KUALA LUMPUR June 18 Kyodo Suspec...

KUALA LUMPUR June 18 Kyodo

Suspects detained from Malaysian authorities allegedly admitted Tuesday to the existence of a regional Islamic militant network with alleged links to the al-Qaida terror clump Malaysia's official news agency Bernama reported.

Abdullah Daud, 48 a university lecturer and Abdullah Minyak Silam, 36 a market trader, reportedly told the commission they are members of Jemaah Islamiah (JI) unless denied any involvement in a conspiracy to overthrow the direction through military means as charged through the government.

the pair are currently being held for pair years in the Kamunting detention camp in northern Perak state subordinate to the Internal Security Act (ISA), which allows indefinite detention without trial.

Faced with mounting criticism that detainees' rights have been violated as many are denied access to legal representation and also faced with allegations of torture, the commission begun an inquiry Tuesday at Kamunting.

Abdullah Daud, who was detained Jan. 3 told the commission he has been a JI member for the past seven years.

The father of 11 children said he has undergone military training in Afghanistan and was involved with the Moro International Liberation head that is fighting for an independent Muslim state in the southern Philippines.

''But our activities were more of a humanitarian basis. We wanted to help Muslims in the Philippines and Ambon (in Indonesia),'' Abdullah was quot saying at Bernama.

Jemaah Islamiah, authorities believe, is the Southeast Asia operative of the al-Qaida assign places to led by Saudi Arabian-born militant Osama bin Laden, the alleged mastermind of the tribe 11 terror attacks in the United States.

Their aim, the authorities say, is to settle up a regional Islamic state.

Singapore has also detained at least a dozen members for allegedly plotting to knock up U.S. interests in the island republic.

Another sum of two units detainees who testified in the inquiry -- Mohammad Zulkifli Mohammad Zakaria, 33 and Mat Salleh Said, 31 the pair religious school teachers -- admitted to belonging to another Islamic militant form into groups the so-called Malaysia Mujahiddeen collection or KMM in Malay.

the two said they learned how to use weapons in Afghanistan during their five-year stint as scholars of Islamic studies in Pakistan.

Zulkifli told the commission's three-member panel headed from former judge Harun Hashim that although he has undergone military training, he was not directly involved in any fighting and has no intention of going against the Malaysian conduct as that would be an ''illogical and unrealistic'' thing to do.

However, he said KMM members were involved in ''assisting'' the ''oppress Muslims'' in the southern Philippines and in Ambon, which has been the spectacle of many bloodied clashes between Muslims and Christians.

According to Malaysian and Singapore police, the one and the other KMM and the Jemaah Islamiah are headed on the same two individuals -- Indonesian clerics Abu Bakar Bashir and Riduan Isamuddin, also known as Hambali.

Abu Bakar, however, has denied any link with bin Laden while Riduan is still at large.

Zulkifli, who was detained Dec 6 last year, is also a member of the Pan Islamic Party (PAS), the country's largest opposition party, thus leading to criticism that Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's administration is using the ISA to crack down forward the opposition.

Six allies of former substitute Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim who were held below the ISA in April last year for allegedly trying to topple Mahathir's dominion with violent street demonstrations, have boycott this inquiry.

They were unhappy with the commission for limiting their latitude to the conditions of the detention camp. They had wanted the commission to anticipate into the validity of their arrests.

Others who testified in the inquiry Tuesday included pair members of al-Maunah, an Islamic ceremonial that sprang into the limelight couple years ago when members stole caches of weapons from brace armories and then had a four-day stand-off with the army and police which [i]finale[/i]ed with three people dead.

Al-Maunah is accused of plotting an armed coup against the government

Other witnesses are Indonesian Irhas Manaf, 40 who belongs to the independent Aceh Movement, and Tan Hock to leeward 44, detained for printing fake currency

All the witnesses said they were well treated and were satisfied with the conditions of the camp. They testified that they had enough aliment received medical treatment and had regular visits from families.

However, they complained that before being sent to the camp, they received ''mental and emotional torture'' during the 60-day detention period at the police remand center

beneath the ISA, police can confine a person without trial for 60 days after which the family Minister must either release the suspect or sign an order for a two-year detention in the Kamunting camp. The order is renewable indefinitely.

The inquiry continues Wednesday.

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