'Playing with Fire'?

By JOSEPH SIPALAN

KUALA LUMPUR - MCA Youth has warned PAS that it is treading on dangerous ground in its defense of 13 suspected Islamic militants arrested in Tawau recently.

MCA warns PAS against defending 13 suspected militants arrested under ISA

MCA Youth secretary-general Datuk Chai Kim Sen said it was a worrying to see PAS Sabah commissioner Aminuddin Aling defending the suspects who are believed to be local Islamic missionaries and activists allegedly linked to terror sect Jemaah Islamiyah (JI).

Coupled with PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu's alleged pro-communist speech last August, it raised the question of whether they were in contact with Islamist militant groups in neighbouring Indonesia and the Philippines such as the Abu Sayyaf, who kidnapped tourists from Sipadan island in 2000, and JI, who committed the Bali bombings in 2002, Chai said.

"... it should be left to the police to decide whether the persons detained are missionaries or terrorists, based on their investigations as the police had reason to believe that Tawau was being used as their transit point for weapons from the Philippines," he said in a statement Thursday.

The 13 suspects were arrested by a Bukit Aman counter-terrorism team between Monday and Wednesday, and are believed to be detained under Section 73 of the Internal Security Act.

Aminuddin slammed the police over the arrests, demanding an explanation as to why the individuals, whom he claimed were respected Islamic missionaries and PAS members, were detained.

Chai urged PAS not to jump the gun and allow the police to complete their work.

"I hope that in the meantime PAS and its allies in Pakatan Rakyat do not politicise the issue further by making up lies and distorting the truth. The security of our country is at stake here," he said.

Source: The Star