KUALA LUMPUR — Outrage over alleged spying by Singapore across the Causeway grew yesterday, with opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim assailing the Malaysian government for taking a lax stand on the issue and demanding an apology from the Republic.

The leader of the Pakatan Rakyat coalition said lawmakers from the ruling Barisan Nasional seemed to be more concerned with condemning a human rights group, Coalition of Malaysian NGOs (Comango), than with reported spying activities targeting Malaysia allegedly conducted by Singapore, the United States and Australia. Earlier yesterday, Parliament threw out a motion to condemn Comango.

“Spying activities are taking place but we just let it be. This affects national security,” Mr Anwar said yesterday.

Mr Anwar took Prime Minister Najib Razak, Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Foreign Minister Anifah Aman to task in their handling of the issue, describing the current leadership as “very soft”.

“We should have demanded that they stop all spying activities. We want an apology from them and also a guarantee that such rude work will not affect national security,” he said.

Mr Anwar had previously accused Mr Najib of “not being brave” enough to reprimand the US over claims by intelligence leaker Edward Snowden of a US-led global espionage network.

Malay rights group Perkasa yesterday also demanded that Singapore formally apologise for its alleged espionage activities.

Perkasa Youth Chief Irwan Fahmi Ideris said: “Singapore’s behaviour has been nothing short of despicable and also shows that they have no regard for our country’s sovereignty.”

A group of Perkasa Youth members held a protest outside the Singapore High Commission and handed over a memorandum demanding an apology from the Republic.

Malaysia on Tuesday summoned the Singapore High Commissioner to Malaysia, Mr Ong Keng Yong, to clarify the allegations. Mr Ong told Malaysian officials he does not have information about the claims in Australian media. Mr Ong also said: “We have no interest in doing anything that might harm our partners or the friendship between our two countries.”

Malaysia has effective counter-measures to safeguard classified communications, Communications and Multimedia Minister Ahmad Shabery Cheek said yesterday.

Also on Tuesday, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono announced the summoning of the Singapore and South Korea ambassadors over claims that the countries were helping the US and Australia tap undersea telecommunications in Asia.

On Monday, Australian media reported that Singapore and South Korea were playing key roles in the “Five Eyes” intelligence network involving the US, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and New Zealand. Documents leaked by Snowden were cited.

Australian media group Fairfax Media has claimed that both Malaysia and Indonesia had been key targets for Australian and Singaporean intelligence agencies since the 1970s. Snowden has also alleged that the US was running a monitoring station in its Kuala Lumpur embassy.

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said yesterday he hoped to establish a “security round table” with Indonesia, seeking to rebuild a strategic relationship with a key Asian neighbour damaged by allegations that Australian intelligence had tried to eavesdrop on mobile phone conversations of Mr Yudhoyono, his wife and other top officials.

On Tuesday, Mr Yudhoyono said he would appoint a special envoy, or possibly his Foreign Minister, to resolve major issues regarding intelligence sharing, after which he would look into establishing a new code of ethics on the issue.

“What I’d like to see in the future is some kind of security round table where we are more open with each other, where we build even stronger relationships of trust ... we’ll be responding more fully but my objective, as always, is to have the strongest possible relationship with Indonesia,” Mr Abbott said yesterday.

In response to demands from Jakarta, Mr Abbott sent Mr Yudhoyono a letter over the weekend regarding the claims.

According to Mr Yudhoyono, Mr Abbott promised to take no future action that would damage relations with Indonesia. AGENCIES