Malaysia's Federal Investigation Team (FIT), a secret police outfit 'revealed' during the interrogation of an Internal Security Act (ISA) detainee in mid-2001, is the world's second-best after MI5, Britain's defensive security intelligence agency.

Saari Sungib, in a 158-page personal account of the grilling he went through during the 60-day detention period between April 10 and June 2, 2001, claimed the chief investigating officer repeatedly 'fed' him with information o­n the shadowy elite force known as "the guardian".

He quoted the officer as saying that the group not o­nly advises the prime minister but also determines national security policies.

"The concept and implementation of this group was established by (second prime minister) Tun (Abdul) Razak to ensure the country is not colonised by foreign powers and ruled by foreigners," Saari quoted his interrogator in the report based o­n his 54-day questioning at a police detention centre in Kuala Lumpur.

"The implementation was based o­n his (Tun Razak) belief that the group will make sure o­nly Malays wore the mantle of ruling power in this country."

Quoting his interrogator, Saari said the elite team comprised 100 percent of Malay Muslims because other races and non-Muslims were untrustworthy.

Apart from having the final say in who makes it as prime minister and cabinet ministers, Saari quoted his interrogators implying that the FIT also had a hand in the downfall of former cabinet minister Megat Junid Megat Ayob who quit politics in May 2001.

Elite force

The detailed account - which provides a tantalising insight into police interrogation methods - were systematically sorted out by topic into 60 chapters, including 'inside' information o­n Al-Maunah, Al-Arqam, serial rape cases, Bentong Kali (an alleged criminal gunned down by police in the early 1990s), Arab terrorists, high-class sex workers, Ecstasy pills, coup d'etat within the police force, and political and religious personalities.

Saari declared that all the material in his report was true as far as the police interrogation proceedings were concerned.

Detailing the selection process for the team, he claimed the chief investigator told him that the existence of the FIT was not known by anyone, including cabinet ministers.

"Only the prime minister knows (of its existence) through certain individuals."

Saari claimed the selection process was offer-based and not by application, and had stringent conditions which took into account unshakeable patriotic spirit, willingness to sacrifice for race, religion and country, piety and diligence.

"This group is beyond corruption due to its internal monitoring (mechanism)," Saari's account stated.

Recalling what he was told, Saari said team members did not know each other and that the information was strictly kept o­n a need-to-know basis and communicated with the prime minister's think-tank through certain individuals.

The interrogator, he said, had also claimed that Anwar Ibrahim had been unaware of the team's existence during his tenure as deputy prime minister and that the CIA (the American counterpart of the MI5) was suspicious of its existence and concerned about its capabilities.

'Breach of ethics'

The report claimed that all unresolved cases at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) were settled by the FIT (about 60 members nationwide) within "a couple of hours" of interrogation, complete with "voluntary confessions" from the suspects.

"It has resolved all criminal and national security cases in the country... there is not a single case which remains unresolved, except for criminals who have been identified but are yet to be nabbed."

He also claimed that all the interrogators had breached their professional ethics by making racist remarks.

Saari said in his report: "Such remarks should never be uttered by a government servant when discharging duties in the name of protecting national security, especially when interrogating a detainee who is said to be a threat to national security."

He urged individuals or groups who if, after reading the report, feel that their rights have been violated or that they have been libelled, to report this to Suhakam so that an explanation can be sought.

On Jan 31, Aliza Jaafar, Saari's wife, submitted the report to the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) to ascertain the truth of the allegations as well as to address a violation of his basic right in being forced to put up with boasting about police achievements.

Saari and five other reformasi activists and opposition leaders were detained under the ISA in April 2001 for allegedly planning to topple the government through militant means, a charge they have denied.