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| Image: Flickr User - AK Rockefeller |
By Prashanth Parameswaran
A brief look at the bigger picture in the wake of recent incidents.
In the opening weeks of 2016, Malaysia has been grappling with a series of reports suggesting that the threat from the Islamic State (IS) is rising.
As I reported for The Diplomat, on January 11 the New Straits Times disclosed that two Malaysian suicide bombers linked to IS had blown themselves up in Syria and Iraq in the last two weeks, killing more than 30 others (See: “Malaysian Islamic State Suicide Bombers Kill More Than 30 in Middle East”). Apart from the impact of the acts themselves, the incidents – confirmed by Defense Minister Hishammuddin Hussein Thursday – also suggested a troubling trend of a growing role for Malaysians within IS.
Meanwhile, within Malaysia, a 16-year old male dressed in an Islamic-State style outfit held a woman at knifepoint in the northern state of Kedah. While the individual was arrested by police, the incident highlighted the real risk of lone-wolf attacks in the country which Malaysian officials have continued to stress.
The broader regional picture in Southeast Asia in early 2016 also looks rather worrying. Video footage of several Philippine militant groups pledging allegiance to IS has stoked fears that the group may be moving closer to its goal of establishing a foothold in Southeast Asia (See: “Islamic State Eyes Asia Base in 2016 in Philippines, Indonesia: Expert”). And on January 14, militants launched a gun and bomb assault at the center of the Indonesian capital, killing at least six people in what was suspected to be an Islamic State-linked attack.
But amidst all this, just how serious is the Islamic State threat to Malaysia right now? Numbers-wise, at home, recent public government estimates suggest that over 150 Malaysian citizens have been arrested thus far for terrorism-related activities since the formation of the Islamic State. As I have written before, what is alarming is not just the number itself, but the types of individuals which include not just ordinary citizens but also lecturers, civil servants and even security forces (See: “Exclusive: US, Malaysia and the War Against the Islamic State”).
Read the full story at The Diplomat