Four men arrested just before the 29th SEA Games closing ceremony were charged with having ties with the militant Abu Sayyaf group.

Facing justice: (From left) Abdul Syamir, Jaffar, Ahmad and Hajar arriving at the Kajang Sessions Court.

KAJANG: Four men arrested just before the 29th SEA Games closing ceremony were charged with having ties with the militant Abu Sayyaf group.

Hajar Abdul Mubin, 25, is accused of being a member of the group since 2010.

He faces life imprisonment and a fine.

Abdul Syamir Dabilin, 25, Ahmad Omar, 52, and Jaffar Ahmad, 26, have been charged with intentional omission of information regarding a terrorist act.

They face up to seven years in jail, a fine, or both.

According to the charge sheet, all four lived in the same block of flats in Taman Desa Baiduri, Cheras.

Hajar and Abdul Syamir were flatmates, while Ahmad and Jaffar stayed together in another unit.

Abdul Syamir is a Philippine national, while the others are Malay­­sians.

The four, all former security guards, were arrested on Aug 30.

Deputy public prosecutor Siti Noorhafizan Zakaria offered no bail, as the accused were held under the Special Offences (Special Mea­sures) Act (Sosma) 2012.

Sessions Court judge Surita Budin fixed Oct 16 for next mention to transfer the case to the Shah Alam High Court.

It was reported that Hajar was among eight suspected Abu Sayyaf militants arrested in an operation in Cheras on Aug 30.

Hajar, also known as Abu Asrie, was believed to be a member of the Jolo-based “Lucky 9” kidnap-for-ransom group with links to the Abu Sayyaf based in the jungles of Jolo and the Basilan islands in the Philippines.

Read more at http://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2017/09/26/four-charged-with-terrorism-three-msians-one-filipino-nabbed-over-links-to-abu-sayyaf-group/#gMJoQbP6IdBAHbBJ.99