Ex-student fitted with tracker after 9 months' jail under Sosma, POCA

Former student Siti Noor Aishah Atam has been fitted with an electronic monitoring device after spending nine months in detention for allegedly owning 12 banned books related to terrorism.

This is after her release last Saturday from close to two months in detention without trial under the Prevention of Crime Act (POCA), human rights NGO Suaram Amir Abdul Hadi said in a statement.

She was fitted with an EMD and instructed to report to Bukit Aman every Friday for eight weeks, he said.

The former University of Malaya Masters of Usuluddin (Islamic Studies) student was arrested under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 on March 22, 2016, and was released on court order on Sept 26 after seven month's detention.

She was on April 19 charged under Section 130JB(1)(a) Penal Code for alleged terrorism and links to terrorist group Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), Islamic State and al-Qaeda.

Judicial Commissioner Mohamad Shariff Abu Samah on Sept 26 acquitted Siti Noor Aishah and ordered her release after the prosecution failed to prove she owned the books.

The JC said the 12 books were not banned by the government.

He also rejected the prosecution's application to re-arrest Siti Noor Aishah under Sosma.

However, Amir said, she was re-arrested under POCA on the same day.

Suaram has filed a complaint with the Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) and the Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission (EAIC) on Oct 21, 2016, he said.

Last December, police said more than 200 people were fitted with the EMD under POCA.

Those found tampering with the device or violating conditions of release can be jailed for two years.

As at Sept 30, 2015, 975 people have been detained under POCA.

Of that number, 193 were detained for gangsterism, 451 for violent crimes, 196 for property crimes and seven for drug-related crimes.

POCA 1959 was amended in 2013 to allow detention without trial after Internal Security Act 1960 and Emergency (Public Order and Crimes Prevention) Ordinance 1969 (EO) were repealed.

The authorities said the EO was used against organised crimes, and amendments to PCA was to facilitate prevention detention and detention without trial.- Mkini