Anwar slams Putrajaya for tepid response to fresh spying leak

(MM) – Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today blasted Putrajaya for what he saw as a cowardly response to allegations that Singapore had helped the United States spy on Malaysia.

He said despite the latest revelation, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman had not reprimanded Washington and Singapore but instead, remained muted in the face of the alleged violation of Malaysia’s sovereignty.

“We notice that until now the leadership of Umno is utterly feeble. We must understand this is a matter of the nation’s pride, of our sovereignty.

“Where is the firm statement by the foreign minister? And of course the stern statement by the prime minister?” Anwar told a press conference in Parliament here.

Top secret documents leaked by US intelligence whistleblower Edward Snowden showed that Singapore is a key partner of the “5-Eyes” intelligence group, which was revealed to have tapped telephones and communications networks in Kuala Lumpur.

In a report by Australian media group Fairfax Media today quoting Dutch daily NRC Handelsblad, it was revealed that Singapore is a key “third party” providing the ring – comprising the US, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand – access to Malaysia’s communications channel.

Yesterday, after being summoned over espionage allegations, the Singapore High Commission assured Malaysia that the neighbouring island republic does not intend to harm its allies, the Foreign Ministry said.

Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman also said that Singapore High Commissioner Ong Keng Yong promised to clarify such claims to Wisma Putra as soon as possible after conveying Putrajaya’s concerns to the Singaporean government.

“The High Commissioner also assured that Singapore has no intention to do any harm to its partners,” Anifah said in a statement released by his office.

“Singapore also values its excellent ties with Malaysia as evident by active collaboration between the two countries in many areas,” he added.

Anifah said that Malaysia’s Foreign Ministry secretary-general Datuk Othman Hashim had met Ong today in Wisma Putra and made it clear that surveillance on Malaysia infringes the country’s sovereignty, as well as individual privacy.

“Such activities are certainly not done amongst partners and close neighbours like Malaysia and Singapore when both sides are cultivating mutually beneficial strategic and strong partnership.

The reported spying activities have caused considerable anger and disappointment amongst Malaysians,” said Anifah.

Singapore daily, Straits Times, yesterday reported Ong as denying knowledge that his country’s government had helped facilitate American-Australian espionage in the region.

“We have no interest in doing anything that might harm our partners or the friendship between our two countries,” Ong was quoted saying.

But Anwar insisted these lengthy pow-wows on both ends made little sense, demanding instead for an immediate apology and promised guarantee that all spying activities woud stop.

“What investigation? There is a statement of Australia and US involvement. What we want is demands – first: stop the spying, two: apologise and the third: a guarantee that this rude action that taints the good relations and national security will not be repeated,” Anwar said.

In August, Fairfax had reported that the Singaporean intelligence is a partner of Australia’s electronic espionage agency, the Defence Signals Directorate, to tap the SEA-ME-WE-3 cable that runs from Japan, via Singapore, Djibouti, Suez and the Straits of Gibraltar to Northern Germany.

This access was allegedly facilitated by Singaporean telecommunication operator Singapore Telecommunications Limited (SingTel), which is owned by Singapore government’s investment arm Temasek Holdings.

According to Fairfax, Malaysia and Indonesia have been key targets for both Australian and Singaporean intelligence even since the 1970s, since most of Indonesia’s telecommunications and Internet traffic goes through the island city-state.

Anifah said on Monday Putrajaya is “extremely concerned” about news reports of mass surveillance undertaken by the US, Australia, and now Singapore, on Malaysia.

“The Malaysian authorities have taken appropriate actions with regard to earlier allegations of spying by the United States and Australia. The Malaysian authorities are now investigating thoroughly the latest media report about the involvement of other countries, in particular Singapore, in the spying activities against Malaysia,” he said.

Australian newspaper the Sydney Morning Herald reported last month that Australia’s intelligence agency was using its diplomatic missions in several Asian countries, including Malaysia, to intercept phone calls and internet data.

The report cited information disclosed by Snowden, saying that signals intelligence collection occurs at Australia’s High Commissions in Kuala Lumpur and Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea, as well as at its embassies in Jakarta, Bangkok, Hanoi, Beijing and Dili in East Timor.

Snowden had revealed earlier a top secret map showing 90 US electronic surveillance facilities worldwide, including in its embassies in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia and Myanmar.

No such facilities, however, are located in Singapore, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and Japan, according to the map dated August 13, 2010.