A former Internal Security Act (ISA) detainee who is challenging the government's decision to revoke his permanent resident status (PR) now wants to return to his native country as his family is unable to deal with his continued detention.

Indonesian national Mohamad Iqbal A Rahman, 46, has been under the detention of immigration authorities since August and is currently being held at the Ajil detention centre in Terengganu.

Yesterday, his wife Fatimah Zahrah Abdul Aziz said she had applied to the immigration department early this month asking for her husband to be deported as soon as possible.

However, she stressed that the legal battle to retain Mohamad Iqbal's PR status would continue as he believes that the government was wrong to revoke it on the grounds of him being an alleged terrorist, a charge which has yet to be proven.

KMM suspect

The former religious teacher who obtained his PR status in 1985, was among the first batch of suspected Kumpulan Mujahidin Malaysia (KMM) members detained in August 2001 under the ISA.

Days before the expiry of his two-year detention order, the father of nine was told that he faced imminent deportation following the revocation of his PR status.

"We will still fight the revocation order but we can't wait for the outcome any longer... we believe that his continued detention is not conducive for our family especially after they moved him to the camp in Ajil," said Fatimah when contacted.

"At least in Indonesia he will be free and near his family as our youngest child and I will join him there. But we are still hopeful that the court will rule in our favour (on the PR status) so that we can come back to Malaysia," she added.

Last month, the Kuala Lumpur High Court granted Mohamad Iqbal leave to seek declarations to challenge the revocation. But the court has yet to set a hearing date for the matter.

He was transferred to Ajil after he complained in a letter, which was made available to malaysiakini, about poor detention conditions at the Kuala Lumpur Immigration Department headquarters.

No response

Meanwhile, Fatimah also expressed concern that the authorities have yet to respond to her request for the deportation.

She added that all the necessary arrangements have been made for her and her husband to board a flight to Indonesia this Sunday.

"The Indonesian Embassy has already issued documents for his return but till today we have heard nothing from the immigration (department). I don't know why they seem reluctant to release my husband now that he is willing to be deported," she lamented.

When contacted, an official from the embassy said Mohamad Iqbal's deportation rested completely with the Malaysian government and the immigration department.

"We have done our part by issuing the relevant documents on Dec 15. We are still waiting for the green light from the Malaysian government," added the official, who declined to be named.

Asked if the Indonesian government was willing to accept Mohamad Iqbal, he said the embassy has not received any objections from Jakarta.

Previously, it was reported that the Indonesian government had unofficially expressed reservation about his return to the country.

Asked on the possibility of her husband being detained in Indonesia over his terrorism charges, Fatimah (in black purdah) said she was aware of this but refuses to lose sleep over it.

"As I have said before, there is no proof that he is a terrorist. He has not committed any crime in Malaysia and there is no reason why the Indonesian government would want to detain him. In any event, I have already arranged for a lawyer to meet us once we reach Indonesia," she said.

"It's a difficult decision to make especially when I have to leave eight of our children here as they need to continue their studies here... but what other choice do we have?" she added.

Officials at the Immigration Department are not available for comment.