KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has to rely on laws such as the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act (Sosma) 2012, to counter terrorists who are using the country as a transit hub.
Home Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin (pix) said Malaysia couldn’t afford to allow terrorist elements to flourish here.
“The threats are real, that is why the police have been taking action. We need to make arrests. We will continue to monitor and take preventive measures,” he said at a press conference in Serdang today, citing the US State Department’s Country Reports on Terrorism 2018, which was released last Friday.
He said security in Sabah is still a challenge for security agencies as they have to guard the state’s coastal areas that span more than 1,000km.
“Kidnapping in Sabah is nothing new,” he said. “There were cases where we managed to free the hostages but there are some who are still being held hostage.
“Another problem is that the area is huge, more than 1,000km, and we are close to the Philippines. We have a small understanding with Manila. We exchange information and intelligence.
“On our part, we are tightening up our defence. We have assets such a helicopters and marine boats for this.”
The US State Department’s Country Reports on Terrorism 2018 reported that Malaysia remained a source and transit point for terror groups like the Islamic State, despite stepping up on anti-terrorism efforts.
It also highlighted four terrorism-linked incidents last year, however said there were no IS-linked attacks on Malaysian soil last year. According to the report:
> Malaysian security forces thwarted a kidnapping-for-ransom attempt in Malaysian territorial waters in August 2018.
> On Sept 11, two Indonesian fishermen were kidnaped off the coast of Semporna in Sabah state and later held by ASG militants in Sulu, Philippines with a US$1 million ransom demand. One of the fishermen reportedly escaped on Dec 6, but the other remained a hostage at year’s end.
> On Sept 20, two members of a kidnapping-for-ransom group, believed to be spotters for kidnapping activities, were killed in a shootout with Malaysian security forces on an island near the town of Kunak in Sabah.
> On Dec 5, three Malaysian crewmembers were kidnapped from a tugboat in Malaysian waters near Pegasus Reef, off the coast of Kinabatangan in Sabah state, and taken to the Philippines. During the kidnapping, the captain of the vessel was shot in the leg.
> Although there were no IS-affiliated attacks in Malaysia in 2018, the country remains a source and transit point, and to a significantly lesser extent, a destination country, for terrorist groups, including IS, Abu Sayyaf, al-Qaeda and Jemaah Islamiyah.
The report also detailed that Malaysia was used as a transit point for suspected IS supporters who were deported from Turkey and individuals planning to travel to southern Philippines to support IS-affiliated groups.
