MGG Pillai Commentary View

<< Previous || Next >>

Malaysia caught with pants down as the Glenn Braveheart flies the coop

IN THE LATE 1930s, the then governor of Singapore, Sir Shenton Thomas, would drop in at the Raffles Hotel barber shop to have his hair trimmed by the popular Japanese owner, who was so discreet and obsequious that he was regarded a harmless fellow. Caution was thrown to the winds, and talk flowed freely when senior officials met there every month. Along Jalan Ibrahim, Johore Bahru, in the 1930s, the Five Cent Store occupied the spot where the K. Abdul Wahab news agent, stationers and general merchants now does. Every item in the store cost five cents and less. The amiable Japanese owner attracted much custom from the British civil servants and estate managers, Malay aristocracy, Chinese and Indian business men, and it became a frequent meeting place for all who mattered in pre-war Johore society. Even Sultan Ibrahim would on occasion drop in.

When Japan invaded Malaya, landing in Kota Bahru, Kelantan, instead of by sea as the British anticipated and prepared for, and captured Malaya in lightning speed, many of these Japanese shopkeepers donned military uniforms to be in the invading army. The barber at the Raffles was a lieutenant colonel in Japan's intelligence services and the show-owner in Johore Bahru a major. The former escorted Sir Shenton to the Sime Road prisoner-of-war camp, and the major interrogated many of his shop's clients at the Kempetei headquarters, where the Police depot now is along Jalan Tebrau. Both were hanged as war criminals after the war, but the damage they inflicted on the British colonial machine all but helped destroy the myth of European colonial invincibility for all time. Japan almost certainly changed their war plans when its intelligence agents reported on Singapore's plans to repel an invasion from the sea.

Something like this happens in Malaysia of 2005. The National Front (BN) government is as deluded and self-confident of its prowess to protect Malaysia whilst in self-delusion it hands out national secrets to foreign countries, notably Singapore, on a plate. I will not blame nor accuse Singapore and other foreign countries of intelligence activities in Malaysia. It is in their national interest they do. The old British aristocratic adage that gentlemen do not read other's mails is as dead as the dodo. It is in our national interest to break up the spy rings and plans. We instead sell our secrets to the lowest bidder. A Singapore company owns and runs the tug boats that guide ships into Port Klang. When our intelligence agents questioned about it, they were told that the Singapore bid to run the service was the lowest!

That the Singapore company is run by retired officers in the Singapore navy is ignored. Now another Singapore company, Glenn Marine Asia Pte Ltd, whose shareholders and operational officers include a retired Singapore naval chief, has bought a former British naval ship, RN Sir Lancelot, which the Singapore navy bought in 2003 and renamed it RSN Perseverance, sold to Glenn Marine the following year, which it registered in Panama and renamed it "Glenn Braveheart". It also established a Malaysian subsidiary, Glenn Marine Malaysia Sdn Bhd, with as retired high ranking beribboned officers, and has been in Port Klang since July 2004, or within months of its purchase. The Straits Times, in Singapore, reported at the time the ship was sold last year: The Glenn Braveheart is to protect navy ships against terrorists – the merchant ship will carry X-ray machines for security checks, floating barriers to block small craft from ramming into navy vessels and more. Its main client is the US Navy, though it says it would also provide security for 11 other navies.

A brilliant spin which the defence minister and the armed forces accepted with alacrity. Naval ships rarely travel alone, and its security is always tight. No ship can come near one without being warned. And it has better security when its guards are at rest than the the best security the Glenn Braveheart could provide. if it had instead said it was to provide security for unarmed merchant ships, its role at least would make sense. But when the Utusan Malaysia last week reported the Glenn Braveheart anchored outside port limits, all involved, including Glenn Marine, had explanations that not only bordered on the ludicrous but contradicted each other and made no sense. It is an embarrassing breach of national security.

The defence minister, Dato' Seri Najib Tun Razak, must explain how and why Malaysia's national security is handed over to a foreign company, heads must roll, especially of the armed forces chief of staff and the director of military intelligence. The prime minister, Dato' Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, must act against his own intelligence heads, who were like the military asleep on their watch. This is not the first time such lapses have occurred. More than a few years ago, a Malaysian defence adviser in Singapore, a colonel, was recalled peremptorily after he was compromised; he was not allowed to enter the Ministry of Defence on his returned and was later dishonourably discharged. The National Security Council, which co-ordinates the various intelligence agencies, was asleep too.

But this is only to be expected when the BN government has lost its raison d'etre. When money rules, as now, national security often flies the window. The government must step in firmly, revamp the security and intelligence agencies, punish those asleep at the watch. For a start, it could begin by diverting the considerable resources the intelligence agencies employ to listen to the telephone conversations of Malaysians for signs of political dissent, and train their focus on preserving national security. Thousands of Malaysians, journalists, politicians and others are monitored routinely so the BN government could remain in power for ever. I am one of those. I have no illusions my telephones and my movements are monitored. As are other journalists and politicians. At the same time, they see these people as enemies of the state. This "us" versus "them" syndrome is sharpened in this unholy greed for money in which even national security is for sale.

Has the seriousness of the Glenn Braveheart affair struck home? No. Yesterday (14 April 2005), its local agent asked the Royal Malaysian Customs for clearance to leave. The harbour master then allowed it to leave. And late last night it did. When its presence was revealed, the marine police should have investigated the ship, as the law provides. It did not. Why? It was anchored within the pilotage limits.

Remarkably, no police reports were filed when its intentions were suspect. Why? Why did not the defence ministry, the armed forces intelligence services and others involved in national security order the ship in port until investigations were complete. It is time an official unvarnished account is made public. Pak Lah must demand heads, no matter how high. Dato' Seri Najib must explain how the Glenn Braveheart would now complete the mapping of the coast which, in his view, is why it was here? It is a serious breach of national security for him to resign. Would Pak Lah sack him if he does not? I would not bet on it. But I am prepared to be surprised!

M.G.G. Pillai

pillai@streamyx.com