Terrorism atau pengganas, satu patah perkataan yang sekarang ini sering didengari di media massa. Ada sahaja perbuatan-perbuatan yang melibatkan kemusnahan dari segi harta benda dan juga nyawa yang terjadi dan most of them are being associated with act of terrorism.
Malaysia telah lama diancam terrosim sejak dari tahun 1948 lagi. Pelakunya adalah pengganas komunis. Kini Malaysia diancam lagi oleh pengganas. Sebelum ini saya banyak membaca sejarah perjuangan menentang komunis dan antara perkara yang dititikberatkan dalam operasi menangkap dan menumpaskan komunis adalah ketepatan maklumat.
Tanpa ketepatan maklumat, operasi yang dijalankan tidak akan berjaya malah mungkin membahayakan keselamatan polis dan tentera. Pada zaman ini, lagi sekali kita menggunakan maklumat yang ada untuk menentang dan menumpaskan ancaman pengganas. Namun, sesuai dengan peredaran zaman, teknologi-teknologi terkini boleh digunakan untuk memperolehi, menyimpan dan mengakses kembali maklumat tersebut. Dalam dunia pengurusan maklumat yang efektif, teknik untuk gather, storage and retrieve information dapat diuruskan dengan lebih teratur sehingga membolehkan information delivered at the right time, moment and to the right people. Sejauh manakah maklumat-maklumat ini diuruskan dengan baik? Itu saya tidak tahu kerana ianya sulit. Saya assume semua berjalan lancar sebab itulah kita memperolehi banyak kejayaan. Apa pun, tahniah kepada unsung heroes kita dalam pasukan keselamatan yang banyak bekorban untuk Malaysia kekal aman.
Di bawah merupakan artikel penuh dari The Star berkenaan perjuangan Unit Anti Pengganas Malaysia menentang terrorism.
KNOWN just
as E8, the Bukit Aman Special Branch Counter Terrorism Division has been
working behind the scenes since the 1990s in Malaysia’s battle against
terrorism. Terrorist groups and cells ranging from al-Qaeda and Jemaah
Islamiyah to Kumpulan Mujahideen Malaysia and, more recently, the
Islamic State (IS) have been busted due to E8’s painstaking work.
Yet a misconception has persisted about how Malaysia was used as a
launch pad for the Sept 11, 2001, attack on the United States. The
division could not counter such allegations because information about
its work had to remain classified for security reasons. Now, finally,
after files have been unclassified, the head of the E8, Deputy Comm
Datuk Ayob Khan, speaks to Sunday Star to set the record straight.
Can you comment on allegations that Malaysia was used as a
launch pad for the 9/11 attacks on the United States in 2001, and that
local authorities were unaware then of the terrorists’ presence here?
This is definitely not true. In December 1999, the Special Branch
received information from an American intelligence agency that nine
Arabs, suspected to be al-Qaeda members, were in Malaysia. They were
actually a unit that specialised in suicide attacks and bombings.
Based on that intel, we tracked down one of the operatives, Khalid
Al-Midhar, who entered Malaysia on Jan 5, 2000. We were tasked with
conducting surveillance at KL International Airport that night. We
waited at the baggage carousel area and one of the officers spotted
Khalid. Based on his mannerisms, clothing and movements, I would never
have thought this man would eventually hijack an airplane and crash it
into the Pentagon (in Washington DC).
We tracked Khalid’s movements in Malaysia, following him to Bukit
Bintang (in Kuala Lumpur), where he met with three other operatives –
Nawaf Al Hazmi, Salahsaed Mohamed Yousaf @ Khallad, and Suhail @ Abd
Shorabi. All four stayed at a condominium in Sungai Long (Selangor) that
belonged to Malaysian militant Yazid Sufaat. Khalid, Nawaf and
Salahsaed flew to Bangkok and joined other terror cells to plan the 9/11
attacks.
We passed all information, including passport and flight details and
photographs to an American intelligence agency. Unfortunately, that
agency did not share the information with other US law enforcement
agencies such as the FBI. If the agency had shared the information,
pre-emptive measures could have been taken by US authorities to arrest
the suspects as they entered the United States. This lack of
coordination was highlighted in the “9/11 Commission Report” published
by the US Government after the attack.
Thus, allegations that Malaysia was used as a launch pad and did not
share intel with American authorities are simply false. Those who make
the allegations should look at their own shortcomings first before
blaming Malaysia.
Stopping a threat: Counter terrorism officers busting a JI cell in Malaysia. — Photos: Special Branch Counter Terrorism Division
Was the surveillance of Khalid the first success E8 had in battling al-Qaeda?
No, it’s not. In December 1995, we arrested Wali Khan Amin Shah, the
man connected to the basement bombing of the World Trade Center in New
York City on Feb 26, 1993. The blast killed six and injured more than
1,000 people.
Our investigations revealed that Wali Khan was close to al-Qaeda
member Ramzi Ahmad Yousef and that both were hiding in South-East Asia.
