M’sian police ready to arrest spying diplomats

KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysia and the Philippines have said that diplomatic missions should not engage in spying activities, following reports that Australia and the United States have used such missions across Asia in a vast US-led surveillance network.

Malaysian Inspector-General of Police, Mr Khalid Abu Bakar, has said the authorities would arrest foreign diplomats involved in such surveillance.

“We will not hesitate because spying is a threat to the country’s sovereignty. In the 1980s, we have arrested foreign diplomats involved in spying activities — we will do the same again if there is proof of such activities,” he told reporters this week.

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said: “In principle, we object to any form of spying and surveillance on any government. This deals with the sovereignty of our country and our country has had a good relationship with these two countries.”

Malaysia has lodged a formal complaint with the Australian High Commission and US Embassy in the country over the claims.

Two opposition politicians yesterday urged Putrajaya to stop all Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement negotiations with the US and Australia following the allegations. The proposed US-led free trade deal, which includes countries like Japan and Singapore, is a key initiative of the Obama administration.

Klang Member of Parliament Charles Santiago and Bayan Baru MP Sim Tze Tzin said Mr Najib should take a stronger stand against the claims, like European Union nations have.

“The response given by the PM and the Foreign Minister to both countries is merely a slap on the wrist,” Mr Santiago said yesterday. “The sovereignty of our country has been threatened and all they did was send a protest note.”

The Philippines’ Foreign Affairs spokesman Raul Hernandez warned that Manila will act on reports of alleged US spying, if advised by its national security officials. “If any confirmation is given to us by these agencies or authorities, then the department will act accordingly,” he said.

Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, who left yesterday for the Bali Democracy Forum, has denied ruptured ties with ally Indonesia over the spying claims, which included alleged surveillance at US and Australian missions in Jakarta. Australia’s Ambassador was last week summoned by the Indonesian authorities, and the US envoy was summoned earlier.

“I don’t accept that there has been a rift,” Ms Bishop told ABC television on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, US and German officials said on Tuesday their top intelligence officials are meeting in Washington to devise new guidelines on how the allies share intelligence — including whether they spy on one another.

The meetings follow an outcry across many countries for an end to surveillance by the National Security Agency (NSA) of US-allied leaders’ communications, revealed in documents leaked by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden.

A German official said they are pushing for new limits on the NSA, which allegedly tapped Chancellor Angela Merkel’s mobile phone. AGENCIES