‘Probe troops sent to Saudi sans approval’

THE Defence Ministry did not get the Cabinet’s nod to deploy troops to Saudi Arabia under Ops Yemen II in 2015 and Chang Lih Kang wants the government to investigate the matter.

The Tanjong Malim MP described the disclosure by Deputy Defence Minister Liew Chin Tong in Parliament as shocking.

He said it was clear that the Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM), which undertook logistic flights to bring in spares and munitions for the Arab Alliance, were combatants.

“ATM involved in combat activities in foreign countries, without the mandate of the United Nations and knowledge of Malaysians, is a serious issue,” he said.

Liew said 27 officers and 62 other personnel sent to Riyadh on a rotational basis provided logistic support and did not take part in combat operations.

“But in terms of SOP (standard operating procedures), I was informed that the ministry did not get the Cabinet’s decision to deploy the troops,” Liew said in reply to Chang’s question.

Chang said Ops Yemen II was against Malaysia’s foreign policy to remain neutral and not interfere in foreign conflicts.

“So, I’m urging the government to launch a detailed investigation and act against those responsi- ble,” he said at a press conference.

Former defence minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein was not in the Dewan when the question was raised.

But former youth and sports minister Khairy Jamaluddin, in a supplementary question, confirmed that the matter was never discussed in Cabinet.

He also asked whether Malaysia’s involvement with the Arab Alliance brought any benefits, as former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and Hishammuddin had claimed Saudi Arabia would offset the deployment with its own military surplus.

Liew said as far as he knew, there was no such offset.

Earlier, Liew told the Dewan Rakyat that Ops Yemen II cost RM14.6mil, or roughly RM1.5mil for every three-month rotation.

Due to high operation and maintenance cost and impact to personnel and flight crews, he said, the Royal Malaysian Air Force (TUDM) proposed in 2016 that the troops be withdrawn.

“However, the former Armed Forces chief and the then Defence Ministry did not agree.

“In 2017, TUDM suggested that only one aircraft be deployed as the rest needed urgent maintenance,” said Liew.

Currently, around 700 Malaysians were still in Yemen, he said.