Some lawmakers not taking Isis threat seriously, says top cop

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar says many Malaysians do not take the Islamic State (Isis) threat seriously. – Reuters pic, October 15, 2015.

The threat of the Islamic State (Isis) group in the country is real, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said today, adding that many Malaysians including some legislators still did not take it seriously.

"Actually there are many people among us including the elected representatives who don't believe in the Isis threat.

"(They think) the Isis threat is part of a government drama and a farce. That's why we have called them so that we can give an explanation," Khalid (pic, right) told reporters after attending a closed-door forum with elected representatives and non-governmental organisations on crime at the Royal Malaysian Police College in Kuala Lumpur today.

"Today's session is to explain to all MPs and state assemblymen and NGOs. That is the objective. But if there are people who purposely don't want to understand, I'm so sorry for them."

He said Malaysia also had enough laws to deal with terrorism including the Special Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma) and Prevention of Terrorism Act (Pota).

"We never talked about bringing back ISA. We have good laws now, we have Pota and Sosma," he said, referring to the Internal Security Act, a law by the British enacted in 1957 to fight the communist threat.

He said today's forum was to explain trends in crime such as drug smuggling and commercial crimes, and also the spread of Isis ideology among youths.

"Isis uses social media to influence our youth to not only fight in Syria and Iraq but also to influence our youth to launch attacks in our country."

Police have made numerous arrests on suspected Isis sympathisers under Sosma and they have yet to be released, he said.

"(They) are still being detained to ensure they will not become threats to the country and the people.

"We know how many Malaysian citizens there are and we know they are trying to influence citizens here to launch attacks as what they tried to do the other day."

Last month, The Malaysian Insider reported that police had gone on higher alert and increased patrols around Jalan Alor and surrounding areas in capital city Kuala Lumpur, following credible information regarding a potential terrorist attack.

The heightened state of alert followed the arrests of several Isis sympathisers and suspected militants over the past months.

A Kuala Lumpur police source said the planned attack was believed to be retaliation for the crackdown against the militants.

In August, Malaysian police arrested 10 suspected Isis members in multiple raids across the country. It was reported that those arrested included six security forces personnel, a former interior designer and a kindergarten teacher.

The suspects – eight men and two women – were detained by the special counter-terrorism division in six separate areas, including Kuala Lumpur.

- TMI