KUALA LUMPUR: Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim raised questions about a threat to national security, alleging that two former Israeli intelligence personnel were working as sub-contractors in a project to upgrade the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) force’s information and communications system.

When debating the Supplementary Bill on April 6, Anwar claimed that two Israelis were “sitting 24 hours a day” in the server room of the police headquarters at Bukit Aman, undertaking the upgrading of the police force’s communications system, called the Police Reporting System (PRS).

According to Anwar (Permatang Pauh-PKR), the contract had been awarded to Master Plan Consultancy Sdn Bhd, which appointed Asiasoft (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd as its subcontractor.

The contract was to upgrade the police communications system from an analogue to a digital system as well as to oversee the police force’s information and communications processes, Anwar said.

The police force’s special branch unit, Anwar claimed, had identified the two former intelligence officers of the Israeli Defence Force in the PRS project in 2008, through their roles in Asiasoft.

Citing a letter dated Dec 1, 2008 written by the police logistics department director Datuk Mashuri Zainal, Anwar claimed that Mashuri had allegedly proposed that the home ministry axe Master Plan Consultancy’s contract on grounds of national security and that Asiasoft’s appointment as the project’s subcontractor had not been approved in writing by the government.

According to Anwar, Mashuri’s letter pointed to earlier reports by the police force’s special branch which stated that Asiasoft’s major shareholders were Bees System Sdn Bhd and Asiasoft (Singapore) Pte Ltd, which Anwar claimed was being controlled by Tel Aviv-based Asiasoft Global Ptd Ltd.

Asiasoft (Singapore) and Asiasoft Global had two Israeli directors, Izhak David Nakar and Ido Schechter, Anwar said.

The PKR adviser also claimed that a police officer, ASP Suhaimi, had lodged a police report on Nov 28, 2008 against Master Plan Consultancy for allegedly making a false declaration.

According to Anwar, police investigations into Suhaimi’s complaint stalled after the case’s investigating officer, one ASP Sairah, was said to be transferred to Taiping.

Anwar claimed that Mashuri had written to the home ministry’s secretary-general and the home ministry’s legal adviser in December 2008 to reiterate Mahsuri’s earlier report to the then Anti-Corruption Agency (now Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission) and to again ask for the contract to be terminated.

Anwar claimed that the home ministry’s legal adviser replied Mashuri’s letter on Jan 12, 2009 saying that the contract could only be terminated if instructed by the home ministry’s “top leadership”.

Anwar did not reveal how he obtained the information or if he had copies of the letters he cited. Throughout his speech, Anwar was seen reading from a notepad.

Further, Anwar alleged that Asiasoft was also involved with the defence ministry in a 1,100-acre technology park in Sungkai, Perak valued at RM900 million.

In his speech, Anwar also alleged that the then home minister Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar was present at a special briefing on the matter on Nov 25, 2008 at KLIA’s VIP room.

Syed Hamid (Kota Tinggi-BN) then stood up to denounce Anwar’s claims as “lies”, stating later that as a minister, he had attended numerous meetings and could not remember.

In reply, Anwar said: “We cannot push this matter aside because the evidence is strong. If there is an investigation I will give my cooperation... The bigger treason is to let in a few Israeli intelligence officers. If someone knows this information but remains silent then he is involved in treason.”

Asked at a press conference later, Anwar said special branch officers only identified Asiasoft when the company was appointed as sub-contractors to Master Plan Consultancy but the communications upgrading contract had begun in 2001 with the Sapura Group.

To another question, Anwar said he only knew that two Israelis were involved in Asiasoft but did not know what their positions were and did not know when Master Plan Consultancy’s contract expired.

Anwar said this was not about “anti-Semitism” but was an issue of security and foreign spies.

“I don’t know of any country, with any level of credibility and integrity, that would ever condone presence of ex-intelligence forces of another country deep into their communications and strategy infrastructure unless they (the countries) are completely slavish to their foreign interests,” he said.