EXPRESSING sympathy for the Tamils is different from supporting the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), said Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay.

Bukit Aman Special Branch Counter-Terrorism Division (E8) principal assistant director Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay told reporters today that he, too, sympathised with the plight of ethnic Tamils in Sri Lanka but one could not associate sympathy with terrorism.

“There are two different things here. Showing support for the Tamils for their suffering is different from supporting a terror group like the LTTE. We need to be clear on that.

“I feel sorry for the Tamils there but is it right for me to support a terror group? It is the same for Palestine. We sympathise with them, but do we join Hamas or Islamic jihad?” 

Ayob was speaking on the arrest of five more individuals with alleged links to the LTTE yesterday.

The five were detained on suspicion of promoting, supporting and channelling funds to the defunct terror group.

This brings the total of those arrested in the LTTE probe in recent days to 12.

Ayob among the five was a secondary school teacher in Banting.

“The first arrest was made in Banting, Selangor. A 52-year-old secondary school teacher was arrested for promoting the LTTE on social media.

“The second and third arrests were made in Durian Tunggal, Malacca. Both men were the organisers of an event commemorating LTTE fighters who died in a civil war in November last year.

“The fourth and fifth arrests were made in Bukit Mertajam, Penang. We picked up two men aged 26 and 29 for promoting the group on social media,” Ayob said.

He added that police also confiscated flags, posters, images of LTTE leaders and books related to the terror group.

Prior to the arrests yesterday, police detained seven people last Thursday, including two DAP assemblymen from Malacca and Negri Sembilan.

The first round of arrests took place in Malacca, Negri Sembilan, Selangor, Perak, Kedah and Kuala Lumpur.

The seven are being held under the Special Offences (Security Measures) Act (Sosma), which allows for detention up to 28 days without charge.

Police had said they were not ruling out the possibility of making more arrests to facilitate the probe. – October 13, 2019.