Hampir 2 dekad di Guantanamo, Nazir masih belajar erti merdeka

After two decades imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay, Nazir Lep continues to learn what it means to live freely. Upon his release, he moved to Teratak Pak Jay, a home built by his brother Najib for his younger sibling to restart life in the village of Jeram Masjid, Muar. Living in the village, Nazir now tends to sheep, cows, chickens, and a coconut palm grove, and occasionally helps his brother during the durian season.

However, for a man who spent nearly two decades under American control following the 9/11 attacks, everyday life takes on a very different meaning. Nazir is still learning to live as a free individual, without the confines of the prison walls, fences, and routine. Freedom is more than just when the gate is opened or a cell door is unlocked, he told FMT in his Muar home.

For Nazir, freedom is the culmination of a struggle, as there is another process: adapting to society and the rapidly changing world during his absence. Nazir raises sheep and goats for sale, especially during Eid al-Adha, to support his livelihood. He emphasizes that freedom also comes with responsibility, fear, and the need to start anew.

Despite the concerns, the 50-year-old believes he can handle life, especially after successfully navigating the physical and mental torture since his detention by the CIA in Thailand in 2003. Alongside another Malaysian, Farik Amin, Nazir was detained on suspicion of involvement in the 2002 Bali bombing, which killed 202 people.

Both pleaded guilty in 2024 for aiding Indonesian suspect Hambali, believed to be the mastermind behind the attack. Nazir tries to make a living like a village man, and thanks to his family's support, he built his home on September 14 last year. His brother Najib, also a former state assemblyman from Bukit Pasir, built a house for Nazir's younger brother, marking a new beginning.

The home is named Teratak Pak Jay, after Nazir's nickname within the family. Two decades of lost life, freedom also forces Nazir to face something that cannot be regained: time. He claims he only started communicating with his family through Skype in 2017, albeit in monitored sessions and not in person. Before that, his family had no news of him and assumed he was dead.

He remembers the last conversation with his family via telegram, which came two weeks after his mother died six years earlier. Nazir was informed of her passing through a telegram, also after a two-week delay. "Going from a prison to a bigger prison," he told FMT in his Muar residence.