Malaysia to look to Middle East countries in fighting Daesh

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia will study the mechanism and proactive action taken to address the growing threat of Daesh militants by some Middle East countries, said Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein.
He said the partnership will be implemented through his official visit to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain next week, as these countries were more experienced in dealing with Daesh as in Iraq and Syria.
"It's important for us to learn and understand how these countries are facing the Daesh threat in Iraq and Syria and share intelligence information.
"The possibility of their fleeing Raqqa, Mosul or Aleppo after the successful military interventions, where will they go? I am worried they will flee to this region," he told a press conference after officiating the Kompleks Mutiara Perbadanan Perwira Niaga Malaysia (Pernama) at Subang Air Base, near here.
Hishammuddin said in conjunction with the visit, he would also meet the King of Saudi Arabia, King Salman Abdul Aziz Al-Saud to discuss the matter in detail.
Asked on security in Sabah, especially after the militant attacks in Marawi, Mindanao, Philippines, Hishammuddin said the ministry had raised security levels and added assets such as fighter jets at the Labuan Air Base.
Earlier, Hishammuddin witnessed the handing over of the 2016 dividend amounting to RM55 million, from Pernama to the Armed Forces Fund Board (LTAT) and an annual contribution of RM500,000 to the Armed Forces Welfare Fund.
Pernama is one of the government agencies that does not rely on government funding and most of the infrastructure development projects as well as complexes are from their own profit.
Pernama Complex is the fifth built for the convenience of members of the Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM) and has 84 stores currently operating in major ATM camps nationwide. — Bernama