Malaysia Nabs 10 on Suspicion of Passing Information to Abu Sayyaf Group

Malaysian authorities have arrested at least 10 people in the eastern state of Sabah suspected of leaking information about regional security operations to Abu Sayyaf militants and other criminals based in the nearby southern Philippines, Malaysia’s police chief said Friday.

The suspects who were arrested Thursday night are believed to have passed on classified information to the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) and other armed groups that have carried out multiple kidnappings of Malaysian and Indonesian sailors in local seas in recent months, Malaysian media quoted Inspector General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar as saying.

The suspects were caught through a joint operation that was still underway on Friday by Sabah police and personnel from a regional military base, the Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESSCOM), according to Khalid.

“Those arrested were civilians, residents of Sabah and individuals from the southern Philippines,” he said.

He did not rule out the possibility that some Malaysian security personnel could have played a role in passing on sensitive information about ESSCOM operations to Abu Sayyaf and other criminal gangs, according to reports.

“I am not denying it. There is a possibility,” Khalid told a news conference at Royal Malaysia Police headquarters.

The Filipinos who had entered Sabah without proper papers could be charged for flouting Malaysia’s immigration laws, he added. All of the suspects who have been arrested could be charged with violating the Security Offenses (Special Measures) Act of 2012 (SOSMA) for allegedly passing on sensitive information, Khalid said.

On Sept. 28, Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said a leak might exist where classified information about ESSCOM activities had been passed on to enemies of the state, the New Straits Times reported that day.

“I am not accusing anyone but it is not impossible for information to be passed to our enemies,” the Malaysian news outlet quoted Zahid as saying.

“They [enemies] are also aware of the assets required by [ESSCOM] and its related enforcement agencies may not be complete, thus the strengths and weaknesses are well-known,” Zahid said, according to NST.

Full story: BenarNews

Muzliza Mustafa
Kuala Lumpur