I read Eric Mudasi's letter No smoke without fire in terror links with some pungency. I am not sure what he actually knows, strangely it was somewhat close to reality.

I need to be careful about what I say as I am still a serving officer with the Royal Malaysian Police. In the 1970s, I was part of a 15-man specially selected unit attached loosely with the police force then but reporting to Mindef directly.

The unit members were mostly Muslims but a few were non-Muslims who were recruited because of their expertise. They came from the army, navy, police field force and a few from elsewhere.

Our primary role was to assist Moro separatists by providing them training especially on how to use guns, make home-made bombs, set up ambush, fighting tactics and to organise and operate as a cohesive unit.

We did supply weapons, money and shelter for the fighters when things got too hot 'there'. We used to go across in the night in six-man teams by boats for a two-month 'tour'. My unit was headed by a senior civil servant whose name I am not at liberty to disclose save to say that he is now a comfortable Umno politician.

I understood the operation to help these friends there have been ongoing since the 1970s. However, we were faced with several problems. Our friends, whose names I cannot disclose, were unprincipled and undisciplined, took advice when it suited them, and were certainly very happy to take money from us. There was genuine fear among us that this lot would be a liability to Malaysia.

The whole operation was toned down when Hussein Onn became prime minister in 1976 but was later stepped up again only to be shut down completely in 1985. I am not aware of any further operations since then.

I am not sure if the assistance was given, as Eric Mudasi said, to distract attention from claims over Sabah and bog down the Philippines Armed Forces or to help our minority Muslim friends in an alien and catholic state or whatever. The rationale behind the operation was a moot point for us in the unit.