LANGKAWI: The move by police to nab politicians linked with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) group was conducted based on Malaysia’s legal provisions.
Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said the detention of 12 individuals, including two DAP state assemblyman linked to the defunct terrorist group, was not aimed at weakening any quarters.
“The government wants to know why this is happening. We don’t like to use power to weaken any quarter.”
Nevertheless, Dr Mahathir said he would seek an explanation from the police on the detention as well as evaluate the political implication on the arrests to the Pakatan Harapan administration.
"We have to find out if there is political implication, what are their backgrounds (those detained).
“This is not me or Muhyiddin (Home Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin) who arrested them. This was the police who detained them according to the legal provisions,” he said at a press conference at the Langkawi Development Authority office here today.
The Langkawi member of Parliament earlier attended the Langkawi District Action Council meeting, where he was briefed on the developments taking place on the island.
Twelve individuals, including aspemblymen from Seremban Jaya P. Gunasekaran and Melaka state executive council member G. Saminathan, who is also the Gadek assemblyman, were nabbed by Police on Thursday and Saturday for supporting and channelling funds to the LTTE and being in possession of materials related to the group’s cause.
All 12 were detained for 28 days, from the date of their respective arrest, to facilitate investigation under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma).
The LTTE has been listed as a terrorist group in Malaysia since 2014.
The conflict between LTTE and the Sri Lankan government has gone on for more than three decades after its leader V. Prabhakaran led a separatist movement to establish an independent state for the island’s Tamil minority.
Meanwhile, Dr Mahathir said Malaysia would not react in relation to a report that the Indian government is seeking to boycott palm oil.
He said Malaysia would take a wait and see approach as India was a trade partner.
“We have a two way trade. We need to prevent a trade war which in the end would only see both nations losing out,” he said.
Reuters reported on Saturday that India was considering restricting imports from Malaysia including palm oil
This was in reaction to Dr Mahathir criticising India for its actions in Jammu & Kashmir.
Sources said the proposal was still under discussion.
India's government was angered after Mahathir said last month at the United Nations that India had "invaded and occupied" Jammu & Kashmir and asked New Delhi to work with Pakistan to resolve the issue.
Muslim-majority Kashmir is divided between India and Pakistan, which both claim in full and have twice gone to war over the territory.
India revoked the special constitutional status of its portion of Kashmir in August, angering Pakistan.