KUALA LUMPUR, July 14 — PAS confirmed today that it has sacked three party members wanted for Islamic militancy after concluding its own investigations into their alleged involvement.

PAS secretary-general Datuk Mustafa Ali said the party’s top leadership made the decision at its central committee meeting yesterday.

The trio are Dr Mahmud Ahmad, 36, Mohd Najib Husen, 36, and Muhammad Joraimee Awang Raimee, 39.

“We don’t have hard, real evidence of their activities except that they went on a humanitarian mission to the Philippines a long time ago.

“They can still prove their innocence, they can appeal,” he told The Malay Mail Online when contacted.

Two weeks ago, the police announced that they are looking for five Malaysians suspected of recruiting members for militant Islamic groups in conflict-riddled Syria and the Philippines.

Profiles of the five men, complete with their pictures, were released in a wanted poster by Bukit Aman’s counter-terrorism unit.

Inspector-general of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said three of the suspects are believed to be serving the Islamic State of Iraq and The Levant (ISIL) while the other two are members of Darul Islam Sabah, a group now affiliated with the Abu Sayyaf terrorist sect based in South Philippines.

Among those identified as ISIL recruiters is Mahmud, otherwise known as Abu Hanadzalah, a lecturer attached with Universiti Malaya’s (UM) Academy of Islamic Studies faculty.

Also linked to ISIL is Mohd Najib — who also goes by the name of Abraham — the operator of a photocopy and stationaries shop in UM, and Muhammad Joraimee or Abu Nur, a secretariat staff with the Selayang city council.

Today, Mustafa said he did not know the trio personally, and the party only checked if they were PAS members after the announcement made by the police.

He also said that all three were out of the country when the announcement was made and that the party’s investigations were only based on interviews with those who knew them.

It is unclear where the trio are today and if they are together.

When asked if the party is investigating any more members currently, he said “No”.

The Islamist part had repeated their stance against members involved with militant and jihadist groups abroad and had threatened to sack any members found to be linked to the groups.

This follows news of the party’s recent expulsion of another member — Lotfi Ariffin — after confirmation that he had left for Syria to join a jihad movement.