Was military intelligence part of BN propaganda machine?

Persatuan Patriot Kebangsaan (Patriot) has been receiving incriminating WhatsApp messages on the roles of the office of the Director of Military Intelligence (DMI) during the run-up to the 9 May general election.

The WhatsApp messages alleged that the DMI had played into the hands of BN politicians, to drum up voter support in order for BN politicians to win the election.

If the allegations are true, we urge the DMI to resign honourably as he had compromised himself as the sole military intelligence authority to protect and defend the nation against all possible military threats to the nation.

The allegations against the DMI are as follows:

• He and some other military officers had deliberately used some offices within the Mindef complex as an operations centre for political activities in support of the then BN government.
• He had authorised the employment of the Cyber Defence Operation Centre for the monitoring of phone calls, social media, Facebook and emails that were deemed to be in opposition to the then BN government.
• He and some other military officers in the early morning of 10 May were involved in removing a huge amount of cash, believed to be the leftover cash to be used for the election, to an undisclosed location. It was alleged that the director general of the research division of the Prime Minister’s Department, Hasanah, was reported to have gone into hiding and was also involved in the exercise to remove the cash. Another senior military officer was also named.
• He had ordered the destruction of all files relating to the department’s past political activities.
• He had ordered covert propaganda activities to be carried out to discredit opposition political parties and opposition politicians in the run-up to the general election.

The above allegations, if proven to be true, are serious breaches of the roles and responsibilities of the Department of Military Intelligence. Our knowledge and understanding of the roles and responsibilities of the Department of Military Intelligence tells us that military intelligence has no business to be involved in the nation’s political activities.

One ought to be reminded that there has also been an allegation that the DMI had received from the then prime minister a sum of RM7m, believed to be from 1MDB sources in 2013, prior to the 2013 general election. We are not aware if he made any statement to deny the allegation.

We have also been informed that several military commanders were acting like politicians themselves in the run-up to the 2018 general election by encouraging their subordinates to vote for BN parties. Some even allowed BN politicians to come into camps to campaign. These military commanders do not deserve to remain in the military service.

Patriot urges the appropriate authorities to investigate the above allegations in order to take remedial measures and set things right in the Ministry of Defence.

Patriot would also like to remind military commanders to remain firmly apolitical and not to be influenced by politicians who seek favours for their own political gains. Military commanders should be able to distinguish what is official and what is political in their dealings with politicians.

BG Dato Mohamed Arshad Raji (rtd) is president of Persatuan Patriot Kebangsaan.

The views expressed in Aliran's media statements and the NGO statements we have endorsed reflect Aliran's official stand. Views and opinions expressed in other pieces published here do not necessarily reflect Aliran's official position.

AGENDA RAKYAT - Lima perkara utama

1. Tegakkan maruah serta kualiti kehidupan rakyat
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3. Raikan kerencaman dan keterangkuman
4. Selamatkan demokrasi dan angkatkan keluhuran undang-undang
5. Lawan rasuah dan kronisme

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