KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 13 — The prime minister and the home minister told Cabinet members upset with two DAP lawmakers’ arrest on suspicion of supporting the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ealam (LTTE) to abide by the police’s decision, according to sources.
They told the Malaysiakini news portal that the Cabinet discussed the matter briefly before the Budget 2020 tabling on Friday.
One source asserted that Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the police should be allowed to conduct their investigations.
“Muhyiddin said he did not know about the arrests (of both lawmakers before it took place),” the person said.
On Thursday, the police’s Special Branch Anti-Terrorism Division confirmed that it arrested two DAP assemblyman over alleged links with the LTTE.
The police invoked the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act or Sosma for the arrests that allowed them to temporarily hold the detainees without trial.
Home minister Muhyiddin said yesterday that the police have strong evidence to pursue the matter.
DAP lawmakers of Indian descent have been repeatedly accused of links to the LTTE.
The LTTE was a separatist group that had been active in Sri Lanka until it was officially defeated 2009.
It has been classified as a terrorist group by 32 countries including Malaysia, which did so in 2014.
