MH17 - Justice Must Be Served

By Danny Liew Shan Lee

First of all, allow us at DSGC to post our heartfelt condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the tragic downing of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17 over Ukrainian airspace on 17 July 2014. 

Just barely recovering from the tragedy of the missing Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370, the news struck Malaysians from all walk of lives hardest.  As details of the incident began to filter back to Malaysia, it had the surreal feeling that we were all trapped in a never-ending nightmare.  But unlike the missing MH370, there seems to be a culprit that everyone could point there finger at in this latest tragedy.

Culprit, or Scapegoat?

Almost immediately, western world, led vociferously by the Ukrainian Government began to point fingers at the pro-Kremlin separatist movement that is currently operating in the area as the culprit that had shot down the plane, and by default, Putin-led government as the backer of this atrocity.

Imuniti Diplomatik dalam Pertimbangan Hubungan Diplomatik Malaysia-New Zealand

Oleh : Yusni Yussof

Sehingga kini, bekas Diplomat Malaysia, Muhammad Rizalman Ismail masih lagi menerima rawatan di negara dan belum ada tarikh yang jelas bilakah beliau akan dihantar pulang ke New Zealand bagi menghadapi pertuduhan jenayah ke atas beliau. Situasi beliau adalah bersifat unprecedented, kerana ini adalah kali pertama di dalam sejarah negara seorang Diplomat  negara berhadapan dengan situasi sedemikian.

Dalam menghadapi situasi ini, jelas kerajaan Malaysia sedang menimbangkan apakah bentuk tindakan yang paling tepat dan mempunyai nilai strategik kepada hubungan diplomatik yang terjalin antara Malaysia dan New Zealand. Sudah pasti wujud tekanan dari dalam negara, lebih-lebih lagi daripada New Zealand sendiri untuk memastikan keadilan dapat dilaksanakan.

Dalam konteks hubungan Diplomatik yang terjalin antara Malaysia dan New Zealand, secara amnya Rizalman, sebagai seorang yang dikategorikan sebagai Diplomat, mempunyai imuniti diplomatik ( diplomatic immunity) yang memberikan beliau perlindungan daripada sebarang bentuk bidang kuasa jenayah terhadap beliau oleh New Zealand. Perlindungan ini diberi dan dijamin menerusi Artikel 31  Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations yang merupakan peraturan yang mengawal hubungan diplomatik antara negara-negara di dunia, khususnya dalam pewujudan sebuah kedutaan, perlantikan petugas-petugas kedutaan di sesebuah negara penerima ( receiving state).

Walau bagaimanapun, dokumen undang-undang yang sama turut memberikan hak kepada Malaysia untuk mengenepikan  kekebalan dan imuniti diplomatik yang dinikmati oleh Diplomat menerusi Artikel 32. 

Importance of a Strong Indigenous Defence Industry for National Sovereignty

by Danny Liew Shan Lee

In discussing the defence capabilities of a nation, the most favourite comparison method is of the nation’s defence assets or OrBat (for Order of Battle). Today, we are beginning to see the proliferation of indigenously produced combat assets being used by the Malaysian Armed Forces, from our NGPV to Adnan AIFV.

Introduction of indigenously produced combat assets are a step forward towards creating a self-reliant military capable of defending the nation’s sovereignty. However, these procurements had been dogged by several scandals that had brought disrepute to the local defence industry. This had brought calls to the MAF to obtain combat equipment from reputable international defence equipment suppliers using the off-the-shelf concept.

Before going further, best that we have a look into several scandals that had brought disrepute to the industry.

Kedah class NGPV KD Selangor (Pennant No 176) as seen during the Navy Day 2014 in Lumut.  Photo courtesy of MalDef group.

Kuasa Udara Kuasa Negara - Masa Hadapan TUDM

Oleh Danny Liew Shan Lee

Kemerdekaan Persekutuan Tanah Melayu pada 31 Ogos 1957 memperlihatkan perlunya sebuah angkatan tentera yang mantap bagi negara baru tersebut bagi menghadapi ancaman anasir dalam dan luar negara.  Bagi mencapai impian ini, cabang perkhidmatan udara diperkenalkan pada 2 Jun 1958, dan dinamakan sebagai Tentera Udara Diraja Persekutuan (nama ini diubah menjadi Tentera Udara Diraja Malaysia, atau singkatannya TUDM,  apabila Persekutuan Malaysia ditubuhkan pada 16 September 1963).

Sebagai cabang perkhidmatan ketenteraan yang termuda dalam Angkatan Tentera Malaysia (ATM), TUDM telah melalui perubahan ketara dari segi kekuatan ofensif dan defensif.  Daripada sebuah ketumbukan udara yang hanya memiliki sebuah pesawat pengangkut jenis Twin Pioneer buatan Scottish Aviation, ke sebuah ketumbukan udara yang bersifat sokongan kepada usaha counter-insurgency (COIN) warfare, dan kini, sebuah ketumbukan udara yang mampu melakukan serangan berkejituan tinggi (precision strike). 

