(The Star) PUTRAJAYA: Police investigations into the posting of classified Cabinet papers on the Internet will focus more on where the leak occurred rather than who was responsible for making them public, said Home Minister Datuk Hishammuddin Tun Hussein.
He also warned that the police would even probe ministers if they were suspected to be involved.
Hishammuddin said since the papers were classified, the person responsible for the leak would have to be "someone on the inside" and as such would have to face action.
He said the act of leaking the papers was serious as it jeopardised the government’s decisions on how to lead, manage and administer the country and it was something that could not be tolerated.
“The papers were leaked before they were even discussed in cabinet and there is a possibility that they may not even have been discussed but leaking the papers has compromised the cabinet.
“There is a reason why the Official Secrets Act (OSA) was created and all those within the Government have a responsibility to respect the law and the confidentiality of the documents.
“I have told the police to conduct an all out and thorough investigation and investigate even ministers if they are suspected to be involved,” he told reporters when met at the Hari Raya open hosted by the Prime Minister and cabinet ministers here on Sunday.
On another matter, Hishammuddin said the police had already handed to the Attorney General’s Chambers investigation papers on the allegations by Tunku Nadzimuddin Tunku Mudzaffar, grandson of the late Yang di-Pertuan Besar Negri Sembilan, that the Raja Muda of Johor Tunku Ismail Idris had put a gun to his head and hit him.
The minister said the police had thus completed their work and it was now up to the AG’s chambers to decide on the next course of action.
Asked why the police took more than 11 months to conclude investigations into the case, he said that the papers had been handed in earlier but the AG’s chambers had then requested for additional information over the case.
“I was also told that the two sides had one point tried to resolve the problem on their own but what is wrong is wrong and the papers have now been handed to AG’s chambers and it is up to them to decide on the next course of action,” he said.
Tunku Nadzimuddin had claimed that he was hit in his head and face, had a gun pointed at his head, and suffered a fractured nose and other serious injuries as a result of the incident while his lawyer friend, Shamshuddhuha Ishak, who was knocked out, lost two teeth.
He had also hit out at the police for failing to act after having assured him that they would investigate the case and take the necessary action.
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