Government satisfied with Ahmad Zahid's explanation on letter to the FBI

KUALA LUMPUR: The government is satisfied and has accepted Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi's explanation on a letter sent to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), on the status of a Malaysian, Paul Phua Wei Seng.
Nevertheless, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim insisted the Malaysian Government had neither defended nor protected criminals, irrespective of whether they are Malaysians or foreigners.
"The government has always cooperated with international security agencies in combating international crime, as long as the cooperation does not affect national security," he said in a written reply in Parliament here today.
Shahidan was replying to Lim Kit Siang (DAP-Gelang Patah) who asked why Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak did not take any action against Ahmad Zahid who, as a government official had sent a letter to the FBI, in assuring and supporting an individual allegedly a gambling kingpin, without the consent of the inspector-general of police, foreign ministry and Cabinet members.
Previously, Ahmad Zahid had stated that his letter to the FBI was not a recommendation not to prosecute Phua who was facing charges in the United States. – Bernama