KUALA LUMPUR, May 12 — An evaluation on five books, including one with the title “Perang Akhir Zaman”, by a lecturer at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) was the focus at today’s High Court hearing of a case involving Yazid Sufaat and Muhammad Hilmi Hasim who are charged with inciting terrorist acts.

Associate Professor Dr Kamarudin Salleh, a lecturer at the Department of Usuluddin and Philosophy, Faculty of Islamic Studies, UKM, told the court that he was asked to evaluate the five books by an investigating officer known as Inspector S. Manivanan.

The other four books are “Memusuhi Penguasa Murtad”, “Dunia Tanpa Suami siri 2”, “Perjalanan Cinta Isteri Seorang Mujahid” and an Arabic to Malay dictionary, Al-Kautsar.

He said Manivanan came to his office and asked him to evaluate the books from the perspective of Islamic thinking.

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“I was asked to read and evaluate the books as an expert in the field of Islamic thinking,” he said during examination by deputy public prosecutor Nurdeenie Abdul Rashid.

Yazid, 51, a former Internal Security Act (ISA) detainee, and Muhammad Hilmi, 35, a cafeteria assistant, are charged with two counts of inciting terrorist acts to threaten the public in Syria and of being a member of a terrorist group, Tanzim al-Qaeda Malaysia, while Hilmi was charged with abetting him.

They were alleged to have committed the offences at DL 11, Taman Bukit Ampang, Lorong Mutiara 2, Lembah Jaya, Ampang, between Aug 1 2012 and Feb 7 2013.

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Kamarudin, a lecturer for almost 22 years, said he received the five books from Manivanan on July 15, 2013 and took almost two months to read them before writing a report on his evaluation.

He said from his reading of the book “Memusuhi Penguasa Murtad”, the author was trying to oppose the government, which was regarded as an apostate, while the book “Dunia Tanpa Suami siri 2” was on the laments of women whose husbands were detained under the ISA.

As for the book “Perjalanan Cinta Isteri Seorang Mujahid” it was about a woman’s struggle to free her husband who was detained under the ISA, he added.

He said the book “Buku Perang Akhir Zaman”, containing 440 pages, was about waiting for the hereafter and discussed about war, enemy strategy and conspiracy by the west and Jews.

Questioned by Nurdeenie whether there was a tendency for a person to become radical after reading the book, Kamarudin said it depended on the person’s understanding and appreciation of the book.

He also said that those who did not have strong religious background could be lured to act violent.

However, lawyer Amer Hamzah Arsyad, representing Yazid and Hilmi, objected to the question.

The hearing before Judge Datuk Mohd Azman Husin continues tomorrow. — Bernama