Malaysia's Carelessness over WMD

Written by Stephen Herzog

Wednesday, 06 April 2011

Najib government needs a greater nonproliferation focus

On March 17, the Malaysian government reported that authorities at Port Klang had confiscated cargo suspected of being related to weapons of mass destruction which was headed from China to Iran aboard a Malaysia-flagged vessel.

Unfortunately, this story is but the latest account in a chilling narrative in which the Southeast Asian nation has been used as a transit point for illicit weapon trafficking. It is accordingly time for Kuala Lumpur to reassess and redefine its nonproliferation strategy. One key step in this direction would be for the administration of Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to formally endorse the US-led Proliferation Security Initiative.

The latest cargo interception involved dismantled Chinese components suspected to be for use in the Iranian nuclear program. The Sun newspaper noted that police and customs officials had seized two containers of “equipment believed used to make weapons of mass destruction, including a nuclear warhead.”

Ismail Omar, the Inspector General of national police, confirmed the suspicious cargo and said that the country's nuclear agency would be conducting an investigation. Meanwhile, Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein acknowledged, “It is safe for me to say that Malaysia is likely being used as a transit point and not a destination point for WMD.”

The results of the government investigation could have serious implications for both Malaysia and the diplomacy over Iran's nuclear program. Iranian negotiations with the P5+1 parties have gained little traction in recent months, and the country is under several rounds of UN Security Council sanctions targeting its military and economy.

It is also important to focus on the point that reports suggest shipment of nuclear weapon components alongside sensitive dual-use technologies for use in uranium enrichment. In the past, Tehran was accused of experimenting with uranium deuteride neutron initiators for use in the physics package of a nuclear bomb, but no “smoking gun” ever surfaced. Short of such obvious technologies, Chinese firms may have shipped materials like carbon fiber and industrial vacuum tubes on the Malaysian vessel.

This is far from Kuala Lumpur's first experience with the WMD trade. Malaysia has come under constant criticism from western countries for its loose military export controls. In October 2003, the Italian coast guard interdicted a German-flagged ship carrying centrifuge components to Libya. It turned out that the Malaysian firm Scomi Precision Engineering, connected to then-Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's son, Kamaluddin Abdullah, had manufactured the parts for a front company connected to the AQ Khan nuclear smuggling network.

And in February 2010, the US State Department launched an investigation of Electronics Components Ltd and Skylife Worldwide. The probe concluded that these Malaysian firms were front companies that violated UN sanctions by attempting to provide technologies such as gyroscopes for missile guidance to Iran.

But in April 2010, the Najib government took steps to enhance its nonproliferation bona fides with its new Strategic Trade Act. Kuala Lumpur announced the approval of the bill the day before the Obama administration's Nuclear Security Summit in Washington. In praising the merits of the law, the premier said, “Malaysia is committed towards ensuring that nuclear materials and technologies do not fall into the wrong hands.”

The Strategic Trade Act is largely an attempt to codify Malaysian obligations under Security Council Resolution 1540, which requires states to take steps to prevent the proliferation of WMD and their associated components. The act put into place stricter procedures for licensing and regulating sensitive dual-use trade and the monitoring of ports. It also established harsh punishments for infractions.

Nevertheless, regulation efforts have hardly been sufficient. Because of its rapidly expanding economy and location between East Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Oceania, and the Indian subcontinent, Malaysia has long been an important waypoint and transshipment center. Port Klang and Tanjung Pelepas are among the world's busiest seaports. Together they handle nearly 15 million freight containers annually. But national export controls are roughly a year old, cargo inspections have been spotty at best, and the Najib government has not requested foreign assistance to implement Resolution 1540.

One way to improve Malaysia's nonproliferation strategy and credibility would be for Kuala Lumpur to embrace the Proliferation Security Initiative. The PSI was unveiled by then-US President George W. Bush in Poland in May 2003. It is an international effort to interdict weapon smuggling activities in contravention of the nonproliferation regime and involves practices such as intelligence sharing, technical assistance to enhance detection, and ship boarding agreements.

