[ Laman Ehwal Semasa ReformIS ]
Date: 20 Aug 1999
Time: 23:30:40
Remote User: -
Stashed documents not state secrets: Ex-DPM aide
They relate to graft and have nothing to do with national security, he tells police in a three-hour interrogation
By BRENDAN PEREIRA IN KUALA LUMPUR
A TOP aide of former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim yesterday told the Malaysian police that the secret documents stashed away overseas were not state secrets.
"I told the police the documents are not classified and, as I understand from Anwar, they relate to corruption and abuse of power and have nothing to do with national security," Anwar's former political secretary, Mr Mohamed Ezam Mohamed Nor, told reporters.
Police at Bukit Aman questioned Mr Mohamed Exam for nearly three hours yesterday in their investigation into the alleged theft of secret government documents by Anwar.
The 32-year-old economics graduate from the International Islamic University -- nurtured as a base of support by Anwar over a decade -- said police officers treated him well.
After his interrogation, Mr Mohamed Ezam, the Youth chief of Parti Keadilan Nasional, was met by a posse of reporters and loud clapping and cheering from about 50 supporters.
The former political secretary to Anwar attempted to turn the tables on the police by lodging a report against the police for failure to act on his complaint against a senior government prosecutor and a Cabinet minister.
On May 8, the politician accused Datuk Abdul Ghani Patail of the Attorney-General's Chambers of not proceeding to charge International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Rafidah Aziz over alleged abuse of power involving the allocation of shares to a family member.
He said that after nearly three months, no statement had been recorded from him by police officers.
"I have reasonable grounds to believe that until today, no action has been on that police report," he added.
Yet, he complained that three days after a member of the ruling National Front filed a report about the theft of classified documents, he was summoned by the police.
"This tells you the injustice in the system," he added.
An inflammatory statement by the Parti Keadilan's Youth chief sparked off an outcry for police action against Anwar and those involved in the theft of official documents.
While speaking at a gathering in Kampung Gajah in Perak, Mr Mohamed Ezam said that five or six boxes of classified government documents had been hidden overseas and would be revealed in stages.
He also claimed that after Anwar was sacked, many senior government officers had come forward and given him documents.
These disclosures prompted calls by national leaders including Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Badawi for an urgent full-scale probe.
It is understood that government leaders are worried that some of these documents are being doctored to suit the political agenda of the opposition parties.
They noted that a letter written by corporate figures to Finance Minister Tun Daim Zainuddin over the transfer of shares some years ago was "altered" to give the impression that Anwar was not privy to the information.
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MOHAMED EZAM: No stranger to controversy
FOR Mr Mohamed Ezam, controversy is nothing new. Since the sacking of Anwar, he has been attracting police attention like honey attracts bees. In September, he left his wife and newborn son to hide in Batam.
From there, he and two other associates of the former Deputy Premier fired salvo after salvo against Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad, calling for his resignation.
A former deputy director at the Policy Research Institute -- a think-tank linked closely with the jailed politician -- he expected to be arrested on his return to Malaysia.
He was not. As the leader of the Parti Keadilan's Youth wing, he has crossed swords with his former comrades of Umno Youth.
In a recent interview, with the brashness and hint of arrogance that is becoming his trademark, he dismissed acting Umno Youth chief Datuk Hishammuddin Tun Hussein and other Youth wing leaders as not worthy of respect.
"It would be a waste of time debating with them," he said.