired?????? You and your colleagues are no better than UMNO members. Shameful bums who have deprived these innocent men to be arrested under legislation that PH promised to be repealed, put them through a nightmare, defamed them and their families have to go through hell-worse still the financial aspect. What is PH doing? Looks like PKR has NO #$%^^ !! Sad to say the deep state is run by Mahathir
    Mohamed. My advise to you is that as a lawyer, MP and a cabinet minister -if you cant do
    anything-RESIGN! Why dont you get your then legal Assistant, Lateefa Koya to investigate this corrupt practise in the administration of justice. From what I see you guys gave yourselves cushy jobs, and replaced BN enjoying the grandeur, money and power-doing nothing to clear up this mess. You and the cabinet should be ashamed with yourselves.

    Posted 4 years ago by Purnama Belachan · Reply