AN army veterans group has slammed the group of commando veterans who had donned their trademark green berets to support former prime minister (PM) Datuk Seri Najib Razak during his visit to Laman Simpang Renggam last Sunday (March 6).
“There can never be anything more degrading and demoralising to say the least to witness these veteran commandos from the nation’s elite special forces gathering in unison with a convicted criminal who is labelled in various media reports (local and foreign) as a ‘national embarrassment’ and a ‘plundering idiot’,” Persatuan Patriot Kebangsaan (Patriot) president Mohamed Arshad Raji was reported as saying by Malaysiakini.
The former PM was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment and was fined RM210 mil on July 28, 2021 over the misappropriation of funds belonging to SRC International Sdn Bhd, a former subsidiary of the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) sovereign wealth fund.
The guilty verdict was upheld by the Court of Appeal on Dec 7 last year, with Judge Abdul Karim Abdul Jalil rejecting Najib’s claims that he had acted out of “national interest” and instead, had called it a “national embarrassment”.
According to Arshad, as veterans of an elite national security force who are highly trained and disciplined to defend the nation, they must uphold those principles.
“Patriot has no issue if veteran groups participate in political campaigns as we are a democratic nation,” he remarked.
“In fact, even though we may be retired soldiers or ex-servicemen and women, we can and must play a constructive role as responsible citizens in the shaping of our nation’s better political future and its stability.
“But to be seen attired with any form of accoutrements recognisable to the Armed Forces at such political campaign circuits and more so when in the presence of an individual who has been convicted in court is not only improper and distasteful, but critically in serious breach of the honourable stature of the vocation and the reputable status of the Armed Forces,” he said.
During his visit, Najib was greeted by a large crowd, most of whom were clad in Barisan Nasional’s (BN) trademark blue colour.
The crowd also included a small group of men in green berets who had approached Najib where they cheered with him.
The Pekan MP, who is also the BN advisory board chairperson, has been enthusiastically campaigning and drawing massive crowds along his tour of Johor ahead of the state polls happening this Saturday. – March 9, 2022