While Ramzi was eventually detained in Pakistan, Wali Khan remained
elusive. However, through intelligence exchanges and cooperation with
agencies in neighbouring countries, the division managed to track down
Wali Khan on Pulau Langkawi where he was attempting to open an Arabic
restaurant in Kuah in June 1995.
We counter-checked Wali Khan’s photograph with the FBI and confirmed
his identity based on an injury to his right hand following a mishap
while testing a bomb in Afghanistan. He was married but had two
girlfriends – a Malaysian and a Filipina.
We caught him in Kuah on Dec 11, 1995, while he was distributing
fliers to publicise his new restaurant. He did not resist arrest – in
fact, he was shocked, and even cried.
This success prompted then US President Bill Clinton to send a letter
of appreciation to our Prime Minister and the police, especially the
division.
Danger zone: Ayob (left) checking bomb materials seized from Dr Azahari in Perak in June 2003.
Other than al-Qaeda, what other terror groups has the division successfully fought?
Top of the list has to be Jemaah Islamiyah (JI).
In 2001, we thought that militant activities in the country were
under control. However, after we caught militant Yazid Sufaat on Dec 9,
2001, we uncovered a new terror group – the JI. The spread of this
militant group’s influence came about from foreign militants who were
part of Indonesia’s Pertubuhan Darul Islam (PDI). The history of PDI in
Malaysia started in April 1985 when 20 PDI members fled to Klang to
escape a clampdown by Indonesian authorities. At first, the group spread
their extremist teachings within the Indonesian community there.
However, in 1993, a PDI faction broke away and formed JI, which
included Malaysian recruits. JI pioneers include Abdullah Sungkar and
the notorious Abu Bakar Basyir, who later became the face of the terror
group. Both men were from Solo, Indonesia.
After JI was formed, Abdullah Sungkar set up the Luqman Nul-Hakiem
school in Johor Baru to train the children of JI members. They began
recruiting more Malaysians discreetly, with the ultimate goal of forming
the Daulah Islamiyah Nusantara. Their first few Malaysian recruits were
lecturers from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia in Skudai (Johor) and some
Singaporeans. In 1999, Abu Bakar took over the mantle of leadership
after Abdullah Sungkar died of complications from heart disease.
Since 1993, JI has been using Malaysia as a base for recruitment as
well as a transit point for sending their cadets for weapons training in
Afghanistan. Around 2000, we discovered that some 40 JI militants used
Sabah as transit point on their way to Mindanao (the Philippines) for
weapons training.
That same year, JI shifted its headquarters from Malaysia to
Indonesia when Abu Bakar went back to Solo following the downfall of
Suharto’s regime. More JI members headed the same way following the
crackdown in Malaysia by the division from December 2001 onwards.
Among the locations which we know were targeted by JI were
entertainment outlets in Bangsar in KL, the KLCC, embassies, and the
Immigration HQ near the Johor Causeway.
Was the Special Branch the first security agency to uncover the JI network in South-East Asia?
Based on our surveillance of Yazid Sufaat which began in January
2000, it can be said that the Special Branch is the first agency to
detect JI activity in the region. Singapore is also one of the earlier
countries that managed to uncover and arrest JI members in December
2001.
We have also been credited by our counterparts in Australia with
supplying information on JI that led to a major crackdown on the group
in Australia.
Since operations against JI started in 2001, what weapons and explosives have been recovered?
We had multiple seizures but never shared them with the Malaysian
public before this, as the operations were conducted under the Internal
Security Act.
One of the most memorable raids was seizing a bomb consisting of a
circuit board, remote control, and mobile phone, assembled by JI
militant Dr Azahari Hussein in Felda Lengkap in Perak on June 17, 2003.
We were led to the bomb by a JI suspect. To conceal it, Dr Azahari had
buried the bomb underground along with 14 detonators.
Our intelligence revealed that Dr Azahari had mixed dangerous
chemicals with explosive materials. So when we finally pinpointed the
bomb’s location, no one was brave enough to open the lid, fearing it
might be booby-trapped. Even the Hazmat (hazardous materials) team and
bomb unit were having difficulties in opening the lid. Finally, the
Teluk Intan Special Branch chief ordered everyone to clear the area and
opened the lid. Thankfully, nothing untoward occurred.
On April 5, 2007, we recovered a bomb at the International Islamic
University Malaysia following the arrests of two JI members. They were
also responsible for making six pipe bombs and placing them in a rubbish
bins located in front of entertainment outlets along Jalan Telawi 3 in
Bangsar (KL). The bombs were supposed to go off on Dec 31, 1999, but we
were lucky as some of their components were not working properly. We
nearly had a “Bangsar bombing”....
The duo also targeted McDonald’s and other such outlets but,
strangely, their first request after being caught was for fried chicken
from the fast food joint!
