The arms heists was conducted most professionally but the escape could not be more amatuerish, leaving so many tell-tale signs making many wonder whether they were deliberate so that the police and military high-command and thousands of soldiers and police are tied up in the Bukit Janelik hole-up operation.
The authorities have variously said that the perpetrators of the arms heists were criminals, led by a former military officer who had been court-martialled, sentenced to 18-month prison term and dishonourably discharged, Islamic deviationists, a spiritual cult and that the robbery was "politically-motivated".
Utusan Malaysia today reported that two of six cars found in Sauk and used by the gang belonged to a top leader of the martial arts organisation, Persaudaraan Ilmu Dalam Al-Ma置nah Malaysia (Al-Ma置nah).
Al-Ma置nah has a website which states that it is a non-government organisation (NGO) established in Malaysia under the Societies Act 1966 and is involved in "the teaching of martial arts particularly the development of one痴 inner power and the practice of Islamic traditional medicine".
Al-Ma置nah, which started its activities in Malaysia in September 1998 and claims membership in various parts of the country (there is a website for Al-Ma置nah Labuan Sabah), and the government need to clarify this matter.
The Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Norian Mai, should also explain what he meant when he said that "based on documents seized and follow-up investigations, we have reason to believe the robbery was politically-motivated".
Is the Inspector-General of Police suggesting that some of the existing political parties could be implicated in the arms heists. If so, he should produce the evidence to support such an implication, and if not, he should make the position clear so that the arms heists would not be turned into a "party political football".
(6/7/2000)