THE Indira Gandhi Action Team (Ingat) must retract its allegations that PAS-friendly civil groups are hiding fugitive Muhammad Riduan Abdullah and his 11-year-old daughter, said Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man.

“PAS is not hiding M. Indira Gandhi’s (former) husband from the authorities,” said the Islamist party’s deputy president in a statement today.

“We protest against the wild allegations that civil groups friendly to PAS and southern Thai separatists are protecting Riduan and Prasana Diksa.”

He described Ingat’s claims as a malicious attempt at linking the party to extremism.

“They must retract their allegations and apologise to PAS.”

Former kindergarten teacher Indira yesterday filed a report at the Petaling Jaya district police headquarters, saying followers of controversial preacher Zakir Naik are hiding her ex-husband and their daughter from the authorities.

She also named southern Thai separatists, and PAS-aligned groups in Kelantan and Terengganu as those suspected of helping Riduan.

Ingat, which has taken up Indira’s case, said the information in the report is based on public tip-offs.

In 2014, Riduan was ordered by the Ipoh High Court to return Prasana, but he failed to do so. This led to a mandamus order by the court, compelling the inspector-general of police to arrest him.

The ruling was challenged by the government at the Court of Appeal, but restored by the Federal Court in 2016.

In January last year, the apex court, in a landmark decision, nullified the conversion of Indira’s children to Islam by her ex-husband, and declared the unilateral conversion of children as unlawful.

Riduan has been missing since that ruling. – July 26, 2019.