The New Straits Times
Mustawan, a 35-year-old Indonesian, was one of the foreigners Fazdullah recruited. He was arrested in Taman Melur, Ampang, in August last year. Faizal Ahmad is from Perak, while the Faizal Sulaiman and Razali are from Johor.
Of the others arrested, the foreigners were deported and handed over to authorities in their respective countries, while the locals were rehabilitated before being released.
Sources said prior to 2001, there were not many terrorists here but authorities kept a close watch as investigations showed JI had been trying to set up base here since 1985.
In fact, JI founder Abdullah Sungkar and Abu Bakar Bashir, who had been linked to a bombing attack on Borobudur in 1985, were said to have gone into hiding in Malaysia.
Abdullah was said to have returned to Indonesia only in 1998 and died there in November 1999.
On June 16 this year, Abu Bakar was found guilty in Indonesia of preparing to use violence as an act of terrorism and sentenced to 15 years in jail.
Federal police special task force (operations and counter terrorism) director Datuk Mohamad Fuzi Harun said terrorists were misguided as far as the teachings of Islam were concerned, especially in regard to jihad.
"The followers are taught that jihad is about bombing and killing the innocent, which is wrong. This is dangerous... once they have been brainwashed and become militants, they do not care who and where are their targets. At the end of the day, only the innocent and victims who are mostly Muslims get hurt or die."
Security forces argue that this is the reason the ISA is important -- to curb terrorism and prevent attacks.
On the ongoing war on terror, Fuzi said police networking, cooperation and intelligence-sharing with their counterparts in other countries have helped in many ways.
"Terrorism is a global threat. Since some of us know each other, we frequently share intelligence."
He said among measures that could keep terror suspects away from Malaysian shores was the recently introduced biometric system at all entry points.
MORE than 170 terrorists have been arrested here under the Internal Security Act since 2001.
They are mainly members of al-Qaeda, Darul Islam, Abu Sayyaf, Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, Jemaah Islamiyah and their respective splinter groups.
A majority of those who have been detained are JI members. However, there are only five who remain at the Kamunting detention centre.
They are Mohammad Fazdullah Abdul Razak, Mustawan Ahbad, Faizal Ahmad Helme, Faizal Sulaiman Bokhari and Razali Kassan.
Fazdullah is said to have been the head of Tandzim al-Qaeda Southeast Asia. The Universiti Teknologi Malaysia graduate is believed to have recruited at least five local students from the university.
They are mainly members of al-Qaeda, Darul Islam, Abu Sayyaf, Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, Jemaah Islamiyah and their respective splinter groups.
A majority of those who have been detained are JI members. However, there are only five who remain at the Kamunting detention centre.
They are Mohammad Fazdullah Abdul Razak, Mustawan Ahbad, Faizal Ahmad Helme, Faizal Sulaiman Bokhari and Razali Kassan.
Fazdullah is said to have been the head of Tandzim al-Qaeda Southeast Asia. The Universiti Teknologi Malaysia graduate is believed to have recruited at least five local students from the university.
Mustawan, a 35-year-old Indonesian, was one of the foreigners Fazdullah recruited. He was arrested in Taman Melur, Ampang, in August last year. Faizal Ahmad is from Perak, while the Faizal Sulaiman and Razali are from Johor.
Of the others arrested, the foreigners were deported and handed over to authorities in their respective countries, while the locals were rehabilitated before being released.
Sources said prior to 2001, there were not many terrorists here but authorities kept a close watch as investigations showed JI had been trying to set up base here since 1985.
In fact, JI founder Abdullah Sungkar and Abu Bakar Bashir, who had been linked to a bombing attack on Borobudur in 1985, were said to have gone into hiding in Malaysia.
Abdullah was said to have returned to Indonesia only in 1998 and died there in November 1999.
On June 16 this year, Abu Bakar was found guilty in Indonesia of preparing to use violence as an act of terrorism and sentenced to 15 years in jail.
Federal police special task force (operations and counter terrorism) director Datuk Mohamad Fuzi Harun said terrorists were misguided as far as the teachings of Islam were concerned, especially in regard to jihad.
"The followers are taught that jihad is about bombing and killing the innocent, which is wrong. This is dangerous... once they have been brainwashed and become militants, they do not care who and where are their targets. At the end of the day, only the innocent and victims who are mostly Muslims get hurt or die."
Security forces argue that this is the reason the ISA is important -- to curb terrorism and prevent attacks.
On the ongoing war on terror, Fuzi said police networking, cooperation and intelligence-sharing with their counterparts in other countries have helped in many ways.
"Terrorism is a global threat. Since some of us know each other, we frequently share intelligence."
He said among measures that could keep terror suspects away from Malaysian shores was the recently introduced biometric system at all entry points.
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