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PUTRAJAYA: Dr. Mahathir Mohamad confirmed writing a letter earlier this year to then-Interior Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, calling for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to be removed from Putrajaya’s list of terrorist organizations.
He denied that the letter meant that he was a supporter of the LTTE, but spoke out against the actions that were taken against various people when Pakatan Harapan (PH) was in government.
“We don’t have to look for trouble. If there is no problem, why look for one? And the problem happened for Sri Lanka, not for us. We didn’t have to take such actions, unless they really did bad things in Malaysia.
“I am not saying that Hamas is a terrorist group. But Hamas is classified as a terrorist organization by the United States. And the world says it is a terrorist organization.
“If he is a terrorist, why did I meet Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh? He’s a friend, how can I call him a terrorist? Mahathir said today at a press conference.
The letter, dated February 12, had recently gone viral. In it, Mahathir told Muhyiddin that he did not believe that the LTTE should continue to be labeled a terrorist organization, as Sri Lanka did not regard them as such.
“We regard Hamas as terrorists, but we allow them to enter Malaysia,” he wrote.
“I think it is better to remove the LTTE from the list of terrorists. With that, court trials can be carried out without denying bail during the trial. “
The Security Crimes (Special Measures) Act, or Sosma, prohibits an accused person from requesting bail after being charged with security crimes.
Twelve men had been detained under Sosma in October 2019 for their alleged links to the LTTE, a defunct militant organization that tried to create an independent Tamil state in Sri Lanka.
All 12, including two DAP assembly members, denied their involvement in the LTTE and claimed that the flags, posters and images found in their possession meant that they only sympathized with the plight of the Tamil minority in Sri Lanka.
In February, then-Attorney General Tommy Thomas decided to drop the charges against the 12, saying there were “no realistic prospects” for their conviction under any of the 34 charges brought against them.
Between 60,000 and 100,000 Tamil civilians were killed during a 27-year civil war in Sri Lanka, according to United Nations figures.
The police had previously said that the LTTE had been classified as a terrorist organization by Malaysia under the Anti-Money Laundering, Counter-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Illegal Activities Act.
