Former defence minister Hishammuddin Hussein and former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak must explain why they hid Malaysia’s involvement in the Yemeni civil war, Amanah international bureau head Raja Kamarul Bahrin Shah Raja Ahmad said today.
In a statement, Raja Kamarul Bahrin said he had repeatedly raised this issue in the Dewan Rakyat over the past two years, but was met with a string of denials.
“Why were the defence minister and prime minister (at the time) hiding (this fact) and refusing to come clean?
“Was the (former) prime minister too indebted to the Saudi royal family because of the generous ‘donation’ which he claimed to have received?” he asked.
Raja Bahrin was referring to the revelation in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday that the cabinet was unaware of Ops Yaman 2 – a military logistics operation which aided the Saudi-led coalition’s war effort in Yemen.
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This was confirmed by Rembau MP Khairy Jamaluddin, who said that he was unaware of Ops Yaman 2 as well.
Khairy was the youth and sports minister at the material time, and is also an officer in the Territorial Army Regiment.
Deputy Defence Minister Liew Chin Tong had said that Malaysia’s military personnel were never combatants, but had participated in military logistics by supplying weapons, ammunition and equipment to the Saudi-led coalition.
Raja Bahrin said he had informed the Dewan of the mounting evidence of Malaysia’s involvement in the conflict, which had left hundreds of thousands dead and millions displaced.
He added that the UN had reported Malaysia’s involvement many times, and had also reported on numerous war crimes being committed in Yemen.
“By supplying munitions to the Saudi-led coalition, including bullets and explosives, Malaysia is involved and was in connivance in the killings of innocent Yemenis.
“Just as how drug dealers can be sentenced to death, Malaysia, as a weapons supplier, also bears the sins of the previous administration.
“Where are all the champions of Islam in Parliament? Do they support the Najib administration on Yemen?” he asked.
