PUTRAJAYA, Feb 21 — The three Malaysian Islamic non-governmental organisation (NGO) leaders on the United States’ Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Terrorist Screening Center (TSC) watchlist do not have any records of terrorist-related activities.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said this was based on the security records kept by the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) on 359 people from 53 NGOs involved in Ops Ihsan.
Identity checks have been conducted on all the individuals before they participated in the humanitarian operations.
“Based on our checks with police security records, all the NGOs involved in Ops Ihsan are not linked to terrorism issues; they are ‘clean’,” he said during a press conference today.
Earlier on, Saifuddin said he was trying to get a clear picture of the three leaders from Islamic NGOs, who were actively involved in managing aid to West Asia after reports said they were listed by the TSC.
This followed the Foreign Ministry’s order that they should not be involved in the Ops Ihsan managing delivery of humanitarian aid from Malaysians to the Palestinian people in Gaza.
Ops Ihsan, a brainchild of former Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Zambry Abdul Kadir, serves as a platform for the Foreign Ministry and NGOs to jointly mobilise support and humanitarian aid for Palestinians.
Saifuddin said Malaysia would continue with its existing method and system of maintaining security.
“This is important for an independent and sovereign country. We have our own laws and agencies responsible for the question of security. And we also have competent records for security vetting.
“This is the status (of information) I need to mention. That is the US’ system, not ours,” he added.
The Ops Ihsan coordinator had lodged a police report on the three NGO leaders, and the police will be conducting their investigations.
On another matter, Saifuddin said the authorities will continue monitoring an Algerian man claiming to be a descendant of Prophet Muhammad, who has given religious talks in Malaysia.
The Home Ministry will cooperate with state authorities to take action against the man, identified as Mawla Muhammad Amin al-Idrisi, if he breaches any laws.
However, no police reports had been lodged against the man.
Reports of the man giving lectures in conjunction with Maulidul Rasul have gone viral recently, with some seemingly obsessed with his lectures and others doubting his claims.
— Bernama
