FMT:
3 Malaysian NGO leaders on FBI terrorist watchlist
The head of Palestine aid group Ops Ihsan said it had been ordered by the foreign ministry not to work with the three men any more.
17 Feb 2024, 10:42pm
Jismi Johari, chairman of the Ops Ihsan secretariat, said the three men were not very involved in the NGO’s work. (Bernama pic)
PETALING JAYA: Three leaders of Islamic organisations in Malaysia have been listed on a terrorist watchlist of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation, according to the head of Ops Ihsan, a Palestine aid group.
Ops Ihsan secretariat chairman Jismi Johari said the foreign ministry notified him on the matter through a letter dated Feb 15, according to The Star.
In the letter, a copy of which was leaked online, the ministry ordered Ops Ihsan not to work with the three men any more, he said. Ops Ihsan manages the delivery of humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza.
Jismi, who is also president of Malaysian Humanitarian Aid and Relief, said the trio were not very involved in Ops Ihsan’s work though he was still obtaining more details on the extent of their participation.
Nonetheless, he urged activists and NGOs to be careful when working with foreign organisations or individuals.
He also said it was “sad and irresponsible” that the letter was leaked online as it could cause “a misconception” to arise about the trio in the watchlist.
The watchlist was issued by the FBI’s terrorist screening centre, which shares “terrorism-related information” with the various US government agencies.
The FBI said its terrorist watchlist is a single database of identifying information about those known to be or reasonably suspected of being involved in terrorist activity.
FMT has sought comment from Wisma Putra.
PETALING JAYA: Three leaders of Islamic organisations in Malaysia have been listed on a terrorist watchlist of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation, according to the head of Ops Ihsan, a Palestine aid group.
Ops Ihsan secretariat chairman Jismi Johari said the foreign ministry notified him on the matter through a letter dated Feb 15, according to The Star.
In the letter, a copy of which was leaked online, the ministry ordered Ops Ihsan not to work with the three men any more, he said. Ops Ihsan manages the delivery of humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza.
Jismi, who is also president of Malaysian Humanitarian Aid and Relief, said the trio were not very involved in Ops Ihsan’s work though he was still obtaining more details on the extent of their participation.
Nonetheless, he urged activists and NGOs to be careful when working with foreign organisations or individuals.
He also said it was “sad and irresponsible” that the letter was leaked online as it could cause “a misconception” to arise about the trio in the watchlist.
The watchlist was issued by the FBI’s terrorist screening centre, which shares “terrorism-related information” with the various US government agencies.
The FBI said its terrorist watchlist is a single database of identifying information about those known to be or reasonably suspected of being involved in terrorist activity.
FMT has sought comment from Wisma Putra.
This case echoes what happened to UNRWA.
ReplyDeleteIt may not be the whole organisation complicit with terrorists, but inevitably, some of those who profess support for Palestine diverge from humanitarian work into support for violent terrorist activities or even engage in violence themselves.