Suaram Still = PKR

As reported by The Choice last year, Suaram, nominally an independent NGO, is actually apparently composed entirely of Pakatan Rakyat politicians and media figures. (Suaram refuses to release its membership list, but the majority of its known members are PKR figures, and the remainder are DAP and Malaysiakini figures.) It has been repeatedly caught out acting as a thinly-veiled outlet for Pakatan propaganda – propaganda it has had to retract quite frequently.

Suaram is now faced with a retraction of one of its most ridiculous claims – and how it has acted has demonstrated more than ever that it acts as a mere front for Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's party.

The recent revelations in the New Straits Times on the Scorpene submarine deal have put Suaram to the test. The man behind the Scorpene submarine deal has authoritatively and finally demolished the bizarre rumours that slain Mongolian model Altantuya Shaariibuu was somehow involved in the purchase of the Scorpene submarines. Those rumours were repeated by PKR and its allies such as Suaram and used as a shameless attack on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak as GE13 approached.

This followed on revelations from the government of France that Altantuya had not been in France at all from 1999 through 2006, which included the time up to her death.

A photo of Altantuya in France has been subsequently shown as a forgery, much as other photos of Altantuya allegedly related to this case have been shown to be forgeries time and again.

Faced with this demolition of most of Suaram's allegations, PKR vice president (and Suaram member) Tian Chua responded: "We urge Jasbir to reveal the real role of Altantuya if, as he said, she was not involved in the Scorpene negotiations."

That is indeed what he said. After it has been finally proven that Altantuya had no part in the Scorpene deal, Tian Chua would like to know what part she had in the Scorpene deal.

Suaram has used the Scorpene deal – and the ridiculous claims of Altantuya's involvement – as a bludgeon for years, and each time, that weapon has turned on them. Last year, they attempted to host a fundraising dinner on the allegations, a dinner that caused them no end of heartache. They also claimed that the French government had begun a trial on the matter, a claim they were forced to retract when French lawyers and the French government made claim that there was no such trial.

Suaram was then caught out attempting to lobby the US government on its claims using a group closely tied to Israel's lobbying efforts, an effort they were forced to quickly disavow.

The Scorpene deal and the obscene allegations of Altantuya's involvement have, at the same time, been a staple of ceramah by Pakatan leaders, especially Anwar. Essentially, Suaram has acted as the nominally independent party seeking justice, providing a thin shield for PKR's subsequent allegations, all the while being PKR in all but name.

Tian Chua's absurd demand merely cements for all time Suaram's complete lack of independence from PKR, and shows finally that this entire matter has been contrived as a weapon to attack Najib and the Government.

Suaram may wish to protest its independence and claim that it truly acts in the best interest of the rakyat, rather than as a mere attack vehicle for PKR. We again invite Suaram to answer these questions as a sign of good faith, which we first posed over a year ago:

What is your complete membership list? How many Pakatan Rakyat politicians, leaders, and party members occupy your leadership? Why does your web site refuse to disclose this information? Have you informed the French court of your heavy Pakatan membership?

To what extent are you using malaysiakini.com as a dedicated outlet for your activities, and do you disclose your ties with the site to its readers in every article on this case?

How often do you report on your activities to PKR leadership – other than Tian Chua of course, who is not only one of your leaders, but Vice President of PKR?

As we did in September, we also call on Suaram and its backers to disclose their ties:

We call on Malaysiakini, whose leadership demands openness when it suits them, to immediately disclose all ties to and funding for Suaram and all other NGOs immediately.

We call on Suaram to identify all governmental funding, foreign and Malaysian, and the means by which it was obtained.

Opposition leaders and media will continue to try to use the Scorpene deal as a weapon against BN, but the rakyat are now aware of Suaram's true nature.