KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 6): The Parliamentary Select Committee on defence and internal affairs will investigate the deployment of Malaysian troops and assets to Yemen under Ops Yaman II between 2015 and 2018, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.
Deputy Defence Minister Liew Chin Tong announced this after revealing two letters issued by the Ministry of Defence (Mindef) in May 2015 which stated, among others, that the National Security Council (NSC) did not issue any military directive for Ops Yaman II.
"The committee will conduct an investigation on Ops Yaman II to determine whether the deployment of Malaysian troops and assets underwent the right steps and the right system," Liew said.
He said that in one letter dated May 5, 2015, Mindef, via its policy and strategic planning unit, referred to the proposed deployment of Malaysian troops and assets to participate in the multilateral Operation Restoring Hope led by Saudi Arabia.
In a nutshell, Operation Restoring Hope is a phase in Saudi Arabia's military intervention in the Yemeni civil war in 2015 which comprised a ceasefire directive, although military strikes persisted after the announcement of the ceasefire beginning April 21, crippling transport infrastructure like airports and hindered aid distribution efforts.
Liew’s disclosure goes against the statement by former Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Hussein yesterday that Ops Yaman II was a mission aimed at safeguarding the security of Malaysians still residing in the gulf nation.
According to Liew, Mindef also recommended in the letter that the proposed deployment should be discussed in Parliament, or at least brought up at the Cabinet meeting for further deliberation "considering the monetary implication".
The letter also underlined the input by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs which stated it is not proper for Malaysia to participate in military or security missions in the Middle East unless sanctioned by the United Nations (UN) or the Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC).
Wisma Putra also stated that there is no necessity to evacuate 189 remaining Malaysians in Yemen — which would have followed the first evacuation mission (Ops Yaman I) earlier that same year — as the citizens "expressed clearly that they do not wish to leave Yemen".
As there were no Memoranda of Understanding between Malaysian and Saudi governments on military-linked initiatives, Malaysia could face monetary and other implications should it proceed with the deployment, added the Ministry.
In the second letter dated May 28, 2015, Mindef also clarified that the NSC did not issue any military initiating directive in support of the proposed deployment.
"The directive could have been given orally, but there is no black and white," said Liew.
Ops Yaman II, which commenced without Parliament or Cabinet approval, cost the Malaysian Gvernment some RM14 million.
Hishamuddin yesterday told reporters that the matter was under the purview of the NSC, and urged Putrajaya to start a formal investigation and declassify related files under the NSC and other related bodies, including the now-defunct Malaysian External Intelligence Organisation (MEIO) and the Special Branch.
Separately, Liew also said that the Gvernment is working on a white paper for Mindef, with plans to table the paper in Parliament by June 2019.
Among matters to be deliberated in the white paper is the formation of a “security community” which will streamline all security-related efforts undertaken by the different bodies within the Government.