[1][2][3] The group was made famous by their audacious raid on 2 July 2000 on a camp of Malaysian Army Reserve mobilized in the early hours of the morning and stealing weapons from the armory.
But for all the slickness of the two arms heists, the group's previous actions amounted to taking a few pot-shots at a Hindu temple at Batu Caves, breweries on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur, and a power company's electric tower.
The leader of the group, Mohamed Amin, was a former army private but also arrested among the 26 in the Sauk siege included a Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) major, an analyst, an insurance agent, a Malaysia France Institute lecturer and an executive with Proton.
[7] The Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) also through its Secretary-General, Nasharudin Mat Isa, reiterated their belief while refusing to apologise for the accusation of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) for stage managing the tragedy.
[8] Lim Kit Siang also questioned the Government's action in using the Internal Security Act to detain the 27 Al-Ma’unah members arrested at Bukit Jenalik on 6 July 2000 after the five-day arms heists and hostage taking and killings instead of charging them for robbery, kidnapping, firearms and murder is a major and multiple blow to the reputation and credibility of the Police, the Attorney-General, the Deputy Prime Minister and the Prime Minister as its smacks of a “cover-up” operation and will undermine public confidence in the White Paper on the Al-Ma’unah arms heists and atrocities.