“In principle, you can make use of all kinds of books, including those that are banned, for academic purposes,” Ahmad el-Muhammady said. “But you must have permission.”

However, he added, a researcher would be considered a national threat if he were to use the banned materials to influence others with ideas of militancy or terrorism.

“It becomes a national security threat when the researcher uses a book to influence others or tries to translate the ideas in the book into action,” he told FMT.

Ahmad advises the police on the rehabilitation of detainees arrested for having connections or suspected connections with terrorism.

He spoke about former post-graduate student Siti Noor Aishah Atam, who was yesterday sentenced to five years’ jail for possession of 12 books promoting terrorism.

Ahmad noted that the Kuala Lumpur High Court rejected her claim that she used the books for research.

The judge said she had not even registered the title of her thesis.

“This is where she crossed the line,” Ahmad said. “Her alibi was not accepted because it was proven that she had the books not just for research purposes and that she had started believing in their contents.”

Aishah was first arrested in March last year under the Penal Code and the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act (Sosma) for possession of the 12 books.

She was acquitted last September but was immediately rearrested under the Prevention of Crime Act.

The books in her possession were allegedly written by followers of the Al-Qaeda terrorist organisation. One was said to be authored by Osama bin Laden, the late leader of the movement.

Siti Aishah sentenced to 5 years’ jail over 12 ‘militant’ books