FORMER detainee Faizal Khan Gulam Sarwar has been given the green light by the Singapore Government to withdraw money from his Central Provident Fund savings to pay for the purchase of an HDB flat here.
This was announced in a Government Gazette notice yesterday.
The Gazette also said that Faizal, 38, can withdraw money from a specified bank account.
He could do so from yesterday.
His assets and finances had been frozen because of his suspected links to terrorist organisations.
When arrested, along with 14 others, under the Internal Security Act
in December 2001, Faizal allegedly had links with the Jemaah Islamiah (JI).
He was released from detention in January 2002.
However, he was placed under a Restriction Order, which requires him, among other things, to get official permission before changing jobs or travelling abroad.
The Government Gazette yesterday also announced that a Ms Mariyam Yunos would be allowed to receive money belonging to Faizal and to deposit money in a specified bank account.
Both Faizal and Ms Mariyam - whose relationship to Faizal was not spelt out in the Gazette - can also withdraw funds from that account and spend the money.
The Gazette notice, made by the Ministry of Home Affairs, is necessary in view of laws that require all finances and assets of a terrorist to be frozen.
These laws followed a call by the United Nations on member countries to implement measures against terrorism and the financing of terrorist activities.
Member countries were asked to freeze the funds and the financial assets of 'persons who commit, or attempt to commit, terrorist acts or participate in or facilitate the commission of terrorist acts'.
Faizal was released within two months of his arrest.
While in detention, investigations showed that he was not a member of the JI, but had donated funds to the Philippine-based terrorist group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.
aaronl@sph.com.sg
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