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DAP calls for a Government White Paper to give detailed rebuttals to Bush and international media reports about Malaysia’s role in global nuclear black market so as not to suffer adverse international credibility and reputationMedia Statement by Lim Kit Siang (Penang, Friday): The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi yesterday made a bald denial in response to the speech by United States President Bush implicating Malaysia in the global nuclear black market network of the father of Pakistani atomic bomb, A.Q. Khan. Bush’s speech was peppered with many references to Malaysia. DAP calls for a Government White Paper to give detailed rebuttals to Bush and international media reports about Malaysia’s role in the global nuclear black market so as not to suffer adverse international credibility and reputation. This is because in the era of information and communications technology, where information, news and views travel at the speed of light, no country can afford to adopt a stance allowing itself to be pilloried or painted internationally as a rogue state whether in the alleged global nuclear black market network or any other international wrongdoing, although the domestic media did not allow any space for any legitimate doubts or debate about the correctness of the government position. If what Bush said and the copious and fulsome reports in the international media have said about Malaysia’s role in Khan’s international nuclear black market are completely untrue and baseless, then the government is duty-bound to launch a credible and convincing campaign both nationally and internationally to clear the nation’s name and reputation from the stain of such allegations. This should involve not just the issue of a White Paper giving point-by-point rebuttals to Bush’s speech and the various detailed reports in the international media, but even diplomatic initiatives to get Bush to admit his mistake and retracting his remarks implicating Malaysia, including lodging diplomatic protests with Washington. If Malaysia is in the right and Washington wrong, there is no reason why Malaysia should be seen to be so weak, defensive and even tongue-tied in the defence of our legitimate national interests and reputation.
* Lim Kit Siang, DAP National Chairman |