| ARMS DEAL
REPORTS RAISE EYEBROWS KUALA LUMPUR, Thurs. - Reports of arms deals concluded here, and a
Malaysian businessman reportedly funding the Abu Sayyaf rebel movement in Southern
Philippines, has raised eyebrows.
"This is news to
me...," was Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Norian Mai's response when asked to
comment on the media reports from the Philippines.
He was speaking to the Press
after officiating the Police-Lion's Club Charity Run at the Federal police headquarters in
Bukit Aman.
On the reported arms deal
between the rebels and North Korea concluded by an arms dealer here, Norian said such
reports would have to be verified.
An AFP report from Manila
yesterday read that the Philippines would query North Korea over an alleged arms deal with
Filipino Muslim rebels, ahead of establishing any bilateral ties.
"We have sent our
ambassadors to Beijing and Bangkok to get in touch with North Korean counterparts,"
the report quoted the republic's Foreign Secretary Domingo Siazon as saying.
The envoys were instructed to
check on allegations of a possible purchase by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front of
sophisticated weapons from North Korea.
"If the allegation is
confirmed, the North Korean Government would be asked to spike the deal," Siazon was
quoted as saying.
Early this week, Philippines
Armed Forces vice chief of staff Lieutenant General Jose Calimlim claimed that the MILF
last month, received US$3 million (RM11.4m) from alleged terrorist Osama bin Laden.
"The MILF then discussed
the possible purchase of anti-tank and anti- aircraft weapons with a North Korean official
"A MILF rebel met with the
North Korean official and an alleged arms dealer from Malaysia on May 16, to discuss the
purchase and the meeting reportedly took place at a hotel in Malaysia," Calimlim was
reported to have said. Norian said checks would have to be carried out to establish
whether such an official did indeed enter the country, adding that this could be done by
checking travel documents.
On Monday, Philippine media
reports, attributed to intelligence sources, read that a wealthy Malaysian businessman was
the financier of the Abu Sayyaf rebel movement, active in Jolo, Southern Philippines.
Identified as a certain
`Commander Kalam Camos', the report which apppeared on the front page of Monday's edition
of Today, a morning broadsheet, however did not say what business Camos was engaged in, or
whether he has other business interests in Mindanao. Siazon yesterday also castigated the
military for leaking its intelligence report to the Press without first consulting
President Joseph Estrada's cabinet.
"Intelligence should not
normally be discussed in the Press. The normal practice is for this to be given to us and
we get in touch with the government in whose territory the transaction was made, or the
government which is involved and whose national is reportedly involved."
Checks by the New Straits Times
revealed that a certain `Commander Kalam Camos' was presently in Panamao, Jolo, together
with Commander Mobin Abdurajak.
"Both were identified as
members of the Abu Sayyaf rebel movement and this information is known to those in the
Philippines National Intelligence Co-ordinating Agency," a source told the NST.
They (both commanders) are
expected to assume responsibility of keeping watch over Malaysian and Philippine hostages
presently held captive in Talipao.
"Plans are underway to
facilitate the transfer of the hostages to Panamao," the source said.
Confirming that intelligence
reports identified Camos to be a wealthy businessman, the source said it could not be
verified if he was a Malaysian. "What is known is that he is a long time resident of
Sandakan."
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