4 REPLACE
4 militants in Syria now terror group’s prime movers in Malaysia, say police
HIDIR REDUAN
MARAN hidirreduan@nst.com.my
FOUR Malaysians have stepped into the vacuum created following the death of Malaysian Islamic State (IS) leader Muhammad Wanndy Mohamed Jedi.
Federal Police Special Branch Counterterrorism Division principal assistant director Datuk Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay said the four, currently in Syria, acted as the terror group’s “prime movers” in Malaysia.
“They are Muhammad Rafiuddin, Akhbar Zainal, Muhammad Fuzail and Muhammad Zahar.”
He said this after giving a lecture titled, “Danger of Islamic State Ideology on Muslims and the Nation”, during a Bicara Mufti programme in Seberang Chenor here on Saturday.
“Police have succeeded in arresting 300 IS members since 2013, and 141 had been charged (in court), with 43 charged under POCA (Prevention of Crime Act) and 23 under POTA (Prevention of Terrorism Act), with the remainder released.”
“This year, police succeeded in detaining 36 IS members.”
Ayob said there were 56 Malaysian IS members in Syria, comprising 36 men and 20 women, aged between 4 and 50, from the initial number of 95.
He said eight of them had returned to Malaysia and 31 others had been killed.
Ayob said police, with the assistance of the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission, had clamped down access to the group’s nearly 30 websites as well as Facebook presence.
He warned that despite Wanndy’s death, the Salafi Jihadi ideology by IS was still active and continued to spread via social involved in the trade and most of them are from higher learning institutions as they want more pocket money,” said the sources.
Kelantan Wildlife and National Parks Department director Mohd Hasdi Husin said it was monitoring the online sales.
“The department will arrest the pet sellers if they are found breaching the law,” he told the media despite losing significant ground in Syria and Iraq.
“They now target every level (of society), from school and university students, government staff, search and rescue personnel, members of the public, imam and university lecturers.”
Ayob urged religious experts to play a role in stamping out the spread of the “Salafi Jihadi” ideology. New Straits Times yesterday.
Those found guilty could be charged under Section 60 and 68 of the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 (Act 716) for hunting or keeping protected wildlife without licence or permit. If convicted, they can be fined between RM50,000 and RM500,000 or jailed up to five years. By Sharifah Mahsinah Abdullah