Hisham on fact-finding mission
PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia is adopting a face-to-face approach to understand issues involving Qatar, stemming from allegations that the small gas-rich nation sponsors extremist groups.
That is why Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein will be heading to the Gulf states next week on a fact-finding mission of the Islamic State group’s threats and development.
“I need to get updates and feedback on why there is a crisis with Qatar. You can only achieve that when you talk with them face-toface,” Hishammuddin said at the Prime Minister’s Department Hari Raya Aidilfitri open house.
A dispute between Saudi Arabia, its Gulf allies and Qatar re- sulted in Qatar being isolated by the Gulf Cooperation Council countries.
This was not the first time this happened as a few neighbouring countries had severed diplomatic ties with the small gas-rich nation for several months in 2014 due to similar reasons.
“Next week, I will be going to Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, then to Kuwait and Qatar,” Hishammuddin said.
He reiterated Malaysia’s concern over the likelihood that extremist militants would be heading to the region following the recapture of Mosul and Raqqa from IS.
He stressed that the threat was real as foreign fighters had been sighted in Marawi, the Philippines.
“I am not making it up. You can see foreign fighters from Saudi Arabia, Morroco and Australia in Marawi.”
On the Hawk 108 jet fighter crash, he said the probe into the incident was going well, but he had yet to get the latest details.
In the June crash, two pilots were killed and the aircraft wreckage was found in a Terengganu forest.
The bodies of Major Yazmi Mohamed Yusof, 39, and Major Mohd Hasri Zahari, 31, were found 20 metres apart in a mangrove swamp at Kampung Kak Yah, Chukai, about 53km from the Kuantan Royal Malaysian Air Force base.