Records show three M’sian NGO leaders on FBI list are ‘clean, says Saifuddin

PUTRAJAYA: The three Malaysian Islamic non-governmental organisation (NGO) leaders on the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Terrorist Screening Center (TSC) watchlist do not have any records of terrorist-related activities, says Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.

He said this was based on the security records kept by the Police on 359 people from 53 NGOs involved in Ops Ihsan.

He said identity checks had been conducted on all the individuals before they participated in the humanitarian operations.

“Based on our checks with police security records, all the NGOs involved in Ops Ihsan are not linked to terrorism issues; they are ‘clean’,” he told a press conference here on Wednesday (Feb 21).

Saifuddin had earlier said that he was trying to get a clear picture of the three leaders from Islamic NGOs, who were actively involved in managing aid to West Asia, after reports said they were listed by the TSC.

This followed the Foreign Ministry’s order that they should not be involved in the Ops Ihsan managing delivery of humanitarian aid from Malaysians to the people of Palestine in Gaza.

Ops Ihsan, a brainchild of former Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir, served as a platform for the Foreign Ministry and NGOs to jointly mobilise support and humanitarian aid for Palestinians.

Saifuddin said Malaysia would continue with its existing method and system of maintaining security.

“This is important for an independent and sovereign country. We have our own laws and agencies responsible for the question of security. And we also have competent records for security vetting.

“This is the status (of information) I need to mention. That is the United States’ system, not our system,” he added.

He said the Ops Ihsan coordinator had lodged a police report on the three NGO leaders and police would be conducting their investigations.

On another matter, Saifuddin said the authorities would continue monitoring an Algerian man claiming to be a descendant of Prophet Muhammad and who had given religious talks in the country.

He said the Home Ministry would cooperate with state authorities to take action against the man, identified as Mawla Muhammad Amin al-Idrisi, if he breaches any laws.

However, he said no police reports had been lodged against the man.

Reports of the man giving lectures in conjunction with Maulidul Rasul have gone viral recently, with some seemingly obsessed with his lectures and others doubting his claims. – BK