The Malaysian public need not panic as the police are on alert for any activities related to the propagation of Islamic State (IS) ideologies after reports emerged that the terrorist group launched a media platform in the country recently, Inspector-General of Police Acryl Sani Abdullah said.
In a statement, he said the police are aware of the situation and are continuously monitoring any related online activities by IS.
He added that in order to prevent such activities, the national police constantly collaborate with local law enforcement and regional security organizations.
“The public is advised not to be alarmed by media reports on activities by any parties to spread IS propaganda. Based on the current situation, police assured that the state of national security remains under control.”
“At the same time, police are also committed to deterring any activities that disturb public peace, and will take stern action without any compromises,” he said.
Yesterday, The Vibes reported that IS launched a media platform in Malaysia, claiming its presence in the country.
The Al Malaka Media Centre, an organization believed to be directly supporting a “radical political party and an established radical organization,” is a group connected to IS media outlets in Indonesia and the Philippines.
The content of the organization is accessible on the dark web, according to the Nordic Counter-Terrorism Network’s (NCTN) Cyber Counter-Terrorism Division, which identified Al Malaka Media Centre.
The dark web is a section of the internet that is not indexed by search engines and can only be accessed through specific applications like the Tor browser.
According to NCTN, the group is using radical ideologies to undermine the current government of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and has connections to its local support networks.
The group created an image depicting the Petronas Twin Towers with IS flags flying at the top of the building and a burning fighter jet in the sky along with the words “Hari Penaklukan Segera Tiba” (the day of conquest is soon upon us), based on materials obtained by NCTN.
NCTN director Andrin Raj said the group poses a national security threat to Malaysia and has the potential to spark indiscriminate small-scale violence in the country.
The government is aware of the group’s attempts to increase its influence in Malaysia, according to Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
“Of course, we cannot divulge more details, but the public need not be worried as we are monitoring their activities with the cooperation of our international security and counter-terrorism partners.
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