19 terror plots foiled, 369 suspects held
PUTRAJAYA: The authorities have thwarted 19 terror plots and apprehended 369 suspected Islamic State (IS) militants between 2013 and 2017.
Deputy Home Minister Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed said 87 foreigners were among the suspected terrorists detected between 2013 and last year.
“The grenade attack at Movida bar in Puchong, Selangor, in June 2016 was considered the first ISlinked attack in Malaysia,” he said of the attack which injured eight people. Two people admitted to the crime and were each jailed 25 years.
“That incident was an apt reminder to us of the reality of modern terrorism, where conflicts that are happening thousands of miles away can have real repercussions on our security here,” he said at the Putrajaya International Security Dialogue 2018 here.
He said it was time to review the approach to countering terrorism.
“Through social media, IS continues to recruit members across the globe, mostly targeting disenfranchised young men and women who seek affirmation in their lives.
“Therefore, the time has come for us to review our approach to counter terrorism. A heavyhanded approach, which may seem effective in the short term, does not address the core issues of terrorism.
“Just as much as this is a war against criminals and terrorists, it is also a war of the hearts and minds, a battle of competing ideologies.”