IPOH: Defence Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said today the issue of certain foreign embassies using members of the Malaysian armed forces to obtain secret information on the country was regarded as closed.

As such, he said, there were no more statements on the issue, which he had revealed on Thursday.

“I do not have any other statement to make,” he told reporters after a meeting with armed forces veterans of Perak at the Banquet Hall, here.

Asked whether protest notes had been sent to the embassies concerned, Ahmad Zahid said “the matter had been resolved by the Prime Minister’s Department”.

He was reported to have said yesterday that the issue would be resolved through diplomatic channels whereby those involved would be told not to do anything which could undermine bilateral relations.

Asked about the two missing F-5E jet engines of the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) detected in Uruguay, Ahmad Zahid said he would have a discussion soon with Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail on the efforts to bring back the engines.

He said the Attorney-General’s Chambers was taking steps to bring back the engines which went missing on Dec 20, 2007 and Jan 1, 2008.

“The matter is now handled by the Attorney-General’s Chambers. We are giving him (the attorney-general) all the avenues to discuss with the foreign party to bring the engines back to Malaysia,” he said.

Asked about the protest staged by about 3,000 people from 50 Malay non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in front of the Penang chief minister’s office yesterday, Ahmad Zahid, who is Penang Umno Liaison Committee chairman, said it was a reflection of disappointment with the state government which he said had failed to take care of Malay traders.

Earlier, at the function, 23 armed forces veterans, who had served from Jan 1, 1969 to Oct 17, 1990, received the Pingat Jasa Malaysia (PJM) from Ahmad Zahid.

Courtesy: TheMalayasianInsider