Malaysia ramps up security after Sri Lanka carnage

Alfian Z.M. Tahir Alfian Z.M. Tahir Updated 7 years ago · Published on 24 Apr 2019 7:00AM · 3 Comments

Security personnel guarding the St Anthony’s Shrine in Colombo yesterday, two days after a series of bomb blasts targeting churches and luxury hotels in Sri Lanka. More than 300 people died in the attacks claimed by Islamist State. – AFP pic, April 24, 2019.

MALAYSIA has ramped up the security level at places of worship and is gathering intelligence from regional countries following the attacks in churches and hotels in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday, which claimed more than 300 lives.

The security level was initially increased after a lone gunman killed 50 worshippers in two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, last month, acting Deputy Inspector-General of Police Abdul Hamid Bador told The Malaysian Insight.

“The level went up another notch on Sunday following the attacks in Sri Lanka,” Hamid said.

“Our counter-terrorism unit is now gathering intelligence from other security agencies in the region. We have to be more vigilant.”

Islamic State claimed responsibility for the coordinated bomb attacks in churches and hotels in Sri Lanka. The authorities there put the latest death toll at 321 with more than 500 injured.

Hamid said following the attack against two mosques in Christchurch in March, Malaysian police increased surveillance outside places of worship in the country.

“We have also stationed at least one officer at mosques and other places of worship.

“Yes, we have increased our level of security after the Christchurch incident and the most recent attacks in Sri Lanka. We are stepping up efforts to secure all places of worship in Malaysia.”

Relatives and friends attend the funeral for victims of a series of bomb blasts at the Katuwapitiya church in Colombo yesterday. Sri Lanka blames little-known National Thowheeth Jama’ath (NTJ), an extremist Islamist group, for the coordinated attacks on Easter Sunday. – EPA pic, April 24, 2019.

In the Christchurch incident, an Australian was arrested by New Zealand police about 30 minutes after a shooting spree which left a 17-year-old Malaysian dead and three others injured.

Sri Lanka has detained more than 40 suspects.

The Sri Lankan parliament yesterday was told that the attacks were in retaliation for the Christchurch mosques shootings.

Malaysia has its fair share of IS sympathisers with scores being detained under security laws.

Although attacks of the scale in New Zealand and Sri Lanka are rare here, Malaysian police are not taking chances.

The last such attack on a house of worship happened in 2010 where a church in Taman Melawati in Setapak, Selangor, was torched following tensions over the use of the word “Allah” to refer to the Christian God.

Police arrested two men – Raja Muhammad Faizal Raja Ibrahim, 24, and Raja Muhammad Idzham Raja Ibrahim, 22 – both of whom were convicted of “mischief by fire”. – April 24, 2019.

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Comments

  • Please closely monitor the great Zakir Naik and his acolytes.

    Posted 7 years ago by J R · Reply

  • When hate speech is not called out for what it is, esp among those of the majority, then hate will only get worse and violence will most likely happen.

    Posted 7 years ago by Rene Leow · Reply

  • The government should initiate a nation wide feedback and alert system to counter such threats. Laymen on the ground must be fully covered,informed of and protected from any potential disaster.

    Posted 7 years ago by Tanahair Ku · Reply