Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar has thrown back the penderhaka (traitor) tag at Defence Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, challenging him to come clean with his ministry's spending habits.
She said the real traitors were those who used public funds to pay for high maintenance costs set by anak emas (favoured) companies, and set high prices for projects or equipment purchases to line the pockets of a select few.
"If the defence minister is a true patriot, why did he not support MACC probe into the over RM500 million commission payment to Perimekar Sdn Bhd in the Scorpene submarine purchase?" Nurul Izzah (left) asked in a statement.
Ahmad Zahid's rejection of the MACC investigation came just one day after Speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia revealed in Parliament on June 30 that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission was investigating claims that RM575 million was paid as commission to Abdul Razak Baginda in the procurement of the French Scorpenes.
Yesterday, Ahmad Zahid branded Nurul Izzah as a traitor for saying in an interview with Indonesian publication Kompas, published on Aug 4, that the country's first submarine, the KD Tunku Abdul Rahman, cannot dive. Bernama quoted the defence minister as saying Nurul Izzah's statement had damaged the country's image in the eyes of the world, and he described her criticism of the armed forces as "utterly disgraceful".
The Royal Malaysian Navy also lodged reports at the Hulu Kelang police station on Tuesday against Nurul Izzah and Malay Mail reporter Marhalim Abas over claims of the submarine's inability to dive. Nurul Izzah pointed out that her statement on the submarine was based on Ahmad Zahid's official statement last March that the KD Tunku Abdul Rahman was not allowed to dive due to technical problems.
She pointed out that Ahmad Zahid himself had told Parliament that similar technical problems were faced by many other countries, poking holes in his claim that her statement had threatened national security.
"If information on the dive status of any submarine in the world can be acquired openly, what is the rationale for saying that I am threatening national security?
"I am ready to be investigated by the police and hope it will lead to related issues, especially the deal given to a select company for maintenance of the submarine, and the ongoing investigations by French authorities on the same submarine," Nurul Izzah added.
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