KUALA LUMPUR: The deportation of six Egyptians and a Tunisian linked to militant groups abroad was justified as the suspects threatened national security.
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Mohamad Fuzi Harun said police had obtained instructions from the deputy public prosecutor to expedite the deportation process.
“We wanted to stop their connection (with terrorists abroad) and activities... for us, they posed a serious threat to the nation.”
Fuzi was commenting on Port Dickson member of parliament Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s statement that police had rushed to deport the foreigners without consulting the relevant ministers and Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
He said the decision to deport the foreigners was justified as intelligence had indicated that the suspects could have been planning to launch attacks in Malaysia.
“Some of them entered Malaysia using fake documents or passports from other countries... it is clear that they are dangerous.
“We don’t want foreign terrorist fighters to make Malaysia their safe haven.
“We do not want to provide them with the opportunity to launch an attack in our country.
“We had intelligence indicating that they were heading in that direction, so we took drastic action,” he said.
However, he said if it was needed in the future, police would inform the relevant ministers before deporting suspects.
Fuzi had, on Sunday, issued a statement about the foreigners being deported, despite protests from human rights groups who claimed the Egyptians could face torture and persecution upon returning to their country.
The suspects included five people who allegedly confessed to being part of Egypt’s banned Muslim Brotherhood.
Earlier, Fuzi witnessed the duty-hand-over ceremony between outgoing Criminal Investigation Department (CID) director Datuk Seri Wan Ahmad Najmuddin and his deputy Datuk Huzir Mohamed at the police training centre here.
Asked why Huzir was appointed the acting CID director, Fuzi said several names had been submitted to the government and they were still waiting for the decision.
“We had handed over names that we think are qualified to be the next CID director. We will leave it to the government to make the decision.”
At the same function, Fuzi also presented Pingat Jasa Pahlawan Negara medals to 93 policemen who served during the Malayan Emergency and Communist Insurgency.