Home Ministry confirms Bangladesh's request to detain ex-Bestinet founder

The Home Ministry has confirmed a request from Bangladesh to detain Bestinet founder Aminul Islam Abdul Nor and his associate Ruhul Amin.

Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail stated that Malaysia is seeking further clarification from Dhaka on whether the request is for extradition or further investigation.

He added that the ministry has discussed the matter with Inspector-General of Police Razarudin Husain and Attorney-General Ahmad Terrirudin Mohd Salleh after Dhaka’s official notice to Bukit Aman.

“We need to clarify the objective of the detention. If it’s for recording statements and conducting investigations, Dhaka must use the ‘mutual legal assistance’ channel. However, if the goal is to prosecute them in Bangladesh, they must initiate extradition procedures.

“Extradition is necessary for prosecution. But for investigation, mutual legal assistance suffices. As of now, I can confirm that Dhaka has sent an official notice to Bukit Aman.

“We are awaiting further details, and I trust the IGP will coordinate with Dhaka to clarify the purpose,” he told the media after the handover ceremony for the Immigration Detention Depot and Quarters at the Jawi Immigration Depot today, which was also attended by Immigration director-general Zakaria Shaaban.

He was addressing media reports that Bangladesh police had urged Malaysia to detain Bestinet founder Aminul and his associate Ruhul, who are accused of money laundering, extortion, and human trafficking.

Aminul, the founder and former chairperson of Bestinet, is behind the Foreign Worker Centralised Management System (FWCMS), which the Malaysian government uses to process the entry of foreign workers.

It is understood that Aminul, originally from Bangladesh, is now a Malaysian citizen. While he is no longer Bestinet chairperson, he still holds shares in the company.

No info about three individuals

Saifuddin further clarified that so far the ministry has not received any reports regarding Bangladesh’s claim that three Malaysians impersonated “government representatives” concerning an investigation into money laundering, extortion, and human trafficking involving Bangladeshi workers.

He said he only learned of the matter through media reports and has not received any official communication from the Bangladesh government.

“Therefore, I cannot comment further as we have not received any official complaints or reports to act on. At this point, we have no information about the three individuals.

“We can only address the issue if we receive an official report or request from Dhaka,” he said.

The media previously reported that at least two Bangladeshi news outlets claimed three individuals visited Bangladesh in September as government representatives and provided false information about the investigation.

In a separate matter, Saifuddin announced that he would attend the defamation trial filed by Kedah Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor against him once the new court date is set.

“Like the Kedah menteri besar, who requested a postponement when the trial was scheduled, I too will ask for a delay. Once a new date is set, we will meet in court,” he said.

- Bernama

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