3rd August 2021
THE ARMED FORCES MUST REMAIN ABOVE POLITICS
KUALA LUMPUR, 3 August, 2021: It was reported in various social and news media platforms that 30 Barisan Nasional (BN) Members of Parliament held a ‘secret meeting’ at the Malaysian Armed Forces Officers Mess, Wisma Perwira in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday night, 1 August 2021, reportedly to sign Statutory Declarations to retain Bersatu president Tan Sri Mahaiddin Yassin as the Prime Minister.
Patriot takes exception to this holding of a political meeting at the premises of the Armed Forces property. The question that needs to be asked is why was the Armed Forces Officers Mess used as the venue for a political agenda?
We are asking why was the ‘secret meeting’ not held at UMNO Headquarters at PWTC which should have been rightly so?
“Isn’t the political party’s own premise at PWTC safe enough for the meeting?” asked the Patriot’s President, Brigadier General Dato’ Mohd Arshad Raji (Rtd) on behalf of all concerned members.
As reported, the meeting was chaired by Shahidan Kassim in his capacity as the BN Backbencher Chairperson. And since the Defence Minister, Ismail Sabri was also present did he have an influence over the choice of the venue, namely to hold the political meeting at at the Armed Forces Officers Mess?
The veteran members of Patriot who retired at various ranks and files in the Defence Ministry will vouch that a Defence Minister ought to understand that the Armed Forces must not only remain apolitical at all times but also be seen to be so.
By allowing a ‘secret meeting’ among political party members in an Armed Forces complex is certainly tantamount to having dragged the Armed Forces into the prevailing political quagmire.
This incident would have established a serious precedence for future political meetings to be held at the Armed Forces Officers Mess.
Further, with the Armed Forces now allowing such precedence, what is there to stop members of the opposition political parties from holding their meetings in the Armed Forces Officers Mess?
Will the Armed Forces deny the legitimate, opposition political parties from having their political meetings including ‘secret meetings’ in the Mess?
Patriot is of the view that it was wrong for the Defence Minister to have allowed a political meeting to be held at the Armed Forces Officers Mess.
The Armed Forces official premise must remain strictly reserved for members of the Armed Forces as well as the civilian staffs of the Defence Ministry.
The Armed Forces Officers Mess is managed by a Mess Committee comprising of serving members of the Armed Forces. All activates held at the Mess must have the consent of the President of the Mess Committee.
Questions are now being asked whether the BN political meeting on Sunday night had the consent of the President of the Mess Committee. If consent was given, then the President of the Mess Committee had erred and certainly has incurred widespread odium among serving members of the Armed Forces.
Patriot reiterates its clear stand. Let not the Armed Forces be regarded as a political tool of the ruling government, and be used at the whims and fancy of the politicians in power.
Patriot calls for the immediate cessation of such practices of corrupting the image of the Armed Forces which must be seen to be apolitical at all times and only serving the King and country and not be seen to be subservient to beck and calls of political parties and their members.
Brig Gen Dato’ Mohd Arshad Raji (Rtd)
President
PERSATUAN PATRIOT KEBANGSAAN
CONTACT : +60173588361
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