The DAP wants the government to form an all-party committee to probe into allegations of Malaysia's role in the international nuclear black market.

This was DAP chairperson Lim Kit Siang response to the release of a three-month police investigation into allegations linking the premier's son Kamaluddin Abdullah's company Scomi Precise Engineering Sdn Bhd (Scope) yesterday.

He said such an inquiry would make the exoneration of Scope and Kamaluddin "completely credible as being the result of an independent and impartial investigation".

Bukit Aman federal police headquarters in Kuala Lumpur yesterday released a report that found Sri Lankan middleman BSA Tahir being in the know about the centrifuge components for Libya's uranium enrichment programme.

Disturbing statement

Although the investigations cleared Scope and Kamaluddin, Lim said the report still left many credibility issues unanswered.

"The nagging question is whether the police investigation was fully independent, impartial and thorough since the force falls directly under Abdullah as the Home Affairs Minister," he said.

The opposition leader said the statement by Inspector-General of Police Mohamed Bakri Omar after initial investigations was even more disturbing.

"Two weeks ago, he dismissed the alleged involvement of a Malaysian company in the manufacture of nuclear components as baseless.

"He has now totally contradicted the thrust of the three-month police investigations."

Lim said the police had reached the conclusions after questioning Tahir, who allegedly worked with top Pakistani nuclear expert AG Khan, to supply centrifuge components to Libya.

He also questioned the time the police began their investigations - whether before or after the prime minister was briefed on last Nov 13.

"Bakri said Abdullah had ordered a detailed and transparent investigation (and for it) to be expedited, but at the same time the IGP was ordered to continue with investigations.

"The public had been under the impression that Abdullah had instructed the police to investigate the allegations 'without fear or favour' sometime earlier this month," added Lim.

He wanted to know when the IGP was first informed.

The former DAP parliamentarian said the investigations should be used as the basis for the all-party inquiry.

The Malaysian government and the management of Scope, a subsidiary of KL-based oil-and-gas Scomi Group, had repeatedly denied any knowledge and involvement in the nuclear programme.

However, Kubang Kerian MP Husam Musa finds it difficult to accept.

"How can the management of a company like Scomi claim not to know about the manufacture of centrifuge parts for export to Libya, albeit through Dubai," he said.

"I'm sure they knew of the European experts who came to inspect the components, so they should have known that something was wrong with the parts from day one."

The case, he added, revealed the weakness in the gathering of police intelligence.

Double standards

Husam also asked why no action has been taken against Tahir so far.

"The authorities seem to be practising double standards as compared with members of the Kumpulan Mujahidin Malaysia, reformasi activists and the Internal Security Act detainees."

He said these people were detained in Kamunting just based on one allegation whereas the management of a huge company was misled into participating in a nuclear black market but nothing has been done.

"It smacks of a preferential treatment because it involves the premier's son."

He said PAS will pressure the government in the next parliament meeting for a more responsible explanation, especially on how Scope has been allowed to escape with lame excuses.

"The excuse of ignorance is too weak for a big company like Scope to plead," he said.

Echoing Lim's call for an independent committee, Husam said the police should be left out of this as there was a clear conflict of interest given Abdullah's government post.

"Pak Lah should take this opportunity to show that his administration is different from his predecessor Dr Mahathir Mohamad," he added.