Najib, Hisham told to come clean on military involvement in Yemen
KUALA LUMPUR: The former prime minister and former defence minister have been urged to come clean about Malaysia’s involvement in the conflict in Yemen.
Parti Amanah Negara International Bureau chair Datuk Raja Kamarul Bahrin Shah Raja Ahmad said this at the Parliament lobby yesterday, claiming that the conflict had led to what he called “the world’s worst humanitarian catastrophe”.
He said he had raised the issue in Parliament before, but then defence minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein denied that the military was involved in the war.
“I urge Datuk Seri Najib Razak and Hishammuddin to tell us the truth. Why wasn’t the cabinet aware of Op Yemen 2?
“It is impossible for Najib as (then) prime minister and Hishammuddin as (then) defence minister not to have been aware (of it). Why did they hide it from Parliament and the cabinet?”
Raja Kamarul Bahrin, who is deputy housing and local government minister, urged the government to send humanitarian aid to Yemen to make up for the “Yemeni blood” on Malaysia’s hands.
On Monday, Deputy Defence Minister Senator Liew Chin Tong said the cabinet was unaware that Malaysia had deployed troops on a three-month rotational basis to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The soldiers were tasked with flying in 12 missions, transporting equipment, bullets and explosives for the Arab Alliance, which is engaged in a devastating war with Houthi rebels in the Middle East’s poorest country.
However, the troops only flew in Saudi airspace and were not involved as direct combatants.
The National Patriots Association (Patriot) also urged Hishammuddin to come clean about the military’s involvement in Yemen.
Its president, Datuk Mohamed Arshad Raji, said Liew’s “shocking” revelation raised questions about who was responsible for sanctioning the army’s logistical support for the Arab military pact.
“Patriot wants to know who was given the authority to deploy military personnel to Saudi Arabia. If it was a decision by the defence minister or any politician, it is an infringement of the law.
“Were there discussions between the then defence minister and the then armed forces chief to decide whether the army’s involvement in the Saudi-led intervention in Yemen was lawful?”
He asked whether the then armed forces chief was pressured into deploying troops to Saudi Arabia and why the matter was not discussed in the cabinet.
“Was the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, who is supreme commander of the armed forces, consulted before the decision?”
Arshad said the then government and Defence Ministry had “clearly made a mistake” by deploying troops overseas without the cabinet’s or Parliament’s nod.
“If lives were lost, who would be responsible? The then defence minister should know that he has no authority to issue an order to the army.
“Such an order can only be issued by the armed forces chief.”