More Malaysians queuing to become suicide bombers, say cops

Police say those who join the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria consider suicide bombing a 'holy act'. – Reuters pic, January 26, 2016.

More Malaysians who went to Syria as part of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (Isis) militants have signed up to become suicide bombers, Bukit Aman said today.

The federal police's Special Branch Counter-Terrorism Division principal assistant director Datuk Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay said the fighters, who had been brainwashed into thinking that such acts were a form of martyrdom, had no qualms over waiting in line for their turn to become human bombs.

"Becoming a suicide bomber is not easy but they are willing to wait for their turn. We may call it suicidal, but to them it is a holy act and a path to heaven," he said in a seminar organised by the Pahang state government.

The seminar was held to explain and discuss issues such as terrorism, the Isis threat and 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

Ayob said to date, six Malaysians had died as suicide bombers in Iraq and Syria, the latest being two brothers and a man from Terengganu.

"Among them was also a 22-year-old third year medical student from the northern part of the country," he added. 

From the latest information obtained, Ayob said there were 47 Malaysians in Syria, compared to 72 from previous records.

"Some 17 of them were killed in battles," he said.

Two recent suicide bombings in Syria and Iraq were said to be done by Malaysian Isis members.

The New Straits Times reported on January 11 that Mohd Amirul Ahmad Rahim from Terengganu, was the bomber in the Raqqa incident, and Mohamad Syazwan Salim in Tikrit.

Quoting sources, NST said Amirul, 26, left his family in Terengganu to join Isis in Syria in October 2014 and took up the name "Abu Uqashah Malizi".

Syazwan meanwhile was 31 and from Selangor. He and his younger brother, Muhamad Shazani Mohd Salim, 28, joined Isis through Turkey on September 23, 2014.

NST said the brothers were trained in the Khatibah Nusantara cell in Syria for their suicide missions.

Ayob also said those who had returned to the country had been arrested by the counter-terrorism division for their links with Isis.

"We are taking pre-emptive action. Malaysia in fact is the first country that has been going after Isis even before it became widely known in 2014," added Ayob.

He said the counter-terrorism unit had detected their influence in the country since 2013 and arrested many militants the same year to curb the influence.

"While others are still thinking about what to do with this threat, we already took action to nab the militants. We have also arrested all Isis members who had returned to the country as a pro-active measure."

- TMI