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Security, Politics, and Sabah’s Fragile Governance

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The recent shooting of two US National Guard members near the White House has sparked global reflection on the vulnerabilities of modern governance. Reportedly committed by a recently arrived migrant, the incident exposed cracks in institutional coordination, crisis communication, and political responsibility. While this event unfolded thousands of miles away, it offers lessons that are urgently relevant to Malaysia, especially in light of the upcoming Sabah state election on 29 November 2025 and recent security incidents in the region, including the Lahad Datu intrusion and a spate of kidnappings in eastern Sabah. These developments reveal how intertwined security, political timing, and social cohesion are, and how fragile governance can become if crises are not managed with foresight. First, the US incident underscores that even the most sophisticated security systems can be breached. High-risk areas are never invulnerable. In Washington DC, the attacker reached one of the most h...
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Malaysia’s Strategic Africa Engagement: A Bold New Frontier

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The recent outreach by Malaysia’s Prime Minister  Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim  to key African nations signals a recalibration of Malaysia’s global strategy and rightly so. Africa has transformed into a region of real economic, demographic and geopolitical significance. For Malaysia, engaging early promises not just new markets but a platform to expand influence, diversify partnerships and position itself in a changing global order. Over the past two years Africa has plainly moved the world politically, economically and socially. The continent is no longer just a recipient of foreign aid but an actor in innovation, environmental leadership and global shifts. Urbanisation has accelerated, new industrial corridors are being planned, and Africa’s population is becoming a youthful force of consumption and production. In this context, Malaysia’s interest in emerging African partners is timely. Africa’s strategic ascent is driven by three interlocking dynamics. First, demographi...
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Return Merit, Restore Malaysian Football

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The qualification of Uzbekistan, Jordan, Cape Verde, Curaçao, and Haiti for the 2026 FIFA World Cup has reshaped global football expectations and delivered a loud message to nations still struggling with direction and identity including Malaysia. Except for Haiti, making its second appearance after 1974, these nations are stepping onto the world stage for the first time in history. Their achievement is not accidental, nor is it a miracle but it is the product of years of systematic planning, investment in grassroots development, and football administration grounded in professionalism rather than political symbolism. Watching these nations rise while Malaysia continues to stumble forces an uncomfortable but necessary reflection: how did a country that once dominated Southeast Asian football fall so far behind? During the 1970s and early 1980s, Malaysia commanded respect on the Asian football scene. The names of legends such as Mokhtar Dahari, R. Arumugam, Hassan Sani, Santokh Sing...
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Women’s Wings: Terrorism’s Expanding Frontier

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The recent Red Fort car blast in New Delhi has not only exposed operational vulnerabilities but also illuminated a worrying new chapter in terrorism: the structured, strategic use of women in extremist organisations. What was once seen as a male-dominated ecosystem is rapidly evolving into a gender-inclusive machinery in which women are no longer peripheral supporters but embedded operatives, recruiters, and ideological enforcers. The revelation that a women’s wing played a crucial role in the Red Fort incident underscores how deeply and deliberately terrorist groups are integrating women into their command structure. The Red Fort attack involved more than the placement of explosives in a public zone. Investigations revealed that women were actively involved in the planning, organisation, and support of the attack. Dr. Shaheen Saeed, a medical doctor, was reportedly tasked with assisting in the creation and oversight of a clandestine women’s division connected to the group in que...
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Women Emerging as Key Terror Actors

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The emergence of an organised women’s wing within Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) marks an important shift in the global trajectory of extremist movements one that Malaysia cannot afford to overlook. While this trend is unfolding abroad, its underlying dynamics are not geographically restricted. The establishment of a structured female division, complete with ideological training, leadership hierarchies, and recruitment pipelines, signals a more adaptive and sophisticated strategy among militant groups. For Malaysia, where women have historically played smaller but still notable roles within extremist ecosystems, this development serves as a critical reminder that gender is becoming an increasingly deliberate tool in extremist strategies. This trend reflects not merely the inclusion of women but the institutionalisation of their participation, marking a shift from informal involvement to formalised structures. Extremist organisations are leveraging gender for ideological legitimacy, opera...
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Ideology, Foreign Manipulation, and the Professional’s Responsibility

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The question of why professionals who are educated, respected, and successful individuals, turn to extremism is both psychological and sociological. Their radicalisation is not born of deprivation, but of conviction. Many are drawn by a deep moral disillusionment or frustration with perceived global injustices. They see violence not as cruelty, but as sacrifice i.e. a way to correct what they view as moral imbalance in the world. Extremist recruiters understand this psychology well. They appeal not to greed but to pride, offering educated minds a sense of purpose and superiority. Professionals also offer terrorists what they lack: sophistication. They bring structure, knowledge, and access to systems that can make extremist operations appear legitimate. The engineer knows how to build. The accountant knows how to hide transactions. The lecturer knows how to persuade. The doctor knows how to gain trust. Each professional skill becomes a potential tool in the hands of ideology. ...
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The New Face of Terrorism and Malaysia’s Emerging Risk

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When Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim expressed his deep sorrow over the deadly blast near Delhi’s Red Fort, his words resonated beyond sympathy for the victims. His condemnation of such acts of terror was a statement of principle that violence against innocents is never justifiable, no matter its cause or context. Yet, beneath his compassion lies an important warning: terrorism today has evolved beyond the familiar image of armed radicals or religious fanatics. It has entered a new, more insidious phase, one where professionals, educated individuals with status and legitimacy, become silent enablers of extremism. In this modern era, terrorism no longer operates solely through the gun or the bomb. It thrives through systems of trust - financial systems, educational institutions, charities, and corporations. These are the same systems managed and occupied by professionals: doctors, accountants, engineers, lecturers, executives, and researchers. These individuals have access to credibi...
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