A few days ago, Malaysian
Education Minister, Education Minister Mahdzir Khalid has pointed out that his
ministry adopt zero tolerance on IS militants activities among teachers and
students. He further said that teachers can play a proactive role by educating
their students on atrocities done by IS militants. He also wanted a curriculum
to be developed by the ministry on IS threats to be taught in schools.
Early of this month, two of three
UK school girls (Shamima Begum – 15 years old, Kadiza Sultana – 16 years old,
and Amira Abasa – 15 years old) who left in February reportedly married with IS
fighters in Syria. When the girls left, their behavior do not cast any doubt to
their family members or friends as they prepared themselves with any other teenage
girls might make before leaving on vacation. According to Guardian newspaper,
the three girls probably recruited by a young woman, Aqsa Mahmood, who is from
Scotland now residing in Syria since 2013. These three girls were recruited
through social media.
The disturbing question was how
they are undetected by their family members, friends, teachers and authorities before
they left UK?
No one has any clear picture or
definite answer for the said question.
IS is so elusive and noxious. By
showing ‘encouraging’ videos with easy and attractive language, IS recruiters
can brainwash people especially young person downright via social media. For
these girls who are in the comfortable life in UK and move to war torn places
like Syria and Iraq, some irresistible traits must have convinced them to make
such a drastic decision of life.
Similarly in Malaysia, we have
everything to ask for and why some Malaysians exclusively the young persons are
attracted to the cause of IS which is false.
Therefore it is a right direction
of the Education Ministry to educate our teachers and students about the danger
of IS particularly on national security issues. The curriculum that the
ministry wanted to develop should not demonize any religion or persons but
positively address the root causes, hardship it’s caused and the benefits by
not involving with such terrorist groups.
Furthermore, the ministry also
needs to reconsider to bring back again the civic subject to be taught in the
primary and secondary schools to plant patriotism and love of this nation on our
students. In my opinion the lacking of patriotism is one of the key elements
why Malaysians especially young people attracted to evil character like IS
whose intention is to destroy our core values and nation as a whole.
Further, the ministry also must
engage the Parents-Teachers Associations by having continuous dialogue on IS with
parents and teachers but also friends and relatives. This should be a continuing
process. Meanwhile the ministry can invite the private sectors to contribute
for such events to ease its burden financially.
In addition, the ‘Rukun Tetangga’
and the housing associations also can play important role by having various
activities involving residents and their children to educate them the danger of
IS. Likewise with the help of Special Branch Counter Terrorism Department (E8) they
also can conduct role playing activity to identify and subsequently inform to
the relevant authorities on suspicious behavior of people within their
neighborhood.
Recently, INDIAN Prime Minister
Narendra Modi is very impressed with the Malaysian on counter terrorism
mechanism, anti-terrorism legislation and de-radicalization module where he
wanted such methods to be emulated in India to counter terrorist threats especially
from IS. This is recognition from a world leader for Malaysia’s efforts to
eradicate militancy. Unfortunately, some human rights advocates here distrust the
actual purpose of these tools which were created predominantly to prevent
further terrorist attack to be occurred.
IS is always evolving. Even
though PDRM has detained more than 200 suspected IS militants but the danger is
still exists. The recent video to call for attack in Malaysia by a suspected
terrorist in Syria and subsequent terrorist attack in Puchong has indicated
that IS has declared war on Malaysia. Therefore preventive law like SOSMA, POTA
and NSCA are necessary to tackle the threats imposed by IS.
Therefore the authorities should ignore
the human rights advocates who questioning the legality of such tools for
Malaysia. If there is any conflict between human rights and national security
issues, in my opinion matters on national security should be prevailed.
The terrorist attack in Rouen,
Normandy (France) where a priest was brutally murdered and one of the hostages
was seriously injured by two suspected IS terrorists who were killed by the
French security forces later. Meanwhile in Mogadishu, Somalia, a suicide bomber
detonated a car with bomb killing more than 10 people. Similarly in Kabul,
Istanbul, Nice, Dhaka, and Wurzburg had illustrated that existing laws became irrelevant
for IS terrorists. The life of non-believers and their own brother is no longer
different for IS as well as the life women and children including infants. For terrorist
human rights does not exist.
The biggest headache for most of the
western countries now is the clash between national security and human rights
issues. For instance, after the London bombing in 2005, the UK government has drawn
radical counter terrorism strategies by creating various legislations including
the Terrorism Act 2006. The Act provides the authority to detain terrorism
suspects without charge for 28 days. The UK also come up with identity cards
with support of intelligence agencies and UK Metropolitan Police but was ceased
in 2011 through the Identity Documents Act 2010. This mainly because of the
pressure from civil liberties groups which questioned the purpose of these
cards for authority to be used. That’s give colossal problem for authority to
keep track on suspected supporters/ sympathizer /facilitators of IS to be
detected and arrested in UK.
One of the prevalent contributory
factors for the continuance terrorist attacks in France and Germany is lacking
of strong preventive legislation which gives enough power to the authority to
detain suspected terrorists without trial. This notion is fundamentally opposed
by the human rights groups in those countries. Unlike them, we have the robust tools
like SOSMA, POTA and NSCA to protect our people and nation as recognized by Mr
Modi. Again, IS is so lethal and without mercy in their action. Unless and
until a terrorist attack in our doorsteps, we will not realize how cruel these
terrorists are. By then, it is too late.
Therefore we have to set our
differences aside and collectively work together for the interest of this
nation and to make sure the sovereignty of this nation is well protected.
Kuala Lumpur.
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