LTTE arrests: I am satisfied with reasons given by police - Dr Mahathir

PETALING JAYA, Oct 14 -- The police have their own reasons as to why they arrested the individuals suspected of having links to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) terrorist group, Tun Dr Mahathir said. 

The Prime Minister said police had briefed him on the matter and he was satisfied with the reasons given for the arrests. 

“I was briefed by the police (on the arrests), and they gave me the reasons behind their action, and I am satisfied with them (reasons),” he told reporters briefly after delivering the keynote address at the International Conference on Industry 4.0: A global revolution in Business, Technology and Productivity (MYINDUSTRIES 2019) here today. 

Dr Mahathir was commenting on polemic responses by certain quarters on the arrests of the 12 individuals after they were suspected of being involved with the terrorist group, LTTE.

After the first seven arrests last week, police detained five more individuals yesterday, including a teacher, on suspicion of being involved in promoting, supporting, possessing materials and channelling funds linked to LTTE.

All 12 have been detained under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (SOSMA).

Asked on PKR President Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's view that the arrests should not have been under SOSMA, Dr Mahathir said: “Well the SOSMA Act is still there so in the absence of other laws that can be applied, they used the SOSMA Act". 

Yesterday, Anwar was reported to have said that while he agreed with police detaining the individuals linked to the LTTE, it should not have been made under SOSMA, which he deemed as harsh. 

-- BERNAMA