Cabinet should redeem national honour after the mishandling of the Shaykh Mohammad Hisham allegations where  UMNO Cabinet Ministers failed the country in showing themselves to be UMNO politicians first and Malaysian nationalists second in giving VIP treatment to a foreigner who had tarnished the country’s international reputation without proof

(Petaling Jaya,  Tuesday):  The Foreign Minister, Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar, said yesterday that Wisma Putra will liaise with “certain quarters” in the United States to get proof about a former Cabinet Minister who is said to have contributed US$10 million to US Islamic organisations with possible links to extremist groups.  

He said the matter was of public interest and his ministry will verify a “statement” made on the matter by the chairman of the Islamic Supreme Council of America, Shaykh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani. 

The statement by the government that it will seek verification from the United States of the serious allegations by Shaykh has come one week too late, for Shaykh Muhammad Hisham had impugned not just the reputation of a former Cabinet Minister but Malaysia’s national reputation as well, especially as Shaykh Muhammad Hisham had  alleged that in post-September 11,  when the Islamic organisations in the United States  were   investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI)  for possible links with several extremist groups, Malaysia was inevitably linked.

Shaykh Muhammad Hisham said   "That was how Malaysia got connected with terrorism activities" even though Malaysia was a civilised nation and did not support extremist activities.  

UMNO Cabinet Ministers have failed the country in showing themselves to be UMNO politicians first and Malaysian nationalists second in giving VIP treatment to a foreigner who had tarnished the country’s international reputation without proof.  

This is the first time in the nation’s history that a foreigner could come to Malaysia to malign the country and tarnish our international reputation and be feted as a “hero” with free access to the top government leaders, including the Deputy Prime Minister, without having to produce any proof to substantiate the serious allegations against Malaysia’s national honour and international reputation.  

When Shaykh Muhammad Hisham alleged that Malaysia was “inevitably linked” in FBI investigations into terrorism and  extremist Islamic organisations in the US after the September 11 terrorist attacks and that a former Cabinet Minister had funded American extremist Islamic organsations,   UMNO Cabinet Ministers forgot their nationalist responsibilities and honour by preferring to believe in the second allegation although the first allegation harmed Malaysia’s international reputation without bothering to ask for proof.  

It is one week too late for the Foreign Minister to talk about getting proof from “certain quarters” in the United States to substantiate Shaykh Muhammad Hisham’s allegations, as for the past week UMNO Cabinet Ministers had been speaking and acting on the basis that the allegations were true - with Abdullah telling the nation and the world: “I have always wondered why the US and its media made so many accusations against us.  Now we know why.” (New Straits Times 14.2.02)   

The UMNO Ministers should be asking  for proof to verify Shaykh Muhammad Hisham’s allegations first before endorsing them, instead of endorsing them and then asking for proof.  

Furthermore, the proof the UMNO Ministers should demand should not be from “certain quarters” in the US, but Shaykh Muhammad Hisham himself, and if Shaykh Mjuhammad Hisham cannot furnish any proof, an example must be made of him by the government as Malaysia cannot allow any foreigner to come to the country to malign and tarnish Malaysia’s international reputation without any shred of evidence  and yet be feted as a VIP and “hero” by government and Cabinet Ministers!

The Shaykh Mohammad Hisham allegations should top the Cabinet agenda tomorrow after UMNO Cabinet Ministers have failed the country in showing themselves to be UMNO politicians first and Malaysian nationalists second in giving VIP treatment to a foreigner who had tarnished the country’s international reputation without proof.  

The Cabinet should redeem national honour and reputation and direct that Shaykh Mohammad Hisham be deported from Malaysia and declared a persona non grata unless he could furnish proof to substantiate his allegation that the FBI had established in post-September 11 investigations into terrorism,  that Malaysia was inevitably linked when it investigated Islamic organisations in the United States  for possible links with several extremist groups in connection with militancy and terrorism.

(19/2/2002)