Ex-intel officer files police report over letter to CIA which her lawyer confirms is genuine.
The woman at the centre of an intelligence controversy, Datuk Hasanah Abdul Hamid, has lodged a police report after being purported to have penned a secret letter to the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) ahead of GE14.
News portal Malaysiakini reported the former director-general of the Malaysian External Intelligence Organisation (MEIO) saying “the letter has got nothing to do with former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak” when met at the Jalan Travers police station today.
She reportedly declined further comment on the subject.
A press conference was later held at the office of her lawyers Datuk Shaharudin Ali and Mohd Khairul Azam Abdul Aziz.
According to Shaharudin, the letter to the CIA is genuine.
However, he explained that it was just a routine “operational level” matter between the two intelligence agencies.
He also said that the move did not need to be referred to the prime minister.
“The MEIO has established networks with the CIA and other intelligence agencies around the world and such exchange is natural to foster friendship…definitely not with the intention to commit treason.
“However what my client wants is for the police to investigate the matter and find who authorised the leakage of official government documents protected under the Official Secret Acts,” he said.
Asked why it took Hasanah so long to lodge a police report after the leak, Shaharudin said he did not have the opportunity to meet with his client in person until this morning but both were in correspondence since several days ago.
Hasanah in her report today urged the police to investigate those behind the leaked contents of her letter, saying the document was confidential.
She said the letter was “drafted, vetted and analysed” by no less than 10 senior officers under her.
“It was made in good faith,” she said in the statement through Shaharudin.
She said it was normal to exchange letters between intelligence agencies, adding that they were state secrets.
Shaharudin said his client suspected that it was someone with direct access to the files in her office.
She said the morale of MEIO agents was affected by the leak.
“If this leak can happen, the trust MEIO agents have in their sources could be destroyed.”
Shaharudin also said Hanasah would be called up to provide her statement to the police soon in regards to a report lodged by Persatuan Patriot Kebangsaan (Patriot) which claimed the letter was treacherous and treasonous.
According to local media reports, apart from congratulating CIA director Gina Haspel on her new role, the letter purportedly appealed for support of Najib’s leadership and stated that Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad is anti-West, anti-Semitic and autocratic while also ignoring human rights and the rule of law.
Najib has said he has no knowledge of the letter and did not instruct Hasanah to write it.
He also said the letter is an official government secret and called on the authorities to investigate the leak of its alleged contents.
Related reports:
Jul 28, Hasanah to Lodge Report over Leaked ‘CIA Letter’
Jul 27, Najib Cannot Blame Malaysians Sceptical About CIA Letter Denial
Jul 26, Najib: I Have Never Seen CIA Letter or Instructed It to be Written or Sent
Jul 24, Patriot Lodges Report Against Hasanah on Letter to CIA, Angry over Inaction
Jul 21, Outcry over the Shocking Letter Seeking CIA Backing for Najib
Jul 20, Patriots Want Probe into “Treacherous” and “Treasonous” Letter to CIA
Jul 19, Najib Denies Instructing Division to Pen Letter to CIA