Following the online spread of a video by Abu Sayyaf elader Isnilon Hapilon pledging support and allegiance to the Middle Eastern Islamic State movement, Malaysian authorities have been on high alert.
However, while the Home Ministry regards intensifying militancy locally and in the region to be a cause for concern, the government insists that it has the situation under control – but its deputy minister feels the repeal of the draconian ISA has not helped Malaysia’s fight against terrorism.
Deputy Home Minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar told Channel News Asia, “If here is an association between such a group like IS in Iraq and Syria and associated with people like those people in the southern Philippines – whose brutality has already been seen during the last (Lahad Datu) intrusion – I’m sure it’s a concern for KDN (Home Ministry), a concern for police, and also certainly for Sabah and Sarawak.”
Malaysian authorities are keeping close watch on Isnilon and other Abu Sayyaf operatives, as well as the 40 or so Malaysians who have traveled to Syria to join Islamic State activities there.
“We are kind of inventorising them and listing them, and there’s no way they can come back here without getting into trouble with the law in this country,” Wan Junaidi said.
He added, “The development of militancy is not that serious but we cannot ignore it, because the whole environment – as far as police and KDN are concerned – seems to be right, because (Malaysia being a) Muslim-based country, there are a lot of people in the Islamic schools and most of the militancy is making use of the Islamic knowledge…teaching to influence people to go into militancy.”
Wan Junaidi lamented the repeal of the much-derided Internal Security Act (ISA), as he claimed the law substantially helped Malaysian law enforcement carry out their anti-terror initiatives more effectively. Since its repeal, the ISA has been replaced by the Securities Offences (Special Measures) Act, or SOSMA.
Casting his doubts on SOSMA’s value for the war on terror, Wan Junaidi said, “Unfortunately under SOSMA, we have to collect ample evidence against them to bring them to court; we don’t have any other choice, unlike during the ISA’s time. It doesn’t mean that if a person learns how to fight, if he learns how to do commando things in the jungle, he can be arrested, because there’s nothing (criminal) there. Boy scouts also do exactly the same thing, isn’t it?”
The Malaysian government is now looking into the possibility of strengthening existing security legislation, and might move to declare Islamic State illegal in the country.
