POLICE will continue to search for individuals with links to the Liberation Tiger of Tamil Eelam regardless of their political affiliation, said Bukit Aman’s counter-terrorism chief.

Special Branch Counter-Terrorism Division (E8) principle assistant director Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay said police have never conveyed to DAP that there would be no more arrests involving party members.

“The investigation will continue to take place and we will arrest those who have links with LTTE, no matter who you are. A member of a political party or not. The arrest will be made with solid evidence and after a thorough investigation,” Ayob said at a press conference today.

“I do not know where YB Lim (Guan Eng) got the information, but it did not come from me,” he said, referring to DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng’s recent statement that the party had received an assurance that no further arrests would be made against its members as part of a probe into the LTTE’s revival.

“The police never issued such statement. Is it because of DAP we have to stop the probe? No such thing.”

Lim on Thursday said police informed him that no more DAP leaders would be arrested, after two party assemblymen were detained over their alleged links to the LTTE the same day.

The two are Gadek assemblyman G. Saminathan, who is also a Malacca exco, and Seremban Jaya assemblyman P. Gunasekaran.

They were among the first batch of seven people arrested in the LTTE probe. Another five were arrested yesterday, bringing the total to 12.

All arrests so far have taken place in Malacca, Negri Sembilan, Selangor, Perak, Kedah, Penang and Kuala Lumpur.

Asked why police have yet to charge the two DAP assemblymen and about the need to use the Security Offences and Special Measures Act (Sosma) against the suspects, Ayob said it was because national security was involved.

“We have a solid reason to arrest all of the suspects. We cannot be calling them to come and give a statement. We need to search their homes and we need to look into their handphones and laptops. We can only do the search if they are arrested.

“It is necessary in dealing with national security issue. They will have their rights. They will have lawyers and they will see their family. But leave the investigation to us.”

Sosma allows detention of up to 28 days without a charge.

The five held yesterday are suspected of promoting, supporting and channelling funds to the defunct terror group.

They are a teacher, an executive from a state government-linked company, a Malacca local councillor, a factory worker and a security supervisor.

The councillor and state-linked company executive allegedly organised a Malacca LTTE Heroes Day ceremony recently.

The teacher, factory worker and security supervisor were arrested for allegedly supporting or promoting the LTTE on social media. – October 13, 2019.