A travel agent manager testified at the High Court in Kuala Lumpur that two Malay men paid RM7,040 for return tickets to Istanbul three years ago.

Sabrina Beegum Mahaamad Sahafi, 29, said the two named Muhamad Razin Sharhan Mustafa Kamal, now 25, and Razif Mohd Ariff, 34, came to her office Dawood Tours and Travels Sdn Bhd, at about 2pm on Sept 29, 2012 wanting to purchase two tickets to Istanbul to fly on Oct 3, 2012.

“They spend five hours at our office to purchase a ticket to Istanbul. I told them that on that date (Oct 3), the ticket prices are very costly and suggested that they take another date where the price is less. The two looked like students who are in their late teens or early 20s.

“Despite the high price, they were determined to go on that date. They wanted to leave Kuala Lumpur to Istanbul on Oct 3 and return from Istanbul on Dec 3, 2012. The cash payments were paid by Razif who gave RM7,040 for the two tickets,” she said in replying to questions from DPP Shukor Abu Bakar.

Sabrina, who is the second witness to testify in the trial of Security Offences (Special Measures) 2012 detainees Yazid Sufaat ( right ) and canteen assistant Muhammad Hilmi Hasim, who are allegedly members of the 'Tanzim Al Qaeda Malaysia'.

She further said after the payment was made she issued the tickets and receipts for the flight.

Took Malaysia Airlines fight

The witness said the flight were initially booked with Turkish Airlines but they left on Malaysia Airlines.

Sabrina, who now runs her old travel agency said normally the tickets are priced at RM2,800 but they were adamant on having their departure on those dates.

She further identified Razin and Razif through photographs produced by the prosecution based on their identity cards.

Although Sabrina or the prosecution and defence did not adduce further evidence on Razin and Razif, it was previously reported that the two are allegedly Malaysian suicide bombers who were arrested in Lebanon.

The two were detained at the Beirut airport and are suspected to be trained as suicide bombers.

Earlier today, deputy head of the prosecution division of the Attorney General Chambers, Mohd Hanafiah Zakaria, in his opening speech said the prosecution will argue that Yazid and Hilmi are members of the Tanzim Al Qaeda Malaysia which Yazid founded and they are tasked with training people to threaten civilians in Syria.

Razif's father came looking

Sabrina testified further that three days after the two had left for Istanbul, Razif's father came to her office at Jalan Medan Bunus, near the Masjid India district in Kuala Lumpur.

The reason he told her was because was he was looking for his son who had not returned for several days.

“He found the receipt issued by our company and came to check if his son came here. Initially, I was hesitant to disclose where his son went as I did not know if he was really whom he claimed to be.

“However, after his pleas, I revealed that his son had booked a ticket to Istanbul. He asked me why they had purchased the  tickets. I did not know the reason for their purchase and I replied that Razif and Razin could have gone there to further their studies. He looked dazed and left,” the witness said.

She added about 10 to 15 days later, a police officer came to see her followed later after that by another police officer by the name of Inspector Manivanan.

This police officer, Sabrina said, asked for a copy of the tickets which her office sold to Razif and Razin and she printed a copy for them.

She said she did not knowthen why the police wanted the copy of the tickets issued but the company cooperated with them.

Razif wore shorts

When asked by defence lawyer Amer Hamzah Arshad, the witness described Razif and Rzain as looking like ordinary men.

“Razif was wearing a pair of shorts and a T-shirt. He was not wearing a jubah or a serban or the skullcap,” Sabrina said.

When pointed to Yazid and Hilmi in the dock Sabrina denied knowing or seeing them anytime before.

She admitted that she did not have a CCTV recording of the transaction and did not keep official receipts except those stored in the office computer.

Yazid and Hilmi are charged by being members of the alleged terrorist group Tanzim Al Qaeda Malaysia and if found guilty could face life imprisonment.

They are also charged with recruiting others to be members of the group and influencing them in a bid to encourage violence and hurt the Syrian citizens. If convicted, the two stand to face a maximum 30-year jail sentence each

Yazid, who is a qualified bio-chemist, was previously detained under the Internal Security Act for seven years between 2001 to 2008.

The other lawyers representing Yazid and Hilmi are New Sin Yew and Joshua Tay.

The trial which is scheduled for a week will continue tomorrow before Justice Mohd Azman Husin.