Besides JI and al-Qaeda, what other terror groups have crossed paths with the division?
One of our successes would be busting the activities of the
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a rebel group in Sri Lanka.
Beginning in 2009, we have arrested 25 LTTE militants. One of the
most high profile of these was the arrest of high ranking leader Kumaran
Pathma-natahan on Aug 5, 2009. We arrested him at a hotel in KL and
later transferred him to the Putrajaya police headquarters to prevent
any backlash from other LTTE members still in Malaysia. During his
interrogation, Kumaran admitted that from Sri Lanka, he fled to Thailand
and Singapore before making his way to Malaysia using a forged Indian
passport. On Aug 6, 2009, we deported Kumaran to Sri Lanka.
Malaysia was once accused of being a transit point for Uighur
terrorists from the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) originally
based in Xinjiang, China.
We detected that ETIM has been operating in Malaysia since 2011
following the arrests of 17 Uighurs suspected of terrorism activities.
The division has also arrested 32 other Uighurs believed to be involved
with the ETIM and using Malaysia as a transit point for terror
activities in a third country. We uncovered their modus operandi of
entering Malaysia through a human trafficking syndicate. However, it
must be said that there are also Uighurs who have entered Malaysia
illegally to seek asylum.
We also discovered that the ETIM has cooperated with other terrorism
groups, including the IS and Abu Sayyaf. It was the ETIM that was
responsible for the bombing of the Erawan Shrine in Bangkok on Aug 17,
2015, which killed 20 people. Two Uighurs were arrested following the
blast.
Some of the ETIM Uighurs have even used Sabah as a transit point as
they head to the southern Philippines to join forces with an Abu Sayyaf
cell led by fugitive Malaysian militant Dr Mahmud Ahmad. Our operations
against the ETIM are ongoing.
Is there a comprehensive rehabilitation programme for militant detainees?
The rehabilitation of detained militants and religious extremists is
organised by the police with assistance from various government
agencies. The process begins with the detention order.
The detainees are placed under the supervision of the Prisons
Department, which has its own rehabilitation programme involving
discipline development (up to three months), personality enhancement
(six to 12 months), and evaluation by the Prisons Department, the
Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) and the police.
During detention in Kamunting (Perak), Jakim is roped in to conduct a
series of rehabilitation programmes to instil an understanding of the
true teachings of Islam. And former detainees with special expertise are
also invited to deliver talks.
Who are among the scholars and ulama who have made a difference in rehabilitating militants?
Among those who have commanded respect from the detainees are
Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia senior lecturer Abdullah Jalil, Islamic
Strategic Research Institute senior fellow Engku Ahmad Engku Ali, and
Home Ministry Islamic affairs officer Ustaz Zamihan Al Ghari.
The most outstanding among them was the late Prof Datuk Dr Muhammad
Uthman El Muhammady, a fellow of the International Institute of Islamic
Thought and Civilisation. Despite his deteriorating health a few years
ago, Dr Muhammad Uthman kept talking to families of detainees all around
the country, in Johor, KL, Perak, Sabah, and Selangor.
A week before he died, he was still hard at work on his review of
reading materials seized in various operations. His son, (International
Islamic University lecturer) Dr Ahmad El Muham-mady, also greatly
assisted us in the rehabilitation programme.
From 2001 to 2012, we conducted rehab for 289 militant detainees with
a 97% success rate. Only seven of those detainees went back to
militancy.
What other programmes are there for detainees?
The police is organising a special re-education programme for
families of both detainees as well as militants who are still at large.
They are invited for dialogue sessions at which all complaints and
doubts about matters such as legal procedures are addressed.
The next step is the reintegration into society of former militants,
which is vital in countering radicalisation and violent extremism. We
have to ensure that ex-detainees are able to return to the mainstream of
society. Among the steps taken is helping them secure jobs.
For the record, several senior JI leaders have become successful
businessmen and own several companies. Some are lecturing and many
returned to their initial workplaces.
We also extended financial help to those interested in setting up
small businesses and encouraged the younger ones to continue their
education.
One successful example of reintegration of militants is the case of
13 Malaysian teenagers who joined an Al Ghuraba JI cell operating in
Karachi, Pakistan, in 2003. All 13 were escorted back to the country.
Five of them eventually enrolled in universities, some have since become
lecturers, a few joined multinational companies, and others became
businessmen.
What is your advice to Malaysians in the fight against terrorism?
The police, especially the division, cannot act alone. Members of the
public, NGOs, as well as religious scholars must play their part.
Families must be wary of their surroundings and report suspicious
activities to us. The division will always be on guard.
As for the current IS threat, we have detained 294 militants since
February 2013. The safety and security of everybody is our priority.
Source : Farid Zolkepli, Facing Down Terror, The Star Online, 23 April 2017 retrieved from http://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2017/04/23/facing-down-terror-the-man-who-leads-a-bukit-aman-division-in-fighting-terrorism-has-many-tales-to-s/
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