KUALA LUMPUR: Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim today criticised the government for its failure to issue a stern warning to Singapore following a spying allegation implicating the island republic.
He said the BN government and Umno leaders were being too soft on Singapore.
Recent news reports quoting former US security agent Edward Snowden allege that Singapore has been helping the US and Australia intercept communication across Asia. An Australian newspaper said Malaysia had been a target for decades.
Speaking to reporters here, Anwar said Malaysian leaders should at least have demanded that Singapore apologise for breaching Malaysia’s trust in it.
“This is about our national security and dignity and this is a very serious matter,” he said.
“The prime minister should speak out. The same goes for the Home Minister and Foreign Minister. They should issue a warning.
“They are soft for not demanding an apology and a guarantee from Singapore that this matter would not happen again.”
Yesterday, Singapore High Commissioner Ong Keng Yong told reporters he had been summoned to the Malaysian Foreign Ministry but did not give details.
Anwar also commented on the demands made by a coalition of NGOs known as Comango in its report to the United Nations for its Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the human rights records of member countries.
He questioned the motives of those who brand Comango a national threat, saying they had not been as noisy in criticising the current government for its toleration of gambling, drinking and other activities that are offensive to Islam.
He claimed that the opposition parties had been consistent in its treatment of issues pertaining to the rights of Islam.
Referring to the Comango demands, he said the opposition would oppose them if they were to trample on the rights of Muslims in Malaysia.
Comango is the largest coalition of Malaysian NGOs to have submitted a UPR report.
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