SABAH youth grappling with poverty and identity issues are more vulnerable to being radicalised by extremist groups, said think-tank Iman Research.

In its study on normative beliefs on violent extremism, the outfit found that one in 10 youth in Selangor and Sabah believes that violence in the name of religion is justified.

The study, which looked at 1,139 youth aged 18 to 35 in the two states, showed that a total of 8.8% respondents support violent extremism in relation to religious ideology – 8.5% of the Selangor youth and 9.7% of those in Sabah.

Head of research Vila Somiah said among Sabah youth, those who endorse violent extremism tend to have low levels of social capital, which can determine how well a person fits into their community and whether they have access to basic resources.

“They feel disempowered to affect their surroundings, whether they have a healthy impact on local politics, whether they have access to healthcare and education, whether they feel they can have power over the people around them.”

She said the study found that radicalisation is not strictly a matter of religious extremism, and can be triggered by poverty or lack of access to jobs.

Many Sabah youth face “prevailing political grievances, undocumented migrant issues and education inequality”.

This has exacerbated their vulnerability, making them targets for exploitation and recruitment, she said.

“Youth in Sabah feel less empowered simply because they don’t have as much supporting structure as those in Selangor do.”

Although the study involved youth who are Malaysians, said Vila, many of them experience identity issues.

“Many of these youth come from families that are irregular by way of their status. So you’re talking about youth who may have an uncle or aunt, or maybe even a sibling, whose documents are considered unknown or questionable.”

She said disaffected youth are easy targets for radicalisation by ethnocentric groups.

“One way to radicalise in Sabah is through peer groups, where there are groupings based on common interests.

“A lot of them are maritime groups. They’ve got access to other groups that come through (due to) the porousness of the sea border, as well as undetected religious leaders.”

The think-tank said cross-border militancy is a persistent problem in Sabah due to the state’s long history of migration, with the wider Southeast Asian region, specifically southern Philippines, known to be a hotbed for militant groups such as Abu Sayyaf.

Militancy in the state is evolving into a global problem, with Abu Sayyaf pledging to become the Islamic State’s key affiliate in the region. – January 26, 2019.