Islamic State watched me while I went jogging, says Ayob

 I knew they were watching because we were in the same group watching them, says the former deputy IGP, who once led the counter-terrorism division at Bukit Aman.

Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay earned national and international attention for his work in dismantling terrorist cells. He recently retired as deputy inspector-general of police.

PETALING JAYA:

Being constantly on guard was second nature to Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay, especially when he was head of counter-terrorism. He knew there were eyes watching when he went jogging at Taman Tasik Perdana.

He knew that the Islamic State’s principal coordinator for Malaysia would recruit Malaysians through social media to carry out surveillance on security personnel.

“They tracked the movements of certain officers, including the inspector-general of police at the time. They knew I would go for a jog at Taman Tasik Perdana, and that then IGP (Khalid Abu Bakar) went for convoy bike rides on Saturdays.

“I received information about this because we were also in the group (monitoring them),” Ayob told FMT in an interview after recently retiring as deputy inspector-general of police following 35 years in the police force.

Ayob earned national and international recognition when he was head of the counter-terrorism division at Bukit Aman from 2016 to 2020, becoming known for dismantling militant cells and thwarting terror plots.

He said he had to take additional security precautions while in counter-terrorism, travelling in a bulletproof vehicle, changing routes, and remaining alert to his surroundings. He would sit facing outside when eating at restaurants so he could monitor the movements of people around him.

Ayob said such security practices were the result of techniques developed during the days of fighting the Malayan communist party from the 1950s to the 1980s.

He said the police needed specialised legal tools to prevent major security threats, such as the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012. The law, commonly known as Sosma, has been the subject of criticism and calls for it to be repealed.

Ayob said Sosma is important in helping the nation deal effectively with serious security threats, particularly terrorism and organised crime. However, he clarified that he was not arguing for the return of the Internal Security Act 1960, which allowed for indefinite detention without trial.

The ISA was repealed in 2012 and replaced by Sosma, which sets a maximum 28-day detention period for investigations after which suspects must be charged or released.

He said standard remand procedures under general criminal law were inadequate when dealing with large-scale terror operations involving multiple suspects.

“I didn’t just arrest one person when I was in counter-terrorism. Within 24 hours, I arrested 40 suspects,” he said.

Ayob explained that it would be impossible for investigators to thoroughly examine seized items, analyse mobile phones and laptops, and complete investigations for dozens of individuals if courts only grant a two-day remand.

He also stressed that strong security laws are essential to prevent communal tensions from escalating in Malaysia’s multiracial society, citing previous racial clashes in Kampung Medan and Kampung Rawa as examples.

“Our social fabric is different. We cannot simply take the model Western countries use,” he said, warning that politicians must look at long-term national safety rather than short-term political mileage. - FMT