The former prime minister however expressed hope that there would be no callousness in administering justice.

A few days ago, Mahathir confirmed that he wrote a letter earlier this year to then home minister Muhyiddin Yassin, asking for the LTTE, now defunct, to be struck off Putrajaya’s list of terrorist organisations.

This evening, he explained that he was told by the then attorney-general that there was no solid evidence to charge several individuals, including two DAP assemblymen, under anti-terrorism laws, which do not provide for bail while awaiting trial.

“I gave my views to the minister overseeing this matter. My views were not a directive,” he said in a blog post.

“However, if the government and the AG today feel they have solid evidence to charge them, they can initiate legal proceedings.

“I hope there is no cruelty when upholding justice and implementing the law.”

Twelve men had been detained under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma) in October 2019 for their alleged links to the LTTE, a defunct militant organisation that tried to create an independent Tamil state in Sri Lanka.

The 12, including two DAP assemblymen, denied their involvement in LTTE, stating that the flags, posters and pictures found in their possession meant they only sympathised with the plight of the Tamil minority in Sri Lanka.

In February, then attorney-general Tommy Thomas decided to drop the charges, saying there was “no realistic prospect” for their conviction under any of the 34 charges against them.

The move, Mahathir said, was consistent with Pakatan Harapan’s stand prior to the last general election that they were against laws which had been abused by the previous Barisan Nasional administration against critics of 1MDB.

Those who had been arrested under such laws, he said, were neither tried nor allowed bail. “This was a travesty of justice.”