Perkim 'Accused" of Funding PULO

The Kelantan Opposition leader must have felt great when he raised the issue that 10% of the money from the sale of timber logged along the Malaysia-Thai border was allegedly channelled to the Pattani United Liberation Organisation (PULO), a Thai militant group.
He said, "The allegation is serious. There is a need for a thorough investigation," adding that he had seen documents on the transactions to PULO.
In a telephone interview with the Malay Mail, he had the following to say ::

I also have the confession of those who were directly involved in channeling the money to Pulo," he said in a telephone interview with The Malay Mail.
He said Pulo claimed it had a stake on the share from the sale of timber because it was logged along the Malaysia-Thai border.
Annuar said he was "suspicious" of the sales from the concession as it was bought by a locally-registered company whose four directors were from the Middle East.
"The money paid for the timber had come from overseas, through a Dutch bank."
He said the the authorities should look into the company’s background and the source of the money paid for the timber.

Maybe he failed to realise the seriousness or the effects of the issue he had raised. The next day he was questioned by Kelantan exco member, Husam Musa, who demanded the state opposition leader to explain his statement on PERKIM and PULO at the state assembly the day before. According to a Harakah report, he backtrack on his statement and admitted that it was baseless. He was reported to have tried to deflect Husam's question by mumbling that it was his duty get answers from the government. Then the usual reason of having been wrongly quoted by the press was brought up. He added that he had already given a call to the reporter covering the story and the reporter admitted that the front-paged report was inaccurate. Probably the said reporter was the one who was later halau and asked to leave the assembly.
According to Husam ::

The government had granted Perkim, an NGO, rights to a logging area which it later sold to a company, Rentak Persada for a sum of RM2.4 million.
On the 24th of October 2004, Perkim had instructed Rentak Persada to deposit RM1.2 million into its accounts and the remainder into a 'state holder' through the law offices of Azmi Tan and Co.
"Perkim nor the state government for that matter does not have any knowledge who withdrew the money (from the state holder accound), and to whom it was channeled to," he added.
When Perkim was made aware of the issue, it filed a police report on 30th June 2004.

Reuters reported this issue under the heading :: Malaysian Charity accused of Funding Thai Militants; the NST said :: Perkim funds sent to Pattani movement, says Annuar and Malaysiakini said :: Funds channelled to Muslim rebels in Thailand: report.
Fearing any fallout from the raising of this alleged PULO funding issue, our Foreign MINIster has quickly got about to smoothen any ruffled feathers by saying that any funds channelled to the PULO rebels was done without the gomen's knowledge and action would be taken if laws had been broken. He also pledged that Malaysia would not support any Thai separatist movement. Will he also give the wet behind the ears, Kelantan Opposition leader a piece of his mind or a tongue lashing over his bringing up the issue? We await.