JOHOR BARU: The Malaysian government has urged the Guantanamo Prison's Periodic Review Board to reject an appeal for the release of former Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) militant leader Riduan Isamuddin, also known as Hambali, as he could still pose a security threat in Southeast Asia.
Deputy Home Minister Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed said that Hambali was a former militant group leader who may still have strong influence over the group's remnants in this region and could spur a resurgence of the JI militant activities, particularly in Malaysia.
"The militant JI group may still have followers and they may be waiting for Hambali's release to revive the movement, although it was mopped out some 10 years ago.
"This is a matter of national security and great priority should be given to this. These factors should outweigh the release of a jailed man who is capable to train anyone into a radical soldier," said Nur Jazlan after a working visit to the Home Ministry Complex in Taman Setia Tropika, today.
He said although Hambali was from Indonesia, the man had been residing in Malaysia for many years in the past and was involved in recruiting new JI members, including at a former base camp in Ulu Tiram, here.
Hambali is one of 61 detainees at the Guantanamo facility in Cuba where high-value detainees and terrorists are held.
When he was first sworn into office, US President Barack Obama had pledged to close down Guantanamo Bay.
It was his administration that set up the Periodic Review Board to look back at high-value prisoners in long detention periods to hear their cases for possible releases.
Meanwhile, Jazlan also said the Home Ministry will be closely monitoring both public and private higher education institutions in Malaysia to look at any spread of militant ideology among the students.
"I will see to it that all public and private higher education institutes are monitored on whether these places become bases for indoctrination of militant ideology."
He cited an example of the Bangladeshi student who was found to be involved in a terrorist attack in Dhaka, Bangladesh on July 1. The Bangladeshi previously studied at a private university in Malaysia.