A “SOFT approach” is the most effective way to deradicalise suspected terrorists, as long periods of incarceration and severe punishment only increase their hatred for the authorities, said an expert.

Ahmad El-Muhammady, who is involved in the rehabilitation of terror suspects, told The Malaysian Insight that “punitive or harsh punishment breeds radicals, while rehabilitation or the soft approach creates human beings”.

Based on this understanding, Putrajaya should come up with a single law to tackle terrorism, he said, adding that there are currently too many anti-terror laws, in addition to the Penal Code, which “complicate the rehabilitation process”.

He was commenting on police’s efforts to bring home 39 Malaysians stranded in Syria after joining the Islamic State.

“It doesn’t matter if you are caught here for terrorism-related activities or you are brought back from Syria. The process to deradicalise an individual is the same.

“The only difference is the deradicalisation method or module used for each of them.

“The concern is about the process. Once you are in police hands, you are subjected to interrogation. Police will assess how radical you are. Are you a hard-core believer or are you just a supporter of IS?

“Once you are brought to court, the case can drag on for up to three years. Many militants I’ve met expressed dissatisfaction with the way they were treated and the long legal process,” said Ahmad, a lecturer at International Islamic University Malaysia.

He said the difficulties faced by terror suspects during trial can lead to them holding grudges, adding that even if they are found innocent by the court, they will likely hold on to the hate.

“I have met convicts who were found guilty of terrorism and sentenced to prison. They feel that they were unfairly treated and this could add to their radicalisation in prison.

“Even if one is released, the long court battle can lead to post-release radicalisation. Our system is punitive, and it is not the cure.”

He cited an example where a suspect was sentenced to seven years’ jail for being in possession of IS materials.

“The sentence was too severe. In some cases, you have a suspect sentenced to 12 years or 20 years, which is a very long time. What will happen once they are released?”

Rehabilitation, or the soft approach, has proven to be effective in deradicalising suspected terrorists, said Ahmad.

“During trial, you do not receive any rehabilitation. It starts only after you have been sentenced. Each convicted terrorist undergoes an evaluation to determine how radical they are. The module is different for each individual.

“They will start with the religious aspect, a back-to-basics kind of approach, such as praying and understanding the basic things in Islam. Then, you are taught about the concept of Islam, the concept of IS and about jihad.

“There is an expert for each topic, and it depends on how radical a person is. Someone with a deep knowledge of Islam handles the hard-core believers.”

Continuous engagement by police is another way to prevent terror suspects from returning to their old ways, he said.

He pointed to last weekend’s breaking-of-fast event with former militants, organised by the Bukit Aman Special Branch counter-terrorism division.

The event was first organised by police in 2003 as a way to stay close with former extremists.

“Not just that, but police also visited the ex-militants on Hari Raya. This kind of engagement is far better than just holding them in prison,” said Ahmad.

“We need to tackle each one of them based on their understanding of terrorism and IS. If we put all of them in jail and expect them to be okay, even a 20-year jail term cannot rid them of the ideology they subscribe to.” – May 22, 2019.