Police in process of bringing home 23 M’sians detained in Syria

KUALA LUMPUR: The Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) is in the process of bringing home 23 of the 51 Malaysians being detained in Syria for their alleged involvement in terrorism.

Bukit Aman Special Branch Ant-Terrorist Division (E8) principal assistant director Datuk Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay said of the 23 people, 11 are adults and the remaining, children.

“All of them have contacted their respective families, who then seek PDRM’s help to bring them home,” he told reporters after giving a talk at a “Perhimpunan Perpaduan Demi Negara Rukun Tetangga dan Persatuan Penduduk” event here yesterday.

He said all of them would be questioned and given counselling upon their return.

“The men will be arrested and questioned. As for the women and children, it will depend on their cases because they are women who went because they had to follow their husband.

“During the questioning process, it will also involve counsellors, psychologists and ustaz (Islamic religious teachers) to provide counselling, advice and evaluate them so that they will not get involve in terrorism again,” he added.

On the process of bringing them home, Ayob Khan said it could not be finalised yet as the matter also involved discussion with various quarters.

“It involves discussion with many quarters in Syria because some of them are detained at the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) camp, and there are also those detained by the Syrian authorities.

“We want to determine where they are, whether at the United Nations (UN) camp or AlQaeda or elsewhere. Only then can we arrange for their return and it takes a long time,” he added.