Another teacher detained for allegedly funding Islamic State

ALOR STAR: A primary school teacher in Kulim has become the second teacher in the southern Kedah district to be detained for suspected involvement in providing support for Islamic State (IS) militant activities.

Initial investigation revealed that the teacher, in his 30s, had allegedly been funding the IS militant group over the past two years.

Kedah police Special Branch head Datuk Abu Bakar Ahmad said the teacher was picked up last month after a year-long investigation.

He described the teacher, who is married with children, as problematic, but did not elaborate on the nature of the problems.

“We found that he had been providing financial support to IS militants via social media for the past two years.

“The teacher is being detained under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma).

“We have yet to charge him in court as the investigation is ongoing,” Abu Bakar said yesterday.

Earlier yesterday, Abu said the teacher was among the 35 people detained in Kedah for suspected of involvement and supporting militants activities since 2013.

He said two policemen were also detained during the period but one of them had been released after an investigation was carried out while another had been prosecuted.

Abu, who visited the Kota Setar district police headquarters yesterday prior to his retirement next month, said police would tighten security at the Bukit Kayu Hitam-Thailand border to curb the smuggling of firearms.

Seven months ago, a 30-year-old counsellor who was working at a primary school in Kulim was charged with soliciting contributions to fund IS extremist movements.

The suspect was among 16 individuals rounded up in separate raids in six states between late September and early October last year.

He was alleged to have headed a network, which was soliciting contributions from IS sympathisers to fund Syria-based Malaysian IS fighter Muhammad Wanndy Mohamad Jedi.

We found that he had been providing financial support to IS militants via social media for the past two years.