Let cops probe without political interference over LTTE, says lawyer

PETALING JAYA: The police should be allowed to carry out full-fledged investigations into the possible existence of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) sleeper cells in Malaysia without any political interference, says lawyer.

According to lawyer Mohamed Haniff Khatri Abdulla, DAP leaders should stop making premature comments that could be negatively perceived as an attempt to intimidate authoritative bodies from discharging their duties.

"DAP leaders have every right to defend their members who are detained to assist investigations, but they have no right to demand their immediate release as it involved terrorism-related matters that have far-reaching implications on national security and sovereignty.

"As the police also have information on a possible attack on the Sri Lanka Embassy over here, preventive measures should be immediately taken to safeguard diplomatic ties with Sri Lanka," he said on Monday (Oct 14).

Sleeper cells refer to enclaves where members of terrorist organisations remain undercover, awaiting signals before springing into action.

Haniff said police should also be allowed to investigate without fear or favour to ascertain possible systematic recruitment drive in Malaysia, as LTTE was internationally acknowledged as a terrorist organisation.

He said this in response to calls made by DAP leaders to release their members who were detained under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma) following a nationwide crackdown on subversive elements linked to LTTE.

DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang had called for the immediate release of the suspects, claiming their arrests were “beyond comprehension”.

DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng retracted his earlier claim that no more DAP leaders would be arrested in the ongoing investigations into suspected LTTE links in Malaysia following police rebuttal.

Among those arrested were DAP's Gadek assemblyman and Melaka exco G. Saminathan and Seremban Jaya assemblyman P. Gunasegaran.

Haniff questioned if Deputy Penang Chief Minister Prof Dr P. Ramasamy was trying to challenge the authorities by making the pre-emptive claim that he would be arrested too.

"NGOs and civil society groups should remind political leaders not to meddle in police investigations.

"In the era of new Malaysia, we should not allow such unhealthy interference," he said.

Earlier, PAS secretary-general Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan called for a White Paper on suspected attempts to use Malaysia as a launching pad to revive LTTE.

"We need such document to gauge the extent of ideology dissemination, networking, and involvement of suspects including local political leaders in the terrorist organisation.

"PAS views this matter seriously, as high profile individuals are implicated, as exposed by the police," he said.