Statement by
Dr Tan Seng Giaw, DAP National Vice-Chairman and MP for
Kepong
on 18.10.2002
in Kuala Lumpur
We reiterate that the Malaysian Government present a full report on the state of
extremism and terrorism in this country, because Malaysia has been implicated in
international terrorism
After 11 September, 2001, papers in USA mentioned Malaysia as associated with
al-Qaeda. The Government denied it. The US closed its embassy in Kuala Lumpur
during the first anniversary of 911. Malaysia was listed as one of the 23 Muslim
countries with risks of terrorism. From 1 October, 2002, Malaysia has been put
in the list of 16. Then, she has detained members of the Malaysian Militant
Group.
Rohan Gunaratna, a Sri Lankan, has written the book Inside al-Qaeda, Global
Network of Terror, with charts of al-Qaeda activities. These charts are said to
be included in the United Nations' Second Report of the Monitoring Group
Established Pursuant to Security Council Resolution 1363 (2002). Apparently,
this report was submitted to the Security Council on 19 September, 2002 and
released on 26 September, 2002.
The press quotes the Deputy Prime Minister Dato' Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi as
receiving a copy of the report on 17 September, 2002. It implicates Barisan
Nasional, PAS, Abim, Islamic Front of Malaysia (IFM), Malaysian Islamic Youth
Movement (MIYM) and the Front Malaysian Islamic Council (FMIC) with al-Qaeda.
Abdullah said that the Government would seek a retraction of the report, which
if not promptly corrected, would tarnish Malaysia's global image.
We don't want any form of extremism and terrorism. We don't know what
organizations are associated with al-Qaeda. The horror of Bali on 12 October,
2002, has made the world more aware of terrorist groups such as al-Qaeda.
We have to try our utmost to prove to the world that we do not harbour terrorist
groups. A step is to present a full report on the state of extremism and
terrorism in Malaysia.