GOVERNMENT
RESPONSE TO MEDIA QUERIES ON THE ISA ARRESTS Some members of the media have asked about the recent arrests made in the Philippines and Malaysia, in particular the arrest of Fathur Rohman Al Ghozi in the Philippines and of three in Malaysia. The Government's response is as follows: a) Al Ghozi: Arising from information that the Internal Security Department (ISD) shared, the Philippines arrested Fathur Rohman Al Ghozi recently. He has been identified by the detainees as "Mike" whom they have worked with, and is linked to the second operations cell "Fiah Musa". Described as a trainer and bomb-maker with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, "Mike" came to Singapore in October 2001. Assisted by the cell members, they conducted surveillance of several establishments, including the US Embassy, the Australian High Commission, the British High Commission, the Israeli Embassy, and commercial buildings where there are American companies. They video-recorded what they surveyed for use in their planning. All members of the "Fiah Musa" were arrested before they could proceed further. The arrest is an example of the close cooperation between ISD and its foreign counterparts in the fight against international terrorism. b) The Malaysian arrests: Three Singaporeans have been reported to be arrested in Malaysia in connection with Jemaah Islamiyah. One of the three - Shukry Omar Talib @ Shukry Omar - is not a Singaporean, having renounced his citizenship in 1987. He is the brother-in-law of detainee Faiz Abu Bakar Bafana and Fathi Abu Bakar Bafana. Muhamad Ismail Anuwarul and Abdul Nasir Anuwarul are brothers and now permanent residents in Malaysia. 2 Investigations are still ongoing.
Source: Ministry of Home Affairs, Singapore |
