KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Malaysia's opposition called
for an independent investigation Sunday into claims that Israeli spies
had infiltrated the national police headquarters.
Government and
police authorities have denied the allegation, which was made by
opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim in Parliament last week in an attempt
to cast doubt on the credibility of the ruling party in this
Muslim-majority country.
Malaysia is a staunch supporter of the Palestinians and has no diplomatic ties with Israel.
Anwar
claimed he had obtained police documents indicating that two former
Israeli military intelligence officers entered the federal police
headquarters in 2008 and had access to the police communications system
while working secretly for a technology company. He did not say what
their intentions might have been.
Home Minister Hishammuddin
Hussein on Friday dismissed Anwar's claim of a security breach as
"baseless," and ordered police and government investigators to compile
evidence to disprove it.
Lim Kit Siang, a top leader in the
opposition Democratic Action Party, on Sunday urged the government to
instead set up a high-level independent panel to look into the
accusation.
"It is not something which could be dismissed
summarily as baseless rumors from thin air," Lim said in a statement,
adding that he will request a debate in Parliament next week on whether
to set up such a panel.
In recent weeks, Anwar has repeatedly
tried to link the ruling National Front coalition to Israeli interests.
He has also alleged that the government's widely publicized "1Malaysia"
racial unity slogan was modeled on the "One Israel" political alliance set up by former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak in 1999.
Anwar claimed there were indications that Israelis were trying to get involved in the country's administration.
Government
leaders have rejected Anwar's statements as an effort to erode public
support for Prime Minister Najib Razak's coalition, especially among
the ethnic Malay Muslim majority ahead of a closely watched special
election later this month for a state legislative seat.