Raid of alleged Batam terrorist leader’s house shocks neighbours
(Yahoo Singapore photo: Safhras Khan)
REPORTING FROM BATAM
The main door of one house at a quaint neighbourhood in Batam, about a 25-minute drive from the ferry terminal, was unlocked.
Lights in the single-storey house in Taman Mediteranian were switched on while clothes were hanging on several laundry lines.
But no one was inside the house. A yellow police line taped around the fence was an indication that a crime investigation was taking place.
The house was where the alleged mastermind of the plot to launch a rocket attack on Marina Bay, Singapore, used to live.
Gigih Rahmat Dewa, the suspected leader of KGR@Katibah GR, a terrorist group linked to the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), and five others - Trio Syafrido, 46, Eka Saputra, 35, Tarmidzi, 21, Hadi Gusta Yanda 20 and M Tegar Sucianto, 19 – did not manage to carry out the plot and were arrested by Indonesian authorities in Batam on 5 August.
A friendly and sociable person
Yahoo Singapore visited the Taman Mediteranian neighbourhood on Tuesday (16 August), and spoke to several of Gigih’s neighbours. They were shocked by the relevation of his radicalisation and arrest - all of them refused to be photographed.
Gigih did not show any signs of being a potential terrorist and was a friendly and likeable person in the close-knitted community, they said.
Anjas, who goes by a single name, said that Gigih moved into the area in 2012 and appeared to be “normal”. The 42-year-old construction worker said that Gigih used to attend daily prayers at a nearby mosque and was often helping out during community events.
“His movements are predictable. He will go to the mosque in the morning before leaving for work and he will come home in the evening. He is friendly and will always be around to gotong-royong (help as a community) whenever there was a cleaning up activity in the neighbourhood,” said Anjas.
The police raided Gigih’s house after he was arrested elsewhere, Anjas revealed. It was during the raid that he found out that Gigih has been under police surveillance since December last year.
“The police officers told me that they have been keeping tabs on Gigih and they were monitoring his house. It is scary to know that a terrorist leader has been staying among us for a long time,” said Anjas, who moved into the neighbourhood in 2010.
More than 40 officers involved in raid
The house was empty but the lights inside were switched on. (Yahoo Singapore photo: Safhras Khan)
Around 8 am on 5 August, the tranquility of the neighbourhood was shattered by the presence of more than 40 police officers wearing riot gear and equipped with assault rifles.
Some of the officers took a battering ram to smash through the front door of Gigih’s house. Freddy Siahan, who was appointed as the security officer in charge of the neighbourhood in 2007, said that he was present during the raid.
The 36-year-old assisted the officers to carry out the raid. He said that Gigih and his family were not home then.
“Gigih was arrested somewhere else but the police raided his house to look for evidence. I participated in the raid and was responsible to ensure that local residents stay away from the house.
“As of now, the house is abandoned and we are unable to enter the building as it has been cordoned off. But it is my duty that the house remains safe and no thieves can enter the place,” said Freddy, who stays about 50 metres away from Gigih’s house.
According to Freddy, the neighbourhood comprises 640 houses with about 1,000 residents.
Freddy agreed with his neighbours that Gigih was a friendly person. Gigih’s wife works for a government agency and the couple have a daughter who is about two years old, Freddy said.
“I am shocked. We talked a lot but he never discussed anything related to radicalism with me before,” said Freddy, who moved into the neighbourhood in 2003.
Since the arrest, police have been stepping up patrols in the neighbourhood.
Residents concerned about business impact
Gigih’s abandoned house is being monitored by Indonesian authorities. (Yahoo Singapore photo: Safhras Khan)
The raid has already led to a sharp decline in the number of tourists visiting Batam, most of who are from Singapore, Malaysia and other parts of Indonesia. The Batam residents have expressed concern about the impact on their livelihood given that the tourism sector is a major part of the local economy.
Mohammad, a 36-year-old businessman, pointed out that there has been a significant drop in the number of tourists on weekends.
“Before the raid, it was difficult for me to book a hotel room for my business clients on a weekend. But now, the rooms are almost empty. I have no problem booking a room for my clients who were in town last weekend,” said Mohammad, who was speaking to Yahoo Singapore at a cafe near the ferry terminal.
“I had clients who cancelled their appointments to visit Batam as they were afraid there will be an attack soon.”
Mohammad said the government must ensure that terrorist groups are dealt with quickly. He condemned these groups, saying that they are a disgrace to Islam.
Edison, who works in the tourism industry, said parents have to play a part in ensuring that their children are not exposed to radicalism. The father of four said that educating children from a young age is important, especially with the prevalence of the internet.
Although Edison was happy that the suspects had been arrested, he said there must be proof to show that the suspects were terrorists.
“For now, people are saying that they are terrorists. But I do hope they are given a fair trial and punished only if they are found guilty,” said Edison.
