by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Tanjong, Lim Kit Siang, in Petaling Jaya on Wednesday, March 9, 1994:
“Have the Police interrogated UMNO Ministers and MPs for the Canberra Times report that UMNO politicians had been receiving bribes from Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS) agents until four years ago?”
The revelation by the Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Rahim Mohamad Noor that the Police had recorded statements from several politicians in connection with police investigations about Malaysian politicians receiving bribes from Australian secret agents is the first time the Police has acknowledged the existence of the Canberra Times report of February 3, 1994.
It is significant that up to now, the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamed, and other Cabinet Ministers like the Defence Minister, Datuk Najib Tun Razak, the Information Minister, Datuk Mohamed Rahmat, the Law Minister, Datuk Hamid Syed Albar, the Minister for Primary Industries, Datuk Dr. Lim Keng Yaik, the Transport Minister, Datuk Dr. Ling Liong Sik and the Housing and Local Government Minister, Datuk Dr, Ting Chew Pen, had not said anything about the Canberra Times allegations although they had no hesitation in reacting and even accepting the allegations of the Sydney Sunday Telegraph report of January 16, 1994.
The Canberra Times report of February 3, 1994 clarified and corrected the report of the Sydney Sunday Telegraph report of January 16, 1994 which alleged that Malaysian opposition politicians and MPs had received bribes from the Australian Secret Intelligence Service (A8I8) agents.
Canberra Times report on February 3, 1994 said that ASIS agents had bribed Malaysian politicians, but these politicians are not from the Opposition, but from the Government and UMNO.
Tan Sri Rahim should explain whether the Police had interrogated UMNO Ministers and MPs to investigate into the veracity of Canberra Times allegations that government and UMNO politicians had received bribes from ASIS until four years ago.
The Canberra Times report said that the “object, of the exercise” of ASIS “had been to acquire a degree of leverage within the ruling elites by ‘sponsoring’ politicians who were seen as potential contenders of power.”
The Canberra Times specifically allseed that “In Malaysia, the focus of the operation in which tens of thousands oil dollars was spent, was on politicians from the ruling United Malays National Organisation {UMNO} – seen as less than enthusiastic about the leadership of Dr, Mahathir Mohamad, whose distinctly anti-Australian views are well-known.”
DAP wants a firm and satisfactory assurance from Tan Sri Rahim that the Police will adopt a professional, responsible and non-partisan approach in its investigations
Tan Sri Rahim said that the Police had recorded statements, from several politicians. Who are these politicians? I have not been interviewed by the Police nor any DAP leader.
Have the Police recorded statements from the Gerakan President and the Minister for Primary Industries, Datuk Dr. lim Keng Yaik, who had accused me of being an ASIS spy when he said over RTM television that I had a ‘guilty conscience’ in strongly and swiftly protesting against the Sydney Sunday Telegraph allegations that opposition politicians had been bribed by ASIS agents?
Have the Police recorded, statements from the Penang Chief Minister, Dr. Koh Tsu Koon, who accused opposition politi¬cians in Malaysia of not only being bribed by foreign governments, but also by foreign media?
DAP leaders and I are prepared to co-operate with the Police to help, them in investigations into the ASIS bribery allegations, as to narrow down the possible government and. UMNO politicians who could have been bribed by ASIS until four years ago.
However, we want first of all, a firm and. satisfactory assurance from the Inspector-General of Police that the police-is-not ‘playing polities’ with the Barisan Nasional Government on this issue, but will approach this subject from a strictly na¬tional and non-partisan perspective and will adopt a highly professional and responsible manner.
Such an assurance is most necessary as up to now, both the Government and the Police have given the impression to the country that they are only interested in allegations about bribery of opposition politicians by foreign secret agents, but have no interest whatsoever about allegations about bribery of govern¬ment and UMNO politicians by foreign powers!