MH370 – Geopolitical Implications of the Missing Plane

By Danny Liew Shan Lee

On the early hours of 8^th March 2014, Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 to Beijing, carrying 239 souls (of which 153 are Chinese nationals) took off from Kuala Lumpur International Airport.  Not even 2 hours later, the flight turned missing.  Her transponders and communication systems were all shut off. 

Who or why and how it happened, as at writing time are beyond our comprehension.  Theories upon theories, many of them conspiracy in nature were shared.  Many if not all were easily debunked.

But what we know today is that in the effort to search for the missing plane has certainly resulted in tectonic shift in the regional geopolitics.

AK 47 rifel terhebat sepanjang abad 20?

Mikhail Timofeyevich Kalashnikov ( sumber : www.kremlin.ru)

 

Rifel AK 47 - Pelindung, pendamai atau pemusnah?

Mikhail Timofeyevich  Kalashnikov, pencipta rifel AK 47, meninggal dunia pada tanggal 23 Disember 2013. Tidak keterlaluan jika dikatakan bahawa sesiapa sahaja yang meminati senjata berbentuk rifel serangan ( assault rifle ) atau menonton filem-filem aksi/peperangan akan mengenali rifel ciptaannya,  AK 47. Rifel ini adalah antara rifel yang paling meluas penggunaannya di dunia. Guiness World Record menganggarkan  bahawa kira-kira  100 juta rifel ini telah dihasilkan di serata dunia, sekaligus membuktikan  betapa popular dan terkenalnya rifel ini. Rifel ini  adalah antara rifel yang paling banyak dihasilkan dan ditiru oleh pembuat-pembuat senjata di dunia. 

SENOI PRAAQ – A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE “WAR PEOPLE” – PART 3

By M Hanif Ismail

(New generation of Senoi Praaq. Source: 3rd GOF)

Senoi Praaq – the name may sounds familiar to the local defence watchers, but outside that (small) circle, its mention may very well draw a blank.

Senoi Praaq means “War people” or “those who fight” in the Semai language. Senoi Praaq started as a special project under the British during the First Emergency (1948 – 1960), to replace the British SAS squadrons leaving the country. It was dispatched to Vietnam during the Vietnam War as part of collaboration between the British and the US intelligence to train Vietnamese indigenous people collectively known as the Montagnards.

This article will look at the activities of the Senoi Praaq after the end of Konfrontasi, its activities during the Second Emergency (1968-1989), including its switch from under the Department of Aboriginal Affairs to the Royal Malaysian Police.

Serangan Dron Hanya Melahirkan Lebih Banyak Musuh Buat Amerika Syarikat

 Oleh Yusni Yussof

Dron Predator melancarkan misil! ( Kredit foto kepada General Atomics Aeronautical system Inc. )

Serangan terbaru  dron milik Amerika Syarikat di Yaman pada 13 Disember lalu telah mengakibatkan kematian 14 orang awam dan 22 orang yang lain tercedera. Lebih malang, serangan tersebut dilancarkan ke atas konvoi  kenderaan-kenderaan yang  sedang meraikan perkahwinan penduduk tempatan. Di dalam insiden tersebut, 2 orang pemimpin puak yang berpengaruh turut terkorban.Penganalisis berpendapat bahawa insiden-insiden sebegini yang begitu banyak dilaporkan semenjak AS menggiatkan usaha membunuh individu-individu yang dikaitkan dengan al Qaeda hanya  menimbulkan kemarahan dan kebencian terhadap AS, sekaligus melahirkan simpati terhadap perjuangan al Qaeda. 

China Upping the Ante – Are We Ready? Part 4

By Danny Liew Shan Lee

(The Dragon vs The Eagle. Where should we be in the grand scheme of things? Source: Internet)

In the previous installment, we get to face how our much vaunted FPDA is actually just a granite giant with clay feet.  Make no mistake, the illusion of grandeur that FPDA had on us should be discarded as it has blind-sided us for years, that the British would come and assist us at time of war.

Now that we realized this, would there be any one that would come to our help if China turns belligerent? That it is an open secret that any conflict with China will probably attract the attention of the United States, thus it would not be a surprise that the US will have a special interest in the region.

China Upping the Ante – Are We Ready? Part 3

By Danny Liew Shan Lee

(FPDA a toothles tiger? Source: Internet)

In part 2, we have seen that the planned war games with China do not mean that we have chosen to ally ourselves with the Middle Kingdom.  In fact, it is probably more of a confidence building measure (CBM). 

In the recent parliamentary seating, opposition MPs had unveiled their alternative budget.  For defence, they had advocated cut in military CAPEX, citing that we have a standing defence pact in the FPDA, or Five-Power Defence Agreement.