KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein has welcomed the government’s decision to establish a Special Parliamentary Committee for Defence and Internal Affairs to investigate Op Yemen 2.
The former Defence Minister said the committee would be able to call all the relevant agencies for a clearer picture on the deployment of Malaysian troops under the operation.
He said this when asked to comment on Deputy Defence Minister Liew Chin Tong’s announcement yesterday that the committee would be formed to investigate if asset-backed operations (SOP) to Saudi Arabia under Op Yemen 2, were in compliance with standard operating procedures (SOP).
"He (Liew) is referring the matter to a parliamentary committee...I totally agree . Call all the agencies..the National Security Council (NSC), the External Intelligence Research, Special Branch and also Wisma Putra," he said in a WhatsApp reply to the New Straits Times.
In the same message, Hishammuddin also questioned Liew over what was going on in Mindef (ministry of Defence).
"In the meantime Liew better lead Mindef...where is his blue print for housing, welfare of veterans, military diplomacy, plans to upgrade our Army camps...plans to counter Islamic State (IS)...Sabah security.
“I can also refer these matters to the same select committee," he said.
It was reported that Liew had shot down claims by Hishammuddin that the NSC had approved Op Yemen 2.
Liew said checks showed that the operation did not receive written approval from either the NSC or the cabinet.
On Wednesday, Hishammuddin called on the government to declassify the NSC details on Op Yemen 2, if it wished to find out the truth.
He said Op Yemen 2 had the NSC’s approval to deploy troops to war-torn Yemen in June 2015 to rescue Malaysians stranded there.
The operation continued for three years, ending only in September after the Pakatan Harapan government pulled the plug on the mission.