DR M THANKS JOKOWI FOR NABBING JAMAL
PM also expresses hope for stronger Malaysia-Indonesia ties
PRIME Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has expressed hope for stronger bilateral ties between Malaysia and Indonesia.
He hoped the close ties between Malaysia and Indonesia would be a role model, and inspire people from the two countries to continue working together and move forward.
Dr Mahathir had expressed his vision on the bilateral ties between the two countries in a letter thanking his Indonesian counterpart, Joko Widodo, also known as Jokowi, for the assistance offered by the republic, which led to the arrest of controversial Red Shirt leader Datuk Seri Jamal Md Yunos.
“I would like to record my appreciation to the president and the Indonesian police (POLRI) for their assistance, which resulted in the arrest of a wanted man by the Malaysian authorities.
“I believe that this cooperation was made based on the good neighbourliness policy and strong roots, which had been shared and nurtured for so long,” Dr Mahathir said in the letter dated July 3.
Jamal was wanted by the Malaysian authorities for several offences, including skipping bail and leaving the country illegally.
He had fled police custody after failing to complete his bail process.
On June 1, a warrant of arrest was issued against him by the Ampang magistrate’s court for the offence of escaping or resisting police custody.
Despite promising to cooperate with the authorities, Jamal failed to present himself to the police on May 30. Instead, he released a video of himself at an oil palm plantation, where he claimed that he was in the country and the arrest was an effort by certain parties to frame him.
On July 2, Home Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin confirmed that the Sungai Besar Umno leader had been picked up in Jakarta by Indonesian police after Malaysian police requested assistance early last month.
Jamal was arrested at a hair salon in the capital while getting a haircut.
He was charged with resistance to lawful apprehension at the Ampang magistrate’s court here on Thursday, where he was denied bail.