FAC News - Wednesday, June 19, 2002 7:36 AM

Two Religious Teachers Admit To Being KMM Members

Two religious teachers, including the Lumut PAS Youth Chief Tuesday admitted to Malaysian Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) their involvement with the Kumpulan Militan Malaysia (KMM).

Mat Salleh Said,31, and Muhamad Zulkifli Mohamad Zakaria,33, said they had undergone military training in Afghanistan while studying in Pakistan between 1992 and 1997.

However, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) lecturer Abdullah Daud and trader Abdullah Minyak Silam, denied being members of the movement although they were accused of being so during their detention under the Internal Security Act (ISA).

They however admitted to their involvement with the Jemaah Islamiah Malaysia (JIM).

The four were among eight ISA detainees including two members of the Al-Ma'unah group at the Kamunting Detention Centre who are testifying on the first day of a Suhakam probe into the condition of ISA detainees.

The others are Irhas Manaf,40, and Tan Hock Lee,44, who are accused of illegal minting of coins and two members of Al-Ma'unah, Ramli Abdullah, 31 and Sahak Tahib, 43.

The eight told the Commission they were well treated as detainees at the centre but had felt mentally suppressed during the 60-day solitary confinement under police remand ahead of being sent to the centre.

The probe is headed by Suhakam deputy chairman, Tan Sri Harun Hashim, who is being assisted by commissioners Datuk Hamdan Adnan and Datuk Asiah Abu Samah.

Muhamad Zulkifli, a religious teacher in Manjong who is also Lumut PAS Youth Chief said he underwent military training in Afghanistan and was treasurer of Perak KMM.

While denying any intention of armed revolt to topple the Malaysian government by use of violent means, he admitted that the group had assisted the Muslims in the Philippines and Ambon, whom they claimed were being oppressed.

"Before this I had intentions of going to Ambon but not anymore, now. I admit that I was a KMM member but there was no intention to engage in war in this country," he said.

Meanwhile Mat Salleh who had taught at Sekolah Menengah Raja Perempuan Taayah in Ipoh said he began his involvement with the KMM in 1998 as an ordinary member.

Abdullah, a lecturer at the UTM for the last 22 years said he had undergone military training in Afghanistan and was involved with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in the Philippines.

"However, I had been detained for being a KMM member which is not true .. although I admit to being a JIM member. However our activities were more humanitarian in nature where we extended help to Muslims in the Philippines and Ambon," the father of 11 said.

Sahak, an accounts executive with Air Asia, said he felt fortunate to be detained under the ISA, otherwise he could have faced a longer sentence, as experienced by the others who were involved in the Sauk incident two years ago.

"I was there in Sauk, but returned to Klang a few days before the incident. I had joined the movement to take up self-defence, and not to engage in war," said Sahak, who is under two years' detention under ISA.

Meanwhile, an Indonesian, Irhas, who was earlier detained on a murder charge, urged Suhakam to assist him in seeking exile in a third country.

He said he was detained under the ISA for his involvement in the Free Acheh Movement.

Harun later told the media the detainees were selected by some 113 others in Kamunting, with two detainees from each block. The hearing will resume tomorrow.

--BERNAMA