Suspected terrorist Mohamad Iqbal A Rahman has submitted his appeal letter to the Immigration Department seeking review of the decision to revoke his permanent resident (PR) status.

Contacted today, his wife Fatimah Zahrah Abdul Aziz said the hand-written letter dated Aug 26 stated that there is no reason for the authorities to revoke his PR as the allegations of his involvement with terrorism is baseless.

She said Mohamad Iqbal told her this during a 15-minute meeting at the Kuala Lumpur Immigration Department headquarters in Damansara, Kuala Lumpur this morning.

"I hope the authorities will seriously consider his appeal as we believe that he is innocent and has done no harm to the country," she added.

The 46-year-old religious preacher was nabbed by immigration authorities after being released from his two-year detention under the Internal Security Act (ISA) last Friday.

No justification

The Indonesian national, who has nine children aged between 19 and one, became a Malaysian PR in 1985. He was among the first batch of suspected Malaysian Mujahidin Group (KMM) members detained in August 2001.

In the appeal letter written in Bahasa Malaysia and addressed to the Immigration Department director-general Mohd Jamal Kamdi, Mohd Iqbal said: "I was accused of carrying out activities which threatened the national security but these allegations was never proven in the court. (But) still, I was punished for two years under the Internal Security Act between Aug 22, 2001 and Aug 22, 2003, not including the initial 60-day police detention."

"As the charges have not been proven, the immigration's claim that I am not fit to stay in Malaysia cannot be justified," he added in the letter, a copy of which was made available to malaysiakini .

Mohamad Iqbal is also seeking to retract the confirmation letter which he stating that he was duly notified of the revocation and had understood its consequences.

He also requested the authorities to allow him to read newspapers as was permitted by the prison authorities during his ISA detention.

Next move

Meanwhile, Fatimah said her husband is also worried about his 84-year father who is seriously ill and expressed his wish to contact his family in Lombok, Indonesia.

"That is why he had sent another appeal letter yesterday seeking the immigration's kindness to allow him to call his hometown so that he could talk to his father or his mother or siblings to get the latest development," she said.

Fatimah also said she has yet to discuss her situation with the Indonesian lawyer who is supposed to advise her on her next move since the Indonesian authorities have expressed their wish to question Mohamad Iqbal.

"The lawyer was supposed to come yesterday but up till now, I have not heard from him. We have to discuss with the lawyer many things before we make any final decision," she added.

Eight of their children were born in Malaysia. Six of them are studying at a religious school in Banting, Selangor while another two are furthering their studies in Pakistan.