.jpg "Patriot president Brig Jen (Rtd) Datuk Mohamed Arshad Raji speaks during a press conference in Subang July 24, 2018. u00e2u20acu201d Picture by Yusof Mat Isa")
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 25 — A letter critical of Defence Minister Mohamad Sabu written by the former honorary secretary of the National Patriot Association is not connected in any way to the group’s views, said president Brig Gen (Rtd) Datuk Mohamed Arshad Raji.
He said the letter did not represent Patriot, which he categorised as currently supportive of the minister and the rest of the federal administration.
The Patriot president stressed that the purported author of the letter, Major (Rtd) Mior Rosli, was also no longer an official in the group representing retired security personnel.
“Except for a single sentence mention that Mior Rosli was an Honorary Secretary of Patriot and had tried to speak up using the Patriot platform, he signed off in his own capacity as the author of the article,” Mohamed Arshad said in a statement.
He said the letter was shared online together with a picture of Mior and Patriot members, which gave rise to the wrong view that it represented the group’s sentiments.
The Patriot said Mior was free to express his personal views, but should have made clear that it was not on behalf of the group.
Saying the minister has met with the group’s representatives twice, the Patriot president said they were confident in his abilities to cater to the welfare of military personnel past and present.
“Patriot has full faith in the minister and his leadership, and similarly faith for the other Cabinet members too. The learning curve for the first-timer ministers is high,” he said, but added that this faith was not inexhaustible.
