The Malaysian Insight

ALMOST one in 10 Malaysian youth polled in Selangor and Sabah have the potential to be radicalised, and believe violence in the name of religion is justified, local think tank Iman Research found in its study on normative beliefs about violent extremism.

The study, which looked at 1,139 youth aged 18 to 35 in the two states, found that support for extremist causes was linked with the respondents’ exposure to religious ideology.

In total , 8.8% of the youth “indicated support for violent extremism in relation to religious ideology.

“Respondents in Selangor recorded 8.5% while in Sabah, respondents were 9.7%,” Iman said in its report “Normative Beliefs about Violent Extremism and Its Association with Demographic, Psychosocial and Health Characteristics: A Study of Young Adults in Selangor and Sabah”.

Iman said this finding correlated with past studies by other research outfits, like Pew Research, which in 2015 found that attitudes towards the Islamic State’s  cause and views on suicide bombings could be linked to ideologically driven beliefs.

Factors that led to support for violent extremism were multi-faceted, and can encompass social politics and education, said Iman director Dina Zaman.

“What surprises us was, it was more than religious or national identity. In Selangor, (the youths) really have nothing here… in Sabah, (it) is about the lack of social capital, they don’t even feel they’re part of Malaysia,” she told The Malaysian Insight in an interview. 

“Selangor is the richest state, a Malaysian success. But when you talk to the youth there, while KL may be rich, they feel totally powerless to direct their lives.

“Sabah has cross-border militant migration moving throughout the state. Over there, a lot of extreme things happen. It’s becoming mainstream. So, when you live in this kind of environment, violence and extremism becomes part of how you live,” she said.

Dina said some mental health issues were also detected via psychometric measurements.

“It is true that many of them cited having high anxiety and they were anxious about so many things, cost of living and living conditions and the future,” she said of respondents.

Selangor and Sabah youth were chosen because these states represented the heavy contrasts in terms of demographics and socio-political challenges. Both states also have a history of radicalism and militant activity.

The respondents were given examples of situations to gauge their thoughts on violence within the context of ideology, religion, ethnicity, and culture.

The situations included a road-bullying incident involving a driver cutting a queue, people raiding a funeral procession that had made some residents in a diverse neighbourhood uneasy, and an organisation saying that all countries against its religious rule are legitimate targets for attack.

Iman found that the two main characteristics shared by respondents open to violence, were manipulativeness and ethnocentrism.

“In other words, those with higher level of manipulative tendencies and ethnocentric nature were likelier to have positive attitudes towards violent extremism,” said the research house.

An ethnocentric trait showed that these individuals were more likely to possess radical beliefs or ideology because they believed their own ethnicity to be superior to others and viewed other races and cultures negatively.

Nipping in the bud

Dina said tackling the rising acceptance of extremism among youth would require a holistic approach and involve a joint effort between the government and authorities.

“When you talk about violent extremism in Malaysia, whether it is among Malay youth or Chinese or Indians or Orang Asal youth, you have to look at the more holistic angle, including education and family environment,” she said.

“We cannot be so territorial and say I know more and this is my turf. I think we have to change our mindset and say we have a problem.”

Dina said that the potential for radicalisation among youth must be nipped in the bud while they are still a “minority” group.

“Ninety per cent of our respondents said we don’t agree with violence, but that 10%... (They) agree to all these actions and these beliefs.

“They are young people and they will get married. Will their ideology get passed down through the kids?” – January 26, 2019.