Thus far, 97 countries have endorsed the PSI, including important parties in the battle against proliferation like Georgia, Kazakhstan, Russia, Switzerland, and the United Arab Emirates.

Despite Malaysia's status as a critical transshipping center and hotbed for WMD trafficking, the government has distanced itself from the PSI. Kuala Lumpur has actually joined countries such as Brazil, China, Indonesia, and South Africa in rejecting the initiative. However, Malaysia has observed interdiction exercises in the past and does not seem opposed to the principles underlying the PSI. Port Klang and Tanjung Pelepas are already participants in the US Customs and Border Protection Container Security Initiative, which involves the stationing of US customs authorities in Malaysia. Read more.

Disgraceful! MACC Put it Under Parliament Or Shut It Down

Hantu Laut

So what is it? A jinx!, a serial killer!, suicide!, the guy was bumped off to stop him from giving evidence that may expose an even bigger scam involving more senior officers of the department, or a plot to bring down the government. Another death in the MACC here.

By now Malaysians should open their eyes and see how dangerous this organisation can become if they are given more power or are given arbitrary power to arrest and the power to charge suspects in court. Obviously, they are amateurs, lacking the skills to do police work. Bunch of unschooled lads who can't handle power.No-brainers that use physical force rather than persuasive interrogation methods to extract information from accused person.

Although, I believe the MACC has nothing to do with his death, the fact that he died on the premises under mysterious circumstances is enough to lacerate the department and public confidence.

It's about time the government seriously consider putting the MACC directly under Parliament.

Two down and one more to go.

One more death in the MACC than the organisation should be shut down and a new one form with a completely new management and made directly answerable to Parliament.

Religious Bigots Should Read This

Lessons from Saladin and King Richard

Maclean Patrick | April 6, 2011

Some people, particularly those unschooled in history, believe that Christians and Muslims will never be able to get along. Unfortunately, recent political developments in Malaysia do nothing to dispel this myth. So we must go back in time.

The year is 1187 and Saladin has conquered Jerusalem, sparking the Third Crusade.

This crusade lasted until 1192 and brought the great Muslim general into contact with a Christian leader of equal stature, King Richard I, also known as Richard the Lion Heart.

When they entered Jerusalem, the Muslim soldiers were under strict orders to avoid harming civilians and destroying the city.

In January 1192, on his March to Jerusalem, Richard fell ill and appealed to Saladin for fresh water and fresh fruits. Saladin dutifully complied.

Richard never reached Jerusalem. Instead, the two generals agreed upon a truce, under which Christian pilgrims could visit the city without harm.

In October 1192, Richard sailed back to Western Europe, never again to return to the holy lands.

Great impact

The meeting of these two generals created a great impact on attitudes between the Christians and Muslims of the era, and even on later historians of either faith. Both men are acknowledged for their wisdom and courage in facing each other and also for their humanity in the canvas of war.

They forged a remarkable relationship of mutual respect and admiration. Saladin was marked by his quiet, courteous, thoughtful, generous and insightful ways. And the Muslim historian Baha observed that Richard was “a very powerful man of great courage, a king of wisdom, courage and energy”.

They each understood what the other was fighting for, and yet they maintained a high measure of human decency towards each other.

It is safe for me, as a Christian, to say that Saladin showed immense compassion and generosity towards Richard during the brief period the two met.

How sorely we need the wisdom and example of these two great leaders of old as Malaysia deals with a battle of its own.

Religious polarisation is often fuelled by political interest, and it is never good for anyone.

The impounding of Malay bibles in Port Klang and Kuching Port seems, to some people, to have created a new rift between Christians and Muslims. But has it?

Considerable clout

For the most part, Christians are angry not with Muslims, but with the government for its decisions. Conflicting statements from Putrajaya do not help in gaining Christian trust in the government’s ability to handle the matter justly and fairly.

It is as if there is division within Putrajaya itself as regards the course of action to take. And this will not go unnoticed in Sarawak.

