Malaysia Not Transit Or Hiding Place For Criminals, Says Hishamuddin

PETALING JAYA (Selangor, Malaysia), Feb 13 (Bernama) -- Criminals or those wanted in their home countries will not be allowed to use Malaysia as a hiding place or transit, Malaysian Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said on Monday. "Don't think that Malaysia is safe for them to seek shelter here and avoid being traced. We will not allow them to use Malaysia as a transit," he said when commenting on the detention of a Saudi Arabian newspaper columnist wanted for deportation to his country for allegedly insulting Prophet Muhammad through Twitter (online social networking service). Hishammuddin clarified at a news conference that Mohammad Najeeb A. Kashgari, 23, was arrested upon the request of the Saudi Arabian government and not Interpol as claimed by several parties. "I hope this issue is not politicised on the basis of freedom and human rights. We received a request from Saudi Arabia and we will not protect anyone who is wanted," he said. Hishammuddin also denied that a court injunction is preventing the columnist from being sent home. "We have sent him back and it is not linked to politics. There are hundreds of such cases but this one appears to be blown out of proportion. "We have a policy to do so, not just with Saudi Arabia but with other countries as well, including the United States (US)," he added. Commenting on Malaysian "Azmin Helmi" detained in Indonesia and said to be connected to a Selangor state executive councilor, Hishammuddin said police were investigating as to how the man had obtained forged documents over here which enabled him to live there. "It is a serious matter and we'll conduct an in-depth investigation," he said. An Indonesian portal recently reported that a Malaysian known as Azmin Helmi, who was later verified by Malaysian police as Hilmi Hazimin Malek, had been detained by Indonesian immigration authorities on Batam island, for having forged documents. -- BERNAMA