SHAH ALAM: The legal team representing Global Ikhwan Services and Business Holdings (GISB) is urging the government not to apply the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act (Sosma) in their investigation as they are not a terrorist organisation.
Lawyer Rosli Kamaruddin said that the group should be treated with kindness and understanding, or "ihsan."
"GISB is appealing to be exempt from safety laws as they do not engage in terrorist activities.
"If the investigation concerns matters of aqidah (Islamic belief), it should be managed by the state religious authorities," he said at a press conference today.
He claimed that GISB members who were detained by the police were blindfolded and heavily guarded with M-16 rifles.
He also said a majority of the detainees were held for 20 days, despite the investigation only lasting several days.
"The GISB leadership were blindfolded and guarded a la the Lahad Datu case years ago. Is that necessary?
"Please show ihsan to those who are in their 60s and 70s. They do not need to be punished before they are being charged.
"If their activities were found to contradict the teachings of ahli sunnah wal jamaah, then deal with them using existing state enactments."
Rosli said GISB, its board of directors and company officers had given cooperation to the police and other bodies in all its investigations, and stressed that they would continue to do so.
"Tomorrow, matters surrounding GISB will be debated in Parliament by three ministers. We had very little time to write any letter to the ministers who will speak about it.
"So we are taking this opportunity to express our views. GISB, and everyone being investigated under this case does not practice a confrontational approach towards the authorities.
"We will write a letter to them (the ministers) today. We are hoping that they will give some consideration, I want them to put some ihsan (in their speeches)."
Last week, it was reported that the three ministers presenting the paper in the Dewan Rakyat would be Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Dr Mohd Na'im Mokhtar and Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri.
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said on Friday had said while there would be no Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) yet to investigate the GISB issue, the matter would be open for debate by members of Parliament.
Meanwhile, Rosli, who acted as the spokesperson for the organisation, urged the authorities to allow GISB entrepreneurs to reopen their businesses for the sake of their survival.
He said if there were any criminal activities within the GISB community, they should be investigated but claimed that no illegal operations were being conducted by the group in the country.
"I think you can agree with me that there are no gambling centres, nor online gambling sites or brothels being operated by GISB.
"So, please show them some ihsan when investigating them," he added.