Tamim surrenders to police, hopes to campaign for N Sembilan independent candidate 

Self-proclaimed land activist Tamim Dahri Abd Razak, who has been on the run from court charges linked to religious provocation, today surrendered himself to the police. 

The New Straits Times quoted Negeri Sembilan police chief Alzafny Ahmad as saying that the 33-year-old presented himself at the Port Dickson district police headquarters at around 12.45pm. 

Affirming that Tamim will be brought to the Seremban court tomorrow for a remand application, Alzafny said probes found that the suspect had been in Thailand for over four months. 

He is said to have then returned to Malaysia through an illegal route along the Kelantan border. 

Alzafny said probes into Tamim began on March 10 after police received a report from an Indian man alleging that he had been threatened by the suspect on Facebook.

“Following the report, police opened an investigation paper under Section 506 of the Penal Code and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.

“Efforts to trace the suspect were carried out around Kajang, Selangor, but investigations found that the man was believed to have fled to Thailand through the Bukit Kayu Hitam border checkpoint on March 9,” Alzafny was quoted as saying. 

Interpol red notice

Previously, Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said police had on June 8 applied for an Interpol red notice to be issued against Tamim. 

The application also included a request for the suspect’s passport to be revoked. 

READ MORE: Tamim case: 'Interpol shouldn't be burdened just because some feel offended'

Tamim faces a charge under Section 295 of the Penal Code for allegedly damaging a soolam, a sacred trident symbol of Hindu worshippers, at the former site of a temple in Langkawi.

READ MORE: Hindu symbol desecration: Tamim claims ignorance, activist says it was clearly a temple site

On March 17, the Langkawi Magistrate’s Court postponed proceedings against Tamim after being informed that he was in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The prosecution said then that Tamim was believed to have left Malaysia through Bukit Kayu Hitam for Thailand on March 9 before travelling to Saudi Arabia via Bangkok.

The court later issued an arrest warrant for him on May 17.

In a video circulated on social media, Tamim today said he had returned from overseas to aid campaign efforts for an independent candidate in the Negeri Sembilan state election. 

Tamim said he had wished to campaign for the Sri Tanjung hopeful, Islah Wahyudi Zainuddin, as the candidate is the sole Malay-Muslim in a five-cornered fight for the state seat.  

The rest of Islah’s contenders, consisting of candidates from Pakatan Harapan, BN, Bersatu, and another independent, are Indians. 

Tamim case: 'Interpol shouldn't be burdened just because some feel offended'

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