KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 27 — The 23-year-old charged in court yesterday for allegedly attempting to join the outlawed Islamic State militant group in Syria was expelled from Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) last year, an official from the institution said.
Wan Mohammad Arif Wan Rokman was booted out of the higher learning institution in September over “academic problems”, Malay daily Berita Harian reported today, quoting UiTM’s vice-chancellor Tan Sri Dr Sahol Hamid Abu Bakar.
Sahol Hamid explained that Wan Mohammad had come under tremendous pressure after his engagement to his former fiancé was broken off.
“So when he joined the IS movement, he was no longer a UiTM student,” he said.
The vice-chancellor also said that checks with Wan Mohammad’s peers revealed that the latter did not try to cajole his peers to follow him in partaking in the terror group’s activity.
Wan Mohammad, who was pursuing a course in marine engineering at UiTM in Arau, Perlis, was expelled after he failed to submit his registration for the seventh semester last September.
“From the information we gathered, we found out that Wan Mohammad was quiet and kept to himself a lot,” said UiTM Perlis’ rector Prof Datuk Dr Ahmad Redzuan Abd Rahman.
“No other students have been found to be involved in IS or found to be spreading the group’s influence in UiTM Perlis,” added Ahmad Redzuan.
Wan Mohammad was accused in court yesterday of trying to support IS and seeking to become a member of the group branded as terrorists by Putrajaya, a crime that if convicted could see the youth sentenced to life imprisonment.
In the charge under Section 130J(1)(a) of the Penal Code read out at the Sepang Sessions Court, Wan Mohammad was said to have tried to depart from the Kuala Lumpur International Airport last December 28 for Turkey using the Turkish Airlines.
Under Section 130J (1)(a), an individual who knowingly gives support or solicits support for any “terrorist group” will be found liable.
In the alternative charge under the same section read together with Section 511 of the Penal Code, he was said to have intended to enter Syria after his flight to Turkey for the benefit of the IS.
Both charges are punishable under Section 130J that prescribes life imprisonment or a maximum jail term of 30 years, or a fine as well as seizure of properties that were used or intended to be used to commit the offence upon conviction.
No plea was recorded in the Sessions Court as the case will be mentioned on March 30 for transfer to the High Court.
Wan Mohammad was also not offered bail as he was detained under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012.