Nearly half a million Christians reside in Sarawak, wielding considerable clout at the polls. Obviously, neither the Barisan Nasional (BN) nor Pakatan Rakyat will want to ignore their feelings.

Without a doubt, some election campaigners will play on Christian frustrations and fears, which were recently stoked to higher temperatures by Muslim NGOs that seem to fear Christians more than they fear the government’s inability to come to a clear decision.

But is it wise to milk the bible controversy for political gain, especially in times when religious tensions are at an all-time high? Can there ever be real political gain from religious polarisation?

The coming election is an exercise by the people of Sarawak to choose the government they want, and their choice will transcend ethnic and religious considerations. Yes, Christian voters will be influenced by frustrations and fears arising from the bible row, but these will not be the only determinants of how they will vote.

Let us hope that the Christians of Sarawak will exercise the bravery and courage of Richard in making their decision on polling day and that the Muslims will show the compassion and generosity of Saladin in governing a multi-religious populace.

Maclean Patrick is a Kuching-based columnist with FMT.

Terrified Of Anwar Ibrahim - The Sequel

Hantu Laut

Who is behind the scheming and the making of the video?

The person at the centre of the controversy and one who has admitted it was he who discovered the video was, or still is, a close friend of Anwar Ibrahim, so he claimed.

Businessman Shazryl Eskay admitted that he and 2 others are responsible for the release of the video which he claimed he found by accident when asked to retrieve an Omega watch left by his friend purportedly to be Anwar Ibrahim.The Omega watch could be the most important piece of evidence to determine Anwar's innocent.

Now, the question is who is the mastermind behind Eskay? Did he do it alone on his own accord to get back at Anwar for refusing to be his witness in a civil case involving RM20 million claimed by him against a company that reneged on its promise, or there is a more sinister plot involving a group of people who wanted both Anwar and Najib out of the picture, or was Anwar part of the conspiracy to implicate himself to salvage his dwindling popularity and inflict maximum collateral damage on the ongoing Sarawak state elections.? If the oppositions managed to capture Sarawak, which I doubted, that would spell the end of Najib and the BN.

The only person and key witness to this vengeful rancour, if it was such, is Eskay.He holds the key to the puzzle and should know who the architects are.

Many may not agree but Rahim Tamby Cik may not be the mastermind if we are to go by logical deduction. He and Shuib Lazim could have been roped in much later after the scheme had been mooted and to be given credence that it is an UMNO's conspiracy by planting UMNO elements in it and who could be more convincingly wanting to hurt Anwar if not Rahim Thamby Cik and with him dragged poor old Mahathir who probably had no inkling at all or is privy to the devious scheme. The oppositions would flog anything including a dead horse.

For Najib, unless he is very blurred, to be involved in such kind of gutter politics is suicidal. The noose would be closing in on him if the video is found to be fake and he is involved.I would rather give Najib the benefit of the doubt that he would be smarter than what the opposition made him out to be.

More than a decade ago it was Mahathir Mohammad who was terrified of Anwar, now it is Najib who is terrified of him.



Why did Anwar immediately accused Najib and Hishamuddin as the culprits behind the production of the video? Did he know about the presence of the video earlier before it private viewing at Carcosa Sri Negara and the plot called for Najib to be accused as the main conspirator?

In the court of public opinion Anwar is always the victim and always right and the righteous.

Najib and the BN are more likely to suffer ignominy and public odium irrespective of whether the tape is faked or not.

If the police wants to get to the bottom of this imbroglio the key to the whole puzzle is Eskay.

In the final analysis who would benefit most from the video, fake or otherwise?

Certainly not Najib or UMNO or the BN.

I am now more convinced to believe Najib has nothing to do with those scumbags.

Why did the snippet appeared on You Tube a day after the police confirmed the tape was not doctored?

Someone want the police to appear to be the culprit and implicate Najib.

When I was a young boy I remember a story my grandfather told me about one uncle who purposely cut a wound in his foot so he would not be asked to do the arduous task of chopping firewood.