Police cooperating with Turkish authorities to bring back Malaysians in Syria — IGP

JOHOR BAHRU: Police are cooperating with Turkish authorities to bring back Malaysians detained in Syria, believed to be involved in terrorist activities.

Inspector- General of Police ( IGP) Tan Sri Mohamad Fuzi Harun said should they be successfully brought back home, all of them would be required to undergo a rehabilitation programme before being released.

“We will contact our counterparts, especially in Turkey, to bring them out. If it is successful, we would bring them home through normal process.

“Upon returning to the country, they have to comply with specific procedures including undergoing a rehabilitation programme, which we will conduct systematically before releasing them,” he told reporters after an award presentation of Pingat Jasa Pahlawan Negara ( PJPN) for Johor Contingent at Johor police contingent headquarters here yesterday.

Mohamad Fuzi was commenting on reports that police are in the process of bringing back 23 of the 51 Malaysians held in Syria, for suspected involvement in terrorist activities.

Bukit Aman Special Branch Counter-Terrorism Division principal assistant director Datuk Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay was earlier reported as saying that the group comprised 11 adults and 12 children.

Ayob Khan said all of them had contacted their families and their families had, in turn, contacted police to bring them back.

According to Mohamad Fuzi, a woman from Terengganu succeeded in returning home from the conflict in Syria with the cooperation of police and Turkish authorities.

“We give room and opportunity for the children and wives to return to society.

“This is our hope, but they have to give us their full cooperation,” he said.

In the PJPN award presentation ceremony, he said 400 individuals encompassing 396 serving police officers and personnel and four retirees received the award. — Bernama