GRILLED BY SUHAKAM, EX-IGP KHALID BAKAR SHOWS HIS IGNORANCE OF FATWAS – YET WAS EVER-READY TO FIRE-POKE INTO RELIGIOUS ISSUES, PERHAPS TO GAIN FAVOR WITH NAJIB & UMNO: EX-TOP COP FINALLY ADMITS HIS INSTRUCTIONS MAY HAVE LED TO SHIA RAID – WHICH IN TURN COULD HAVE TRIGGERED AMRI’S DISAPPEARANCE

View of KL on the 27jun 2013. All most with out haze. Taken at tasik Titiwangsa.

KUALA LUMPUR – Former top cop Khalid Abu Bakar today admitted that a raid on a Shia gathering in Perak in 2014 might have occurred as a result of instructions he wrote on a letter.

The former inspector-general of police said he had written on a copy of a letter sent by Shia members to the Prime Minister’s Department informing it that they would be holding a gathering to commemorate the birthday of the Prophet’s daughter, Zainab, in Perak.

His instructions were handwritten and based on an edict by the National Fatwa Council forbidding Shia practice among Muslims in the country.

“As I understand it, when the fatwa is gazetted at state level, it becomes law. I am of the view that the council’s edict has legal implications.

“To a certain extent, yes, the raid may have occurred as a result of the instructions,” he said when testifying at the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) inquiry into the disappearance of Perlis activist Amri Che Mat.

The raid was carried out in Ijok, Perak, in 2014, jointly by police and the Perak Islamic religious department. A total of 114 Shia followers were detained for a night.

However, Khalid disagreed with a suggestion by Amri’s lawyer Larissa Anne Louis that the raid in Perak was initiated by the police and not the Perak Islamic religious department.

“No, the raid was not led by the police and aided by the religious department. The raid was not done under my direction.

“Yes, it was an integrated operation, but it was led by the state Islamic religious department,” he said.

Khalid also said he was unsure if there were additional reports or complaints, aside from his minutes.

On what was the police’s view on Shia teachings, Khalid said the force followed the policies of the government.

He pointed out that the fatwa council had already issued a fatwa that teachings other than Sunni teachings were forbidden.

On whether Shia followers are considered a threat, Khalid said there was a possibility that they could become a threat to national security, which would then require the police to investigate.

“If they pose a threat, then we need to take much sterner action. It is a judgment call. Depending on the severity of the threat (we will then take action).

“(In the Perak case) there were no elements of violence, which is why the state Islamic religious department led the raid. (The offence committed) was in violation of a fatwa. It was not violence,” he said.

Khalid added that it was not the police’s policy to regard a Shia follower as a threat.

Amri, who co-founded Perlis Hope, has been missing since Nov 24, 2016. His wife previously said that five vehicles had blocked his car before he was whisked away, some 500m from their home in Bukit Chabang, Perlis. – FMT

Ex-IGP: I instructed cops to help enforce fatwas on Syiah practices

During his tenure as inspector-general of police, Khalid Abu Bakar had instructed his force to assist religious authorities in enforcing fatwas against Syiah believers and activities.

He also believed that there was a national fatwa outlawing Syiah practices which had legal implications.

Khalid said this when cross-examined during the Human Rights Commission’s (Suhakam) inquiry into the disappearance of social activist Amri Che Mat today.

“The Syiah problem is not a police problem, but we have an understanding with Islamic departments that we will help them when it comes to any wrongdoing under state syariah laws.

“From time to time, I would give instructions to my officers when I received information on activities that were not in line with Islamic teachings […] and I would tell them to help the Islamic department in their investigations.

“[…] We would also provide personnel to ensure the security of Islamic department officials during enforcement activities,” he said at the Suhakam headquarters in Kuala Lumpur this morning.

Khalid added that police also assisted religious authorities to nab Syiah followers.

“If they (the religious department officers) want to catch someone and need our assistance to catch the person, we will assist in catching the person.

“We will also assist them in rehabilitation, we will send officers into prisons and help authorities explain security and safety (issues) but not in terms of religion (issues),” he said.

According to Khalid, the National Fatwa Council had previously released a fatwa outlawing Islamic beliefs other than the Sunnah Wal Jamaah.

“In my view, fatwas have legal implications.

“[…] To my understanding, (a fatwa outlawing Syiah beliefs) was gazetted by the Perak Islamic Department and thus it has legal implications,” he added during the cross-examination.

In response, Suhakam commissioner Aishah Bidin corrected Khalid and said the Muzakarah of the Fatwa Committee of the National Council for Islamic Affairs was tasked with making fatwas, and that the edicts did not have legal implications nationwide.

The former IGP later clarified that he could have “misunderstood” the existence of a National Fatwa Council but maintained he had been informed that a fatwa against Syiah activities would be gazetted into law in all states.

No knowledge about Amri

Amri disappeared on Nov 24, 2016 in Kangar, Perlis when Khalid was still the IGP.

Former Bukit Aman social extremism division chief Awaludin Jadid previously revealed that his unit had been monitoring Amri prior to his disappearance, and further viewed Amri’s NGO Perlis Hope as a front for Syiah proselytisation activities.

Today, Khalid maintained that the police were merely following “government policy” on Syiah, and were responsible for ensuring the people did the same.

However, he could not confirm if Amri was indeed being monitored, because Awaludin had not reported directly to the IGP and he thus did not have detailed knowledge about the case.

“I can’t confirm that he was being surveilled, I do not know much about this case.

“[…] I have not been updated about this case and before I retired (in Sept 2017) I did not know the cause (of his disappearance),” he said.

Today’s proceeding was led by Suhakam commissioner Mah Weng Kwai together with Aishah and Nik Salida Suhaila Nik Saleh.

Suhakam is investigating if Amri’s disappearance, as well as that of two others, were “enforced or involuntary” as defined by the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance (ICPPED).

Malaysia is not a signatory to the ICPPED, which was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2006.

Enforced disappearance is defined as the arrest, detention, abduction or any other form of deprivation of liberty by agents of the state or by persons, or groups of persons acting with the authorisation, support or acquiescence of the state. — M’kini

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