Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein today moved to allay public fears over the Wikileaks revelations that Malaysian companies are a front to supply “sensitive goods” to other countries.

"We have been monitoring these two companies and we want to assure (the people) that they are no threat to national security," he said.

“The statements that the two companies can affect national security are not true,” he said, adding that none of the companies were smuggling nuclear equipment to Iran.

NONE“The issue here is whether the channels used by other countries with missions in Malaysia (that are) reporting back to their originating countries is accurate or not,” Hishammuddin (centre in pic) said.

He refused to name the two companies.

“I don’t think it matters what the nature of their business is. The (Home Ministry’s) core business is just to maintain national security. It is as long as no one is a threat to it,” he said.

Pressed further, Hishammuddin denied that Malaysian was in the “nuclear weaponry business”.

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

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

The cable said 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”.

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

'Why can’t international agencies ask us directly?'

Insisting that the Wikileaks reports were "nothing new", he said he was more surprised with the speculation that the Malaysian government was not doing more to stop the two companies.

"If (international agencies) have any doubts or new information, why not just ask us instead of communicating and speculating among themselves?" he said at a press conference at his ministry this afternoon.

Although Hishammuddin did not mention any names, it was clear who he was referring to since the leaked ‘cables’ were lines of communication and reports from the US missions back to the secretary of state.

He also said that since the leak of the cables last week, the Home Ministry had been in touch with “international agencies” on the issue.

Asked if the leaks had affected the country’s image on security matters, Hishammuddin scoffed, but hinted that there might be a review in the openness between the Malaysian government and those of other countries.

“You got to be joking... these are just two companies. This is nothing. Have you seen the information on UK, Singapore or Australia? More than 250,000 cables will be exposed and there will be more,” he said in response to a question.

“But I will now have to reconsider the relationship with the international agencies because I am concerned that the information we share with them... (may) turn out to be not secure,” he said.

Asked if he was annoyed about this, he said: “I have to find out how it happened before I get annoyed. It may be a normal landscape in technology change, which no one can prevent. We have to study this carefully.”

'ISA detention period to be reviewed'

Hishammuddin also said that the detention period for people detained under the Internal Security Act would be reviewed.

“We’re looking at the detention period, the minister’s powers, treatment of prisoners, how we deal with their families...  and there are about six related laws involving illegal assembly. Whatever amendments we bring to Parliament will be a holistic approach,” he said.

Under the ISA, a person can be detained by the police for up to 60 days without trial. After that, the home minister can approve a two year detention order which is renewable upon expiry.

The ministry is reportedly reviewing this law.