PETALING JAYA: The explanation given by former defence minister Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Hussein on the deployment of troops to Saudi Arabia was very confusing, said Patriot president Brig-Gen Datuk Mohamed Arshad Raji (RTD).
He said instead of answering the question Hishamuddin referred Deputy Defence Minister Liew Chin Tong to the National Security Council (NSC)
“Ask NSC, ask them what we actually did, the information must be declassified as it is of national importance was Hishamuddin’s actual response,“ Arshad said in a statement today.
He said the former defence minister was implying that the NSC is the authority to sanction the deployment of troops overseas, the Cabinet nor Parliament having no role in sanctioning troop deployment overseas.
He added that Hishamuddin is also saying that the Armed Forces Chief’s Committee need not be consulted and can be bypassed.
“Hishamuddin must explain where it is stipulated in the NSC Act that the NSC is empowered to deploy forces overseas and be part of a force engaged in a war with another country.
“The former minister also confused the situation by not mentioning that the Armed Forces Chief’s Committee has a definite role to advise the government relating to troop deployment overseas,“ Arshad said.
He urged Hishamuddin to explain what he meant by saying the information (relating to the deployment) must be declassified as it is of national importance.
Arshad questioned whether there was some form of a defence arrangement or agreement between Malaysia and Saudi Arabia wherein Malaysia was obligated to assist Saudi Arabia in its war against Yemen.
He pointed out that the public was told the troops in Saudi were there to extricate Malaysians in Yemen, if true, why were the troops there for more than three years.
He added that such an operation could be accomplished in less than a month.
Arshad said Patriot maintains that the troop deployment to assist Saudi Arabia in Yemen was illegal because there was no sanction from the Cabinet or Parliament.
