APRIL 21 — At a closed-door meeting, regional anti-terrorism experts told a few true stories, including a terrorist suspect was planning to launch attacks in the country, and the Johor-Singapore Causeway was the target.

The authorities obtained sufficient information, including the main material used to make explosives was ammonia nitrate, which the suspect stored in an oil palm estate.

The suspect should be arrested and charged once the authorities found the evidence. However, the suspect was well prepared.

He stored ammonia nitrate, which is also fertiliser widely used in oil palm plantation, in his oil palm estate.

He had good reasons to defend himself if he was brought to court, by just saying that the ammonia nitrate was used for fertilising purposes.

The police and prosecutor’s odds of winning the case was thin.

However, if no action was taken against him, he would secretly blow up the causeway.

Once the causeway was attacked, it would cause heavy casualties and bring a very serious damage to Malaysia due to the causeway’s economic and strategic location.

It led to a dilemma. The authorities lacked sufficient evidence to charge the suspect in court, and had to take the pressure of human rights violation to detain him without trial. If no action was taken, the causeway might be attacked at anytime, claiming many innocent lives.

Should the authorities detain him without trial?

(He was detained.)

THE official number of Malaysians joining the IS militants is 120 people, while the nonofficial figures are several times higher.

Many of them are secretly supported and arrangements were made for them to first go to Turkey or Jordan before becoming “jihadists” in Syria and Iraq. And ladies will be arranged to provide services to jihadists.

Once they successfully join the IS militants, there will be no way to restrict their acts.

Joining the IS militants does not mean cutting off from Malaysia or being a threat to Malaysia only when they return.

In fact, these Malaysian IS members keep sending information about the situations in Syria and Iraq to Malaysia, including promoting the greatness of IS and glory of jihad, through Facebook and other social networks.

These messages are very attractive and serve as the best advertisements encouraging more people to join the IS militants. They help in recruiting more soldiers and service providers.

If a Malaysian IS member can influence 10 family or relative members, as well as dozens of friends, and these affected people spread the message to more people, the Malaysian IS militants can then be formed within a short period of time.

The government can stop them at checkpoints. It is actually not difficult to identify those heading to join the IS militants among the name list going to Turkey, Jordan and other countries. However, with their passports, unless if the authorities have sufficient evidence, or they cannot be simply stopped from travelling to these countries.

If their passports are confiscated, many non-governmental organisations and political parties will protest and criticise the authorities for violating human rights, and impeding people’s freedom of action.

However, if the authorities let them go, they will bring home more extreme and violent thoughts.

So, should the authorities let them go, or stop them?

THE authorities currently have a set of practices to deal with detained terrorists. Instead of violent treatment and punishment, the authorities instil moderate doctrine in them to make them understand what is wrong about extremism and persuade them to give up terrorism.

Some terrorists have accepted it, repented and made a new start. They were released and returned to the society.

However, there are some stubborn terrorists and extremists who adhere to their practices and believe that they are acting for religious truth.

They refuse to repent and threaten that once they are released, they will return to the terrorist organisation and continue their work.

Should the authorities continue detaining them, or release them?

THESE are true stories.

It is not just a problem of the government and terrorists, but all of us.

The Opposition and some non-governmental organisations, including the Bar Council, have insisted in opposing against detention without trial to defend the freedom of action. They are opposed to the Prevention of Terrorism Act.

Some people said that these people have committed no crime and there should be evidence to take actions against them. Since they are also Malaysians and thus, should enjoy equal human rights. — Sin Chew Daily

** This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail Online.