Half of those held for IS activities from Sabah
Published on: Saturday, May 23, 2015
Kota Kinabalu: Police are always on the alert and continuously monitoring the situation for any IS (Islamic states) elements in the country. Six Sabahans believed to be involved in IS activities were nabbed in the peninsula last year, said Insp. Mohd Shahrizan, who is attached to police headquarters. Altogethers there have been 12 arrests.Describing them to be quite young, Mohd Shahrizan said the six were detained after police received information of their suspected threat to the country, adding that they were believed to have been influenced by IS militant elements through social media.
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"The situation in Sabah is under control where IS militants are concerned," he said, adding there has also been no indication of undergraduates involved in militant activities. The one-hour talk was attended by police cadets and army reserves of the university to create awareness on threats brought on by militants and the SSKM ideology. During the question and answer session, he assured that the government through the police force has its way to address militant elements in the country. "Believe in us, I cannot elaborate but I assure we have a way to ensure militants do not enter our country," he said when asked how confident was the security enforcement in Malaysia in stopping IS from entering the country when even illegal immigrants could sneak in easily.
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To another question, he said, working with agencies from outside is needed to address militant elements. However, the complicated part is when Malaysians involved in militant actiivities are in other countries such as Syria or Iraq.
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"It would be a bit difficult to detain them particularly in areas where IS has gained power, where even the security enforcement in that area is not capable of handling militants who have taken control over the area. "However, we have identified Malaysians who are there and are involved in militant elements and action will definitely be taken against them once they return to Malaysia," he said. "And before that, a total of 17 people believed to be involved in militant activities were also detained, so please be confident in our capabilities and pray for our strength to address this," he said. When asked about the difference between IS and the Free Syrian Army, he said IS fights for a regional Islamic caliphate, while the Free Syrian Army fights together with the Syrian people against the regime that oppresses them. He said IS militants want to form a territory which begins from Syria and Iraq before spreading to the rest of the world, while Free Syrian Army fights for the people of Syria."Sometimes, policies may seem good however complications may arise when it comes to the implementation stage of the policy," he said when asked if the efforts to eradicate militants will be successful by the year 2020. "We have succeeded in solving communist threats in 1989 but this was followed by another threat to the country in the form of drugs, after that came threats from militants comprising those with skills and expertise."To answer if we will succeed in addressing terrorism by the year 2020, I think terrorism will always exist," he said.In April this year, 12 suspected IS influenced militants, aged between 17 and 47, who were allegedly plotting attacks in several locations the country including government premises and entertainment outlets were arrested by police.Police also seized 20 kg (44 pounds) of ammonium nitrate, a similar amount of potassium nitrate, two litres of kerosene and remote-control devices. Among those arrested were businessmen, university students and odd job workers from various states. None of them had been to Syria.Malaysian police say dozens of citizens have gone to Syria to join the brutal IS jihad, and have warned of radicals returning to stage attacks on home soil.Over the past year, police have announced a series of arrests of suspects they say were IS sympathisers plotting such attacks.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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