The Malaysian Mujahidin Group, more commonly referred to as KMM, has not been involved in any robbery cases, according to Deputy Home Minister Chor Chee Heung.

However, members of the alleged terrorist group are suspected of trying to seize arms, he said when responding to a supplementary question in the Dewan Rakyat today.

Raja Ahmad Zainuddin (BN-Larut) had asked if the group had been involved in any robbery case to date.

The KMM was linked to a robbery last year at the Jalan Gasing Southern Bank branch in Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

Speaking to malaysiakini in the Parliament lobby later, Chor said no KMM member had any "direct involvement" in that incident, but did not elaborate as to why the group had been under suspicion.

The group has also been blamed for an arms robbery at the Gua Chempedak police station in Perak, the murder of former Lunas state assembly representative Dr Joe Fernandez in Kedah, and the bombing of a few churches and temples.

In addition, the authorities have claimed that KMM has links to the al-Qaeda network and that its members had gone for military training in Afghanistan for five years.

Robbery statistics

Earlier, the deputy minister told the House that 72,101 robbery cases had been recorded between 1997 and August this year. In 1997, there were 9,027 cases, followed by 11,708 in 1998 and 13,750 in 1999.

The number of such incidents continued to rise to 14,696 in 2000, but fell to 13,661 cases in 2001. Up to August this year, 9,259 cases had been reported.

He provided the data when replying Fong Kui Lun (DAP-Bukit Bintang), who had asked about the increase in robbery cases, claiming that such incidents should not occur since the economy had recovered.

Chor said the incidence of robbery was not related to the economic situation, but that most robbers just wanted to get rich the quick way.

The deputy minister added that his ministry has carried out public awareness campaigns on the problem, including educating students in secondary school.