Sabahan ex-civil servant linked to IS arrested in KL, but police tight-lipped

State police remained tight-lipped over the arrest of a former Sabahan civil servant at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport over his alleged involvement with the Islamic State (IS) militants.

Deputy State Police Commissioner Datuk Abdul Malek Harun explained that he was not in the position to answer except to say that the case is being fully handled by the Bukit Aman Special Branch Counter Terrorism Unit.

On Monday, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said a 28-year-old housewife from Kedah and a 29-year-old former civil servant from Sabah were detained separately on March 7 and March 19 after they were believed to be linked to the IS militant group in Syria.

The civil servant from Sabah who had left his job in December 2012 was held as he returned to Malaysia on March 19 after having gone to Syria and was suspected to have returned to the country to recruit several others to join Isis.

"I cannot give the answer at the moment as I am not in the position to do so," said Abdul Malek during a media conference after attending the 208th Police Day Anniversary at the police headquarters in Kepayan, here, Wednesday.

The event saw a total of 17 officers and personnel being awarded the Police Integrity Award, while 51 others were presented with the Appreciation Certificate for their outstanding performance and contribution.

On another development, he said State police recorded a reduction of 258 crime cases in the first quarter of the year.

"From Jan 1 to March 23 this year, the crime index recorded 966 cases compared to 1,224 cases over the same period last year, while the number of solved cases also showed improvement by 43.22 per cent this year compared to 42.96 per cent over the same period last year.

"For break-ins, a total of 273 cases were recorded this year compared to 317 cases last year," he said, adding that the statistics showed an overall improvement in the performance.

He said Police Day theme this year, 'Polis dan Masyarakat Berpisah Tiada', showed the force and the community are one entity in crime prevention efforts.

"We cannot be separated, the police force cannot function without the people because we are here to protect lives and property, thus we must be people-oriented and continue to conduct duties mandated to us with dedication, integrity and ethics," he said.

On another note, Abdul Malek, who has served 39 years in the police force, said he will be retiring on April 10.