Nurul files 'urgent motion' on Scorpene subs

Lembah Pantai parliamentarian Nurul Izzah Anwar, in an urgent parliamentary motion filed yesterday, wants the government to answer allegations that a confidential Royal Malaysian Navy document was sold to a French defence company.

Filed under Standing Orders 18(11), it demanded that the Defence Ministry explain in detail the issue of commission paid for the purchase of the Scorpene submarines and as well as on the sale of secret documents.

The motion comes after French lawyer Joseph Breham, lawyer for human rights movements Suaram, revealed on May 30 in its corruption case against French shipbuilder DCNS, that the company had paid 36 million euro (RM142 million) to Terasasi (Hong Kong) Ltd, ostensibly for "commercial engineering" works.

Breham said French investigative judges probing the case had inquired what those payments were for and had demanded reports of financial transactions from the company, when they discovered the confidential navy document.

According to Breham, it was an evaluation for the order of the submarines. Two of the Terasasi directors are Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's close associate Abdul Razak Baginda, and his father, Abdul Malim Baginda.

"I urge the government to explain in detail the role of Terasasi, and that of Abdul Razak, in the transaction of the submarines," she stated in her motion.

Parliament will resume sitting next Monday.