The Malaysian Insight

SOCIAL media is a bigger problem than Islamic schools in the spread of terrorist ideology, the police’s top counter-terrorism enforcer said today.

Bukit Aman Special Branch Counter-terrorism principal director Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay said it is inaccurate to say that religious schools bred terrorists, although he admitted that militant elements could seep into these institutions.

However, the spread of such ideology is wider and faster through social media.

Of the many terrorism-related arrests made by the police in recent years, Ayob said very few involved Islamic schools.

“Only one or two cases involved students, who were arrested over alleged IS (Islamic state) involvement.

“I think those from the religious field make up the smallest group among those arrested,” he told the media today after giving a closed-door briefing on current terrorism threats to the management representatives of hundreds of Islamic schools in Penang.

Ayob said most of the people arrested came from all kinds of backgrounds. Some of them were university lecturers, cops, military men and members of the public.

“They don’t come from one type of institution,” he said, adding that many of them did not have strong religious foundations, which made them easily influenced by what they saw on social media.

“They learn one Hadis, they want to become martyrs, to kill people or become suicide bombers. This is what needs to be corrected.”

Since 2013, the police have arrested 453 people in relation to terrorism.

Ayob said there was a drop in arrests related to terrorism last year but the threat is still present.

“There were just over 80 arrests last year. Although there were fewer arrests, there are still active attempts to recruit our students to go to Syria and southern Philippines (to join terror groups), even today.

“They will continue to exploit religion for their own interests. I told the religious schools that as long as we face such issues, the terrorism problem will not end,” he said.

Due to this situation, it is important for Islamic schools like sekolah pondok and madrasah to learn and understand security issues, said Ayub, who was invited by Penang Islamic Affairs Department’s education section to talk about terrorism.

“Elements of terrorism may seep into the schools through teachers brought from outside, or within the schools. Their students may be exposed to the ideology of extremists.

“With social media widely used these days, everyone can access information easily and become exposed to these extreme ideology. It can spread and incite students to break the law.”

Ayob said the police cannot work alone to fight the threat, urging Islamic schools and the wider public to alert the police if they have information or suspicions about such activities.

“Tell us if there are those spreading ideology that goes against the Sunnah Wal Jamaah school.

“The police will monitor, investigate and take action if there is proof of law breaking,” he said.

Ayob also stressed the importance of having preventive and security laws like Security Offences (Special Measures) Act (Sosma), Prevention of Terrorism Act (Pota) and Prevention of Crime Act (Poca), which the federal government has changed its mind about repealing.

He denied that the police had used the laws to detain people without trial.

“Many believe we used the laws to detain people without trial. But it’s not true. Among the 453 people detained for alleged terrorism, 199 were charged and I think 172 were convicted.”

He also said some who were detained under Pota and Poca were taken to trial and allowed to engage lawyers, while many were released due to insufficient evidence.

“We don’t arrest people according to our whims and fancies,” Ayob said. – January 15, 2019.