Malaysian police have revealed that some citizens are engaging in “jihad” on behalf of the Rohingya of Myanmar, and against the government that is allegedly supporting their decimation.
The Sun reports that Bukit Aman’s Special Branch Counter-Terrorism Division (E8) has revealed that the Islamic State is now using the plight of the beleaguered community to influence and engage new recruits.
Photos are being shared across social media on popular ISIS sympathizer sites to lure potential militants, reported one director at the “ISIS Threat to Youths Awareness Seminar,” held in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
E-8 also pointed to Malaysia’s proximity to Myanmar as another factor that could encourage naïve sympathizers to pursue “jihad” in Rakhine state. While Syria might seem worlds away, Myanmar is easily accessible from Malaysia.
On September 10, a cendol seller from Malacca, the hometown of deceased ISIS Malaysian recruiter Muhamad Wanndy Mohamad Jedi, was arrested for promotion of the violent jihadist cause, including printing propaganda and distributing the group’s flag. Police say he was planning on joining the militants in the Philippines, or Rakhine state.
In other news discussed at the seminar were the four remaining Malaysians in Syria. Police warned that they were still active in looking for recruits, and for opportunities to attack.
