LAWYERS for Liberty said it is concerned about Malaysia’s military involvement in the Yemen war, which started in 2015.

Following reports of an assault by the Saudi-led military coalition on the Yemeni port city of Hodeida, the group called on Defence Minister Mohamad Sabu to explain the presence of Malaysian troops in Riyadh and their involvement in the Yemen war.

It cited a report from the United Nations Panel of Experts on Yemen to the UN Security Council, which said the Saudi-led coalition’s attacks in Yemen “may amount to war crimes”, and that Malaysian military personnel are working alongside France, Britain and the US at the coalition’s joint headquarters in Riyadh to coordinate battles against Houthi rebels and their allies in Yemen.

The group’s executive director, Eric Paulsen, said under the administration of Najib Razak, former defence minister Hishammuddin Hussein did not respond to the UN’s concerns and downplayed Malaysia’s involvement, as well as declared that Malaysian troops were deployed only to evacuate Malaysians from Yemen and for humanitarian purposes.

“If it is indeed true that our troops were deployed to assist in evacuation efforts, then the work should have been done by now, and there is no need to remain deployed for over three years,” he said in a statement today.

“The expectation that Malaysian troops are required to carry out humanitarian work is absurd as Malaysia is part of the Saudi-led coalition that is causing the war and humanitarian disaster, described as the world’s worst by the UN secretary-general.

“Malaysia has a long-standing principle of non-interference in the affairs of other countries, which has served us well. Unless mandated by the UN Security Council, Malaysia has no business being involved in the war in Yemen.”

He said last November, Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, in an open letter, had called for an end to the Yemen war.

Lawyers for Liberty also urged the defence minister to cease all military participation in the Yemen conflict, and recall Malaysian troops stationed in Riyadh. – Bernama, June 19, 2018.