Now, Syed Hamid denies sending letter to FBI
BY MOHD FARHAN DARWIS
Published: 23 January 2015 5:02 PM
Former home minister Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar today denied sending any letter unilaterally to the US Federal Bureau of Investigation, but said it is the right of the home minister to do so. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, January 23, 2015.Another former home minister has denied sending letters unilaterally to the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), after current minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said his action of sending a letter to clear gambling kingpin Paul Phua was nothing new.
Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar, who was home minister from 2008 to 2009, said while it was common for governments to write letters to one another, he had never written to any other foreign agency.
"Letters to foreign governments are common, but I have never written to any agency. I am a policymaker.
Besides Syed Hamid, another former home minister, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, has also denied having letters sent unilaterally to the FBI.
Hishammuddin succeeded Syed Hamid, who is now the Land Public Transport Commission chairman.
Zahid took over from Hishammuddin in 2013.
Last week, he said he had the authority to send letters to the FBI, adding that his predecessor had done likewise but did not state who.
"The minister before me had also issued a clarification letter based on the authority given to the position. That is why I signed the letter," Zahid had said.
But, Hishammuddin denied this, telling reporters, "Personally, I have never sent any support letter".
Zahid, who said he explained the matter to the cabinet, said the letter was not meant to defend Phua who is facing trial in the US for illegal betting.
"The letter was to clarify the status of Phua and the existence of the 14K triad in Malaysia," Zahid said.
He also said the letter was not a government-to-government document but had been sent at the request of Phua's lawyers in the US.
Zahid's letter to the FBI was revealed by the South China Morning Post which highlighted Phua's assistance to the Malaysian government on matters of national security.
On these projects, Zahid said that they were protected by the Official Secrets Act and could not be disclosed.
Zahid was criticised by several quarters, including the police force which comes under his ministry's jurisdiction, for acting unilaterally and not going through the Foreign Ministry in dealing with a foreign agency like the FBI. – January 23, 2015.
