Najib seems more interested in trying to uncover Al-Maunah members in the armed forces than in finding out why a ragtag gang of 15 people led by a 29-year-old "mentally-unstable", ex-army private could empty two high-security armouries of vast cache of high-calibre weapons, including some 100 M-16 rifles, heavy and light machine guns, grenade launchers, high-exposive shells and thousands rounds of ammunition.
What happened in the two army camps in Grik on July was a shameful blot on the record and reputation of the Malaysian armed forces. What would have happened if such fearsome firepower, enough to equip a small army and to start a war, had fallen into the hands of professionally-trained people?
The Al Mauna army heists would have been nipped in the bud if there had been no breakdown of military discipline and security procedures, where officers could pull rank to disregard rules and regulations.
The government should not try to sweep the problem of the breakdown of military discipline and security under the carpet through the diversion tactic of creating a national scare that the elected government of the country was on the verge of being toppled by Al Maunah Sheikh Amin Mohd Razali, who was earlier described by the Inspector-General of Police as "mentally-unstable"!
Apart from an internal investigation by the army board of inquiry, there should be an independent inquiry involving personalities from outside the armed forces and the Defence Ministry into the Grik arms heists, the whole question of military discipline and preparedness, delving into the history of loss of weapons from military armouries as well as the overall question of how to upgrade military discipline and professionalism.
It would appear that although grave lapses had been committed in the
two military camps in Grik, nobody would be court-martialled - just as
Najib would not have to take responsibility for the arms heists and resign
as Defence Minister.
(13/7/2000)