YOURSAY | ‘Charges filed upon the 12 individuals under Sosma does not hold water.’

Home minister snubs AG, to retain LTTE as a terrorist organisation

Kim Quek: Instead of falsely accusing the attorney-general Tommy Thomas of interfering with the jurisdiction of the Home Ministry, Muhyiddin Yassin should justify his continued listing of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) as a terrorist organisation.

The home minister must present convincing and substantiated facts when, in fact, the LTTE group has gone out of existence for more than a decade.

If Muhyiddin had really read and comprehended the AG’s 11-page statement, he would have found that Tommy Thomas has conducted himself as an exemplary AG to uphold the law in withdrawing the charges on the LTTE detainees.

Muhyiddin’s grouses of AG’s interference with his authority is completely unfounded.

Anonymous_1579847235017.72851579846252302: Muhyiddin's remarks and rhetoric smacks of his ardent willingness to retain Security Offences (Special Measures) Act (Sosma), the most dreaded draconian law ever enforced in Malaysia.

His comments do not portray his legal understanding of the process.

The nature of the case filed upon the 12 individuals Sosma does not hold water. It is a fabricated and politically-motivated case and nothing to do with the defunct LTTE which is no more relevant in Sri Lanka or elsewhere.

Please give space to the bereaved families of the 12 who are torn apart in dissolution and agony. Whatever the AG has done is in good faith and within the legal rudiments of law.

Vijay47: Muhyiddin, if the authority to list an organisation as terrorist lies with the home minister and not the AG, then I will fully agree if you decline to remove LTTE from the list as suggested by Tommy Thomas.

After all, we have to abide by the Federal Constitution and related laws. In any case, the AG was merely offering his advice, aware as he must be that he cannot order you to paint the Sri Lankan group white.

In fact, Malaysia is not alone in regarding the LTTE as a terrorist group, a position also shared by Canada, the US and the UK and even India.

The crux of the dropping of the charges was that there was no evidence to prove or even suggest that the 12, if any or all of them, had indulged in activities that could be construed as supportive of a terrorist organisation.

Rupert16: "Based on the latest information from the authorities, I as the home minister feel there is a strong basis to retain the LTTE listing as a terrorist organisation,” said Muhyiddin.

Muhyiddin, please explain your “strong basis”.

The 12 detainees who were wrongly arrested should take legal action against Muhyiddin and compel him to explain in court if he is unable or refuse to elaborate on his “strong basis” to retain LTTE as a terrorist organisation.

Anonymous 770241447347646: With all the intelligence today, we can differentiate who is a terrorist and who is just an admirer or sympathiser.

LTTE has been defunct in the country of origin. The Sri Lankan government has officially declared that they have not been in existence for the last 10 years.

The jailing of these 12 are clearly the work of individuals with a political agenda. Secondly, where is the promise to repeal Sosma? Conveniently forgotten?

Appum: Can the Home Ministry make public the whole list of terrorist organisations in Malaysia that are blacklisted?

This will be a great and helpful public knowledge. Malaysians can assist the government by being their “eyes” and “ears” to keep this country safe and sound.

Gerard Lourdesamy: Surprisingly, one so-called Muslim preacher who resides here permanently, once allegedly remarked that "all Muslims are terrorists", which effectively caused him to be banned from the UK and Canada.

His legal challenges in the UK courts to remove the ban were refused by the highest courts in that country.

Why hasn't his name been included in the list of banned individuals and groups by our home minister?

Coward: If simply espousing an ideology is good enough for arrest, then controversial Muslim preacher Zakir Naik should be behind bars. Ditto all radical religious fanatics and racists of all kind.

Our home minister should have the law explained to him on what the definition of terrorism is.

Omar Iz: The home minister should answer why police abused their powers and arrested 12 individuals under Sosma, when they didn't have sufficient evidence to link them to terrorism?

What action does he plan to take against those responsible?

Not only did they not have evidence at the start of the action, it is clear now that they couldn't find any even after four months of interrogations and probably torture of the arrested individuals.

So much time and effort wasted, and no one is held accountable?

HanafiahPuteh: Muslims should not support injustice. If there are no clear supporting evidence, it is a sin to detain the innocent.

Not everything is about politics. If it can happen to innocent people today, it can also happen to our loved ones one day.

Do not detain a race for mere political expediency. That is not Islamic at all. We shouldn't support that. Waasalam.

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