Ramasamy denies Tamil Tigers link, explains picture shared by Asri
A post shared on the Perlis mufti’s Facebook page, accusing P Ramasamy of links with the Tamil Tigers.
(FMT) – A DAP leader who has been vocal against the government’s decision not to deport controversial cleric Zakir Naik has distanced himself from the Sri Lankan Tamil separatists, after a picture of him as part of a committee under the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was shared online.
The picture taken in 2004 showed P Ramasamy, the Penang deputy chief minister II, who has criticised Putrajaya for refusing to deport Naik who is facing terrorism-linked allegations in India, taking part in a meeting involving the LTTE Constitutional Affairs Committee.
Yesterday, Perlis mufti Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin, a staunch supporter of Naik, shared a post on Facebook which urged authorities to investigate Ramasamy for links to LTTE, which has been classified as a terrorist organisation by more than 30 countries including the US and the European Union.
“A real terrorist accusing others as terrorists,” the post said.
Contacted by FMT, Ramasamy said the LTTE Constitutional Affairs Committee was not part of the rebel group, which is behind a decades-old civil war in Sri Lanka that has left hundreds of thousands dead.
He said the committee was set up by the Sri Lankan government in the aftermath of a peace agreement reached between Colombo and the Tamil Tigers.
“I was invited to be part of the committee, consisting of LTTE and non-LTTE members including academics and activists from around the world,” he said, referring to the Secretariat for Coordinating the Peace Process (SCOPP).
“The idea was to come up with an Interim Administration Proposal.”
Ramasamy said he was asked to join the committee because he had been writing on the Sri Lankan conflict.
He said he was not bothered by people’s perception of the LTTE as a terrorist organisation.
“That’s fine, but the committee was set up to aid in the peace process and bring an end to armed conflict,” he added.
He said he was similarly involved in the peace process in Aceh, the once conflict-torn part of Indonesia, which saw an armed rebellion launched by Gerakan Aceh Merdeka.
Ramasamy said following his experience in Sri Lanka, he was asked to play an advisory role in the Aceh process.
He said he remained firm in his stand that Malaysia should extradite Naik in line with its extradition treaty with India.
“But I want to reiterate that I have never been a part of LTTE. I do not support any terrorist organisation or armed struggle.”
Yesterday, Ramasamy questioned if there was a “secret deal” between the Malaysian and Indian governments, after Putrajaya said it would not deport Naik.
Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad last week said Naik would not be handed over to Indian authorities as the preacher had been granted Malaysian permanent resident status.
