SEVEN years after he was arrested under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act (Sosma), former police officer Mustaza Abdul Rahman is still traumatised by the whole episode.

The former mechanic who was attached to the Sungai Petani district police station was 29 years old when police officers from the counter terrorism (E8) unit stormed his workplace in 2016.

Armed with semi-automatic rifles and wearing balaclavas, Mustaza was pinned down and given no chance to question the arrest. As he was handcuffed, officers told him that he was arrested for supporting the Islamic State (IS).

“It was around this time, a week before Hari Raya back in 2016. I was at the Sungai Petani police station, fixing the battery of a police van when I was ambushed. I trembled when they pounced, I asked myself what did I do, what did I do.”

“My sergeant who was with me during the arrest could not believe what he saw and like me, he too was shocked. The E8 unit came fully equipped with weapons. It wasn’t a normal ambush. It was as if I was the leader of a drug ring.

“I was informed that I was detained for being part of Daesh,” Mustaza told The Malaysian Insight recently, about a month after he was released.

Mustaza was accused of knowingly giving support to terrorist activities involving the use of explosives with intention to further an ideology. He was also accused of having knowledge of terrorism-related offences but left out such information to his superiors when he was obligated to do so by law and giving support to IS by pledging his loyalty through the Telegram app in the group chat named “Gagak Hitam”.

He was sentenced to 10 years in prison after his appeal at the Federal Court was rejected. On March 1 Mustaza was released.

Mustaza, 36 and a single father, had difficulty describing his suffering under Sosma.

His brother, Mahathir who was present at the interview, told The Malaysian Insight Mustaza has not been the same since his arrest.

“I cannot imagine what he has gone through. After he was detained, the police raided his home and turned it upside down looking for evidence. In the end, they used an Arabic frame which you can purchase at any store as evidence of him supporting IS.

“He was initially detained for 28 days and during that time, we could not reach him.

“If those 28 days were not enough, he was further detained for another seven months as they could not find strong evidence to charge him. It was only on his fourth visit to court that he was charged with pledging allegiance to IS,” said Mahathir.

Sosma was enacted to replace the Internal Security Act. It was introduced by then prime minister Najib Razak and gazetted on June 22, 2012.

The law was created under article 149 of the Federal Constitution to raise internal security, including preventing acts of terrorism, sabotage and espionage.

The first three Sosma detainees were Yazid Sufaat, Halimah Hussein and Mohd Hilmi Hasim for alleged terrorism in 2013.

Sub-section 4(5) of Sosma gives power to the police to detain a person suspected of being involved in terrorist activities for a period not exceeding 28 days for investigation.

Torture

Mustaza was initially reluctant to talk about the days he spent in detention, saying it was a dark chapter of his life. But slowly he began to speak.

“Sometimes at night, I would wake up in fear. I could still feel the atmosphere where I was kept in a dark room with no windows and with the air conditioner going full blast.

“There was no blanket, no mattress, it was just me, all alone. It was so cold, I could not take the cold. Some nights during my arrest they will take me out of the room naked. My eyes were covered.

“All the time they kept telling me that I was part of IS and I had pledged loyalty to them. They tried to brainwash me. I was punched in the stomach and endured all kinds of torture,” he said.

Mustaza admitted that he is now slowly adapting to his new life after being released.

Mustaza is also looking forward to Hari Raya, after not being able to see his family for seven years.

“I am excited to be honest, but I am also careful. I try to be moderate in every aspect. I am adapting thanks to my family. I think I am doing well after my release.

“Actually, I still can’t believe that I am out of prison. I was jailed for something I didn’t do and to be out of jail is surreal,” he added.

Mustaza and Mahathir agreed that the government must get rid of Sosma, a law they described as draconian.

“If Sosma is a law that prevents crimes, especially terrorism, the law should turn someone bad good but it is doing the the opposite and making someone good bad,” said Mahathir.

Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail recently said the government will not be reviewing Sosma. The senator said the law could be reviewed in the future but not now.

“My stand is that laws are dynamic and not static, and we have parliament to formulate and amend laws.

“We need to respond to the situation from time to time. Should it be amended now? No. This is my stand at the moment,” the minister had said.

Currently there are 22 Sosma detainees being held in prison and all 22 are linked to the Islamic State group. Seventeen are held at Tapah prison while five others are locked up in Kamunting. – April 15, 2023.