I knew both Yazid and his wife Sejahratul Dursina while in college, and even though we have not kept in touch, I still consider them as friends. The Yazid Sufaat that I knew was fun-loving and always quick with jokes and laughter.

I was shocked to learn of the allegations that led to his arrest. I do not dispute that people do change, but I never thought that he could be remotely linked to al-Qaeda, much less be one of their operatives.

First of all, the existence of the so-called Kumpulan Mujahidin Malaysia (or is it Kumpulan Militan Malaysia as the newspapers like to call them?) is very much in dispute. Then we are told of Jemaah Islamiah which was supposed to be a secret cell within KMM. In other words, a secret group within a secret group. Pardon me, but I'm lost here.

And then, his alleged meetings with the alleged hijackers. Even if we were to believe that the said meetings did take place, he may not have known what those people were really up to, vis-a-vis the terror attacks on Sept 11.

The all too familiar phrase trying to topple the government through militant means is just as dubious and was conveniently used as a reason to detain the likes of Mohd Ezam Mohd Nor, Tian Chua, Dr Badrul Amin Bahron, Saari Sungib and Hishamuddin Rais. Until today, the government has yet to present a shred of evidence to justify their arrests.

If the government has evidence of Yazid's involvement in terrorist activities, such as his alleged purchase of four tonnes of ammonium nitrate to be made into bombs, then try him in open court like it did the Al-Maunah. The media should not convict him. Please do not make a sacrificial lamb of any Malaysian just to prove we are serious in the either-you-are-with-us-or-against-us war against terrorism.