The fallout from whistleblower Wikileaks’ dump on Sunday of previously secret US diplomatic cables is only just hitting the fan around the world.

NONEAlready a report has emerged implicating companies in Malaysia over violation of international trade agreements and UN sanctions.

According to a cable sent on Feb 3 this year from the office of the US Secretary of State to its Beijing embassy, two Malaysia-based companies are alleged be involved in a network of companies that procure ‘sensitive goods’ for Iranian entities in violation of international trade agreements and UN sanctions.

These Iranians entities are purportedly involved in expanding Iran’s nuclear weapons capabilities.

According to the nine-month-old cable, classified as “secret”, the US embassy in Beijing was asked to convey to the Chinese government the need to investigate and block the attempt to procure TRS-500 gyroscopes from Chinese firm VibTel Industrial Co Inc.

NONEGyroscopes (left) are devices to measure or maintain the orientation and stabilisation of flying vehicles.

The cable, however, stated that the TRS-500 gyroscopes sought by the Malaysian-based Electronics Component Limited, (ECL), “are controlled by the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) and China's missile-related export controls”.

The gyroscopes can also be used in the guidance systems of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and unmanned aerial vehicles, it added.

Iranian-controlled front company

The cable said ECL, together with another Malaysian company Skylife Worldwide Sdn Bhd, is part of a network of Iranian-controlled front companies that procure “sensitive goods” on behalf of “Iranian entities of proliferation concern”.

NONESuch entities include the Shahid Hemmat Industrial Group (SHIG), said to be Iran's primary developer of liquid propellant ballistic missiles, and Heavy Metal Industries, a “front company” for Iranian tactical missile developer Ya Mahdi Industries.

Both SHIG and Ya Mahdi Industries are sanctioned under United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1737, while TRS-500 gyroscopes are classified controlled items prohibited from being exported to Iran under UNSCR 1737.

The US secretary of state said in the cable that by providing this information, it hoped the Chinese government could prevent the transfer of the gyroscopes by VibTel Industrial Co to ECL.

According to a search at the Companies Commission of Malaysia, Skylife Worldwide is jointly owned by a Malaysian and two foreigners. It was registered in 2007 with an office address on Jalan Ampang.

Not much is known about the company, especially in regard to its earnings.

According to Skylife Worldwide, its businesses include information technology consultancy, commercial trading, commission agency,  engineering works and consultancy services involving the aviation industry.

The Companies Commission has no record of the other Malaysian-based firm, Electronics Component Limited.

Malaysia had earlier popped on the radar over the issue of Iran’s nuclear development project after it was found that Scomi Precision Engineering, owned by the son of former-premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, had manufactured centrifuge parts seized on a ship headed for Libya.

The company was later cleared by a police probe and it said it had been misled about the purpose and destination of the parts by a Sri Lankan national allegedly linked to a nuclear blackmarket.