Malaysians in Myanmar not part of IS, say police

Updated 6 years ago · Published on 19 Sep 2017 7:40AM · 1 Comments

A GROUP of Malaysian fighters in Myanmar have been recruited by local militant groups and are not part of the Islamic State, the Straits Times quoted top Malaysian police’s counter-terrorism chief as saying. 

The fighters are taking up arms against the country’s army because its offensive against insurgents has led to more than 400,000 Rohingya Muslims to flee the crackdown in Rakhine state.

Bukit Aman Special Branch Counter-Terrorism Division (E8) Assistant Director  Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay had said on Sunday that IS was using the Rohingya issue to recruit new members in Southeast Asia to carry out attacks.

However, Ayob told The Straits Times that the Malaysians currently in Myanmar were not part of IS.

“They are not IS… We do not have intelligence that shows ISIS and Arsa have joined forces,” he said, referring to the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army.

“But the issue in Rakhine is being exploited by IS (to recruit more fighters) in Southeast Asia.”

Inspector-General of Police Mohamad Fuzi Harun said police intelligence showed there many other Malaysians were preparing to fight the Myanmar army. 

“We are determining how many of them are there (in Myanmar) and how many are planning to leave Malaysia (for Myanmar),” Mohamad Fuzi was quoted as saying to The Straits Times yesterday.

It is not known whether those Malaysians have launched any attack.

Authorities have said that Rakhine has become IS’ latest destination for “jihad” in Southeast Asia, after the southern Philippines. – September 19, 2017.

Sign up or sign in here to comment.

Comments

  • Absolutely disagreed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. Anyone in the guise of religion and goes into militant nature will be potential terrorist as the tendency to advocate their beliefs and upholding their imposition even during civil environment as it is already entrenched in their tour as second nature in them. I would truly suggest to the police to keep a tap and routine round up to ensure no sorrowful state of after effect and giving countless reason for the slip up. Appologies and reactions are useless and far too late. Do not easily draw conclusion and being complacent . It is happening all over Europe where the return of the hard core militants back to their home country are creating big mess and nightmares. Why??? because it is already in their nature to be violent and asserting their twisted beliefs back in their home country. Earlier they were innocent and fighting for religious cause when they sign up to be militants and along the way the harsh realities and environment are not in sync to their idealistic mind and that is where the devil and demons will start wrecking the corrupted mind to enforce their own beliefs. Please MR. New IGP!!!! do not take country peace and unity for granted with a trade off in the religious sanctity.
    Many rich Muslim countries are least bothered except for empty bellowing of hot air to justify their Muslim brotherhood responsibility. No official request of army personnel are offered to be peace keeping forces but very gladly and blindly acknowleging that their home militant terrorist will be doing the job. This is where the danger of influence to our so called home front heroes who are there and will be brainwashed by this hard core militants and twisted in their thinking on their return.

    Posted 6 years ago by Lee Lee · Reply