26 terror-related attack plots foiled over past 12 years

A total of 75 members of militant and terrorist groups who were planning to carry out attacks in Malaysia were arrested during the period.

Deputy IGP Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay said the plots foiled by the police included attempts to carry out attacks on foreign embassies in Kuala Lumpur in 2012, as well as entertainment outlets in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor in 2013. (Bernama pic)

KUALA LUMPUR:

 Bukit Aman’s Special Branch counter-terrorism division (E8) foiled 26 attempted terrorist and militant attacks nationwide between 2012 and 2024, said deputy inspector-general of police Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay.

Ayob Khan said the attempted attacks involved both group-based and lone-actor threats.

He said two attacks were successfully carried out during the period – the bombing of a pub in Puchong in 2016, and an attack on the Ulu Tiram police station in Johor in May 2024 that claimed the lives of two police personnel.

“During this period, E8 also successfully detained 75 members of militant and terrorist groups who were planning to carry out attacks in Malaysia,” he said in a post on his Facebook page today.

All the suspects were arrested under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma) and were subsequently either charged under the Penal Code or subjected to detention or restriction orders under the Prevention of Crime Act (Poca) or the Prevention of Terrorism Act (Pota).

Those charged under the Penal Code were convicted and sentenced to prison terms ranging from one to 25 years.

Ayob Khan said the plots successfully foiled by E8 included attempts to carry out attacks using improvised explosive devices (IEDs) targeting foreign embassies in Kuala Lumpur in 2012, as well as entertainment outlets in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor in 2013.

He said security forces also thwarted several planned attacks targeting places of worship, public premises and crowded locations, including large-scale plots involving high-profile individuals and strategic facilities, as well as attempted bomb attacks in Putrajaya.

Commenting on doubts raised by some parties regarding the suspects’ capability to carry out large-scale attacks, he said the police’s investigations found that several suspects had manufactured IEDs, vehicle-borne IEDs, firearms and hand grenades, and had also conducted successful explosive tests.

He also said the effectiveness of preventive laws such as Sosma, Pota, and Poca was crucial in enabling early action to be taken to thwart violent attack plans before any loss of life occurred.

“We recognise human rights, but they must be balanced against security threats. There is no absolute freedom,” he said. - FMT