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Tuesday October 30, 2012

Razin — a strange loner

His alma mater: Kolej Yayasan Felda Trolak campus where Razin studied.

SUNGKAI: He was a college student who kept to himself and preferred to pray alone when he visited a mosque, which was often.

This struck the other worshippers as strange since congressional prayer is encouraged in Islam and one reason Muslims go to mosques or surau.

“The boy regularly went to the mosque, but he would pray alone and would not join us,” said a neighbour in Beranang.

Muhamad Razin Sharhan Mustafa Kamal

“He looked like a decent and nice boy although very quiet and anti-social. When I greeted him, he would smile back but he would not stop for a chat,” the neighbour added.

Twenty-one-year-old Muhamad Razin Sharhan Mustafa Kamal, who was detained in Lebanon on suspicion of links with al-Qaeda, was a quiet and good student, his college mate and a warden said.

Fellow student of Kolej Yayasan Felda Trolak in Sungkai, Mohd Razali Husin said he was shocked to hear the news of Razin's arrest.

He described Razin as a religious and quiet person.

“I met him in July 2011 when we registered for our computer science diploma course at the college. We became friends.

“Razin did not get into any trouble with the lecturers or other students and you could usually find him at the surau,” Razali said.

He added that Razin excelled in his studies and never spoke of the Middle East or jihad.

“We lost contact when we started our internships in September as we worked in different organisations.”

Razali and the warden had not heard of Razif Mohd Ariff who was arrested with Razin in Lebanon for suspected links to al-Qaeda.

The 30-year-old Razif is believed to have recruited Razin to the militant cause (and not the other way round as reported earlier).

The warden, who did not want to be named, said Razin was a good student and did not have any disciplinary problems.

The warden said Razin, who was due to graduate this year, often quoted the Quran in his conversations.

“There is nothing unusual about him,” she added.

The Farmers Organisation Authority meanwhile said that Razin worked with the FOA for two weeks from Oct 18 in Malacca as an economic affairs assistant.

Its management services division deputy director Zulkifly Ismail said: “However, he did not give all the relevant documents such as his medical report. He had not turned up for work since Oct 3. So, we did not confirm him in his position.”

Malacca FOA director Mohd Fauzi Badron added: “When he did not report to work for three days, I sent my officers to check on him at his rented room. They found his motorcycle, laptop and clothes at the house in the centre of town. It did not look as if he was going anywhere.

“He looked like an ordinary guy.”

Apparently, the family had checked with the Immigration Department to find Razin's whereabouts and found he had left the country.

Razin's parents could not be reached for comment.

Not much is known of his family because the husband and wife and their only child kept very much to themselves, according to their neighbours in suburban Beranang.

One neighbour, who declined to be named, said the family members were seldom seen outside their house and they do not mingle with others.

A neighbour, Walid, said Razin did not mix with other boys in the neighbourhood.

He said the boy regularly went to the mosque, but prayed alone.

When told that Razin was one of the suspects linked to al-Qaeda, Walid said: “I do not think he is capable of being a militant.”