KUALA LUMPUR, August 6 — The US’ Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is likely behind the leak of a letter sent by the Malaysian External Intelligence Organisation (MEIO) to the American agency before the polls, a group calling itself Angkatan Karyawan Nasionalis has claimed.
In a letter reported in Sinar Harian, the group’s president Ab Jalil Backer said only the two agencies were aware of the letter, and MEIO would not expose it since it has supposedly been operating under the radar for years.
“It is hard to believe that MEIO, which had all along mobilised under the radar, had chosen to expose the letter. If it is not MEIO, then it must had been the CIA for giving ‘tips’ to the Pakatan Harapan government.
“Only the two agencies had access to the letter. It would have been impossible for the letter to have leaked and came to Lim Guan Eng’s knowledge and spread on the internet without the help of someone who had access to the information,” he was quoted saying, referring to the finance minister.
Ab Jalil did not provide anything to back his claim of CIA’s role, but claimed that CIA is known to be an intelligence agency that has no qualms in meddling with other country’s internal affairs, to the extent of helping toppling a government.
He also insisted the letter dated May 4 had not requested for any interference from the CIA but it was a written briefing on the local political scene and a request for the American intel to not meddle even if Barisan Nasional won slim majority.
“CIA has a track record in creating chaos in changing government. For that, MEIO had asked CIA to not interfere even if the election results does not side with BN and Najib.
“What was the treason inflicted if the letter was clearly a diplomatic request to ask the CIA to not meddle with our political matters? If this is seen as treason, then clearly the current government leaders are ignorant of international diplomacy,” he reportedly said.
Jalil said such leak, which had not gone through certain legal processes and protocols, imposed a negative image towards Malaysia and it would be difficult for other countries to trust the Malaysian government in the future.
“Was the exposure of the letter done due to doubts over the MEIO obtaining information of the party or certain individuals with the CIA or other foreign intelligence agencies? If it was, then the best solution would have been to ruin MEIO’s credibility,” he reportedly claimed.
The three-page letter signed by MEIO former director-general Datuk Hasanah Abdul Hadmi congratulated new CIA director Gina Haspel on her appointment and appealed for the United States to support Najib’s administration “even if Barisan Nasional won the election by a simple majority or just one seat”.
The letter supposedly stated that any indication that the US government would continue to support Datuk Seri Najib Razak and his government would “definitely strengthen stability and enhance the existing cordial relationship driven by the strong rapport between the two leaders”.
