Anwar on LTTE: Look into other disproportionate terror-related cases too

PKR president Anwar Ibrahim said in light of Attorney-General Tommy Thomas' decision to drop proceedings against 12 people with alleged links to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a defunct separatist group in Sri Lanka, other similar cases should also be looked into.

Anwar said while he does not want to appear to be defending terrorism, he said some of the punishment can be disproportionate. For example, a jail sentence for possessing a T-shirt deemed to be linked to terror groups.

“If we feel that the punishment does not fit the crime or it is too harsh, we can re-examine this.

“We should be tough on terrorism and I do not compromise with terror. But there are some cases reported, and I’ve met in my time in the Sungai Buloh prison, I feel like it is a small crime case, like a T-shirt of support or a donation to a neighbour that I feel it (the offence of supporting terrorism) is enough with the current punishment.

“The same consideration should be given to the LTTE detainees,” Anwar said to reporters after an event in Bangi today.

Speaking more on the dropped prosecution against the 12 with alleged links to LTTE, Anwar said the AG had considered all factors and he would leave it to Thomas to decide.

Meanwhile, in a separate statement, Amanah legal bureau (Kanun) also urged the AG and Home Minister Muhyiddin Yassin to review the gazette on terror groups.

“Kanun hopes the gazette on terror organisations can be reviewed by the AG and the home minister so that the principle of justice can be upheld,” said Kanun chairperson Zulqarnain Lukman.

Aside from the gazette, Kanun also called for the AG to review the status of other detainees under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act (Sosma) regardless of their race or religion.

Kanun said it understands that there are those trying to make this into a racial issue by comparing it to the case of Siti Noor Aisyah Atam who was sentenced to five years in prison for possessing 12 books linked to global terrorist organisation Islamic State.

“(Siti Noor Aisyah’s) case was decided in 2017 when Malaysia was still under the rule of BN. At that time, Amanah itself was involved in protesting against the use of Sosma and the injustice against Siti Noor Aisyah,” said Zulqarnain.

As such, he hopes that the public will not use this LTTE matter to incite more racial and religious issues in Malaysia.

It was reported yesterday that Thomas had decided to discontinue proceedings against the 12 men with alleged links to LTTE with immediate effect. 

The 12 included DAP's Negri Sembilan state assemblyperson for Seremban Jaya P Gunasekaran and Malacca state exco G Saminathan.

While the decision was lauded by several DAP leaders, it received criticism from Bersatu and Umno leaders who respectively called Thomas' credibility into question and urged for his resignation.