As the media continues to document police findings on the bogus Federal Special Forces of Malaysia (FSFM) 'lieutenant-general' Nor Azami Ahmad Ghazali and other leaders arrested for alleged fraud, the organisation's members who have surrendered en masse across the nation may find themselves facing possible charges under the Penal Code, the 1966 Societies Act, the 1950 Police Act, and the 1967 Arms Act.

Members of the FSFM claiming to have been duped into joining the movement will have to prove the circumstances in which they were recruited - fake interviews, falsified documents - and that they had reasonable cause to believe that FSFM was a legitimate set-up.

Among possible offences under the Penal Code in which members may find themselves liable, are sections 417, 420, 471, 474, 140, 170 and 171 - pertaining to the purchase of ranks and possession of faked documents, among others.

According to the police, members of the group masquerading as state sanctioned paramilitary were given uniforms, handcuffs, and authority cards and that they were allegedly told the cards were issued by the prime minister's department.

Police estimates place the group's total membership at 8,000.

Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had also disclosed that 2,637 FSFM members have surrendered to the police.

35-year-old Nor Azami is suspected to be the main man behind the organisation and according to the police, has made claims that he would be prime minister.

Government embarrassed

Meanwhile, lawyer and opposition politician Sivarasa Rasiah commented that the discovery of the group throws up a significantly embarrassing spotlight on the government.

"Really, it has been played up too much as a security issue," he said.

"In actual fact, it is more an issue of large-scale cheating, and comes more as an embarrassment to the government."

If indeed news reports were accurate, the fact that large amounts of money were made out to the group as payment for military ranks says a lot about public perception over what could be bought, he commented.

With the arrest of 24 leaders on July 24, the police believe that RM64 million had allegedly been collected by the FSFM, from the sale of military ranks to new recruits.

"RM64 million is a huge sum, and such large recruitment is really unprecedented," said Sivarasa, who is also vice president of PRM.

Yesterday, Abdullah said that there were 133 civil servants among the detained and surrendered members of the movement.

Of this figure he said 11 were from the army, 61 teachers, two lecturers, three nurses, two drivers, nine labourers and 45 others from other government services.