What’s Ops Ihsan And Why Are 3 NGO Leaders On FBI’s Terrorist List?
The Home Minister says he has asked for a briefing from the Police, confirming only that the FBI made a ‘request’.
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The US’s Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) recently listed three leaders of Islamic non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Malaysia in its Terrorist Screening Centre (TSC).
The centre is a division of the FBI’s National Security Branch and is tasked with identifying suspected or potential terrorists around the world.
According to The Vibes, the FBI said the watchlist is intended to keep the American people safe by sharing terrorism-related information across the US government and other law enforcement agencies after the September 11, 2001 attacks.
Most people on the terrorism watchlist are not Americans and for security reasons, the TSC does not confirm anyone’s status on the watchlist.
The letter from the Foreign Ministry to Ops Ihsan was leaked
The inclusion of the three individuals in the TSC became public knowledge after the Foreign Ministry issued a letter to Ops Ihsan, an organisation under the ministry focused on giving aid to Palestine and the Middle East.
The copy of the letter was unfortunately leaked and went viral. The content notifies Ops Ihsan about the trio’s status and the instruction to stop further involvement with the three men.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said he has contacted Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Razarudin Husain about the matter to get a more accurate picture of the situation.
In a Star report, Saifuddin only confirmed that the FBI had made a request pertaining to the terrorist watchlist, but the ministry would need “correct facts first.”
Ops Ihsan secretariat chairman Jismi Johari, who is also Malaysian Humanitarian Aid and Relief (Mahar) president, said it was a little bit sad and irresponsible that someone leaked the letter that was addressed to him online.
On 17 February, Jismi said that the Ops Ihsan secretariat will hold a meeting soon to discuss the next course of action.
Due to the leaked letter, Jismi said Ops Ihsan intends for all secretariat members to sign a non-disclosure agreement on the matter to prevent similar incidents in the future.
He added that the three individuals were not very involved in Ops Ihsan operations, but would still try getting confirmation on the extent of their involvement.
What’s Ops Ihsan?
Based on its official website, Ops Ihsan is a strategic collaboration between government agencies and non-governmental organisations coordinated by the Foreign Ministry to provide humanitarian aid from Malaysia to those who need it such as the Palestinian people in Gaza.
Currently, the NGOs involved include Mahar, Global Peace Mission (GPM) Malaysia, Red A Humanitarian Development Global, Mercy Malaysia, Pertubuhan Ihsan Johor, BeVital and Malaysian Consultative Council of Islamic Organisations (Mapim).
Ops Ihsan made its first delivery of humanitarian aid, weighing 20 tonnes, on 10 November 2023 to Gaza, and the second shipment weighing 16 tonnes on 11 November 2023 to Egypt.
In November 2023, Jismi said Ops Ihsan’s next plan was to open a Malaysian Humanitarian Hub (MHH) in Egypt.
The MHH would act as a one-stop centre to manage the distribution of humanitarian aid from Malaysia in a more effective and cost-saving manner.
In December 2023, Ops Ihsan successfully made a third delivery of humanitarian aid for Palestinians at El Arish International Airport in Egypt.
The goods comprised 60 tonnes of goods in the form of medicines, medical equipment, food, baby, women’s necessities, and winter necessities worth RM3 million.
The goods received by the Egyptian Red Crescent Society were taken to Gaza through the Rafah border before being handed over to the Palestine Red Crescent Society.
The Palestine Red Crescent Society would be responsible for distributing the goods to hospitals and to those in need in Gaza.
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