‘Probe Scorpene-linked firms, not us’
Authorities should investigate companies such as Terasasi and Perimekar, not Suaram.
(FMT) – Authorities should investigate companies linked to the Scorpene submarine scandal instead of Suaram, said its director Kua Kia Soong.
“They should investigate companies such as Terasasi and Perimekar not Suaram,” said Kua at a press conference today.
He added that the information disclosed by the French judiciary on the Scorpene deal was sufficient for Malaysian authorities to take action against the suspects.
Kua said this in response to Companies Commission of Malaysia’s (CCM) attempt to raid the Suaram premises yesterday afternoon.
It was aborted when the warrant was found to be flawed. CCM was supposed to have returned this morning to the Suaram office this morning but no one turned up.
“It is an anti-climax because they did not come,” said Kua who also denounced the raid as a form of harassment.
“Whistle blowers are supposed to be protected, not harassed and intimidated,” he said.
The attempted raid followed complaints from the NGO Jaringan Melayu Malaysia. It’s president Azwanddin Hamzah said that Suaram was registered as a company and not as an NGO.
Azwanddin also revealed that Suaram had raked in a revenue of RM497,137 in 2009 and RM411,226 in 2010.
Responding to this, Suaram chairman K Arumugam stressed that Suaram is a non-profit organisation. “Our promoters don’t receive monetary rewards.”
Suaram staff secretariat member Wong Kar Fai also denounced the allegation by JMM that Suaram was profit based.
“Profit doesn’t exist. It is a political attack on the integrity of Suaram. The monies are for our operating cost. Our only profit is that Malaysians are aware of their human rights,” said Wong.
Arumugam, meanwhile, explained that the amount revealed by JMM were derived from donations and grants from private organisations and the public.
“We have programmes and campaigns and it is all reflected in the accounts,” said Arumugam.
