The syringe attack on the 12-year-old son of Pandan MP and former Economy Minister, Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli, has shaken Malaysia. What initially appeared as a rare and bizarre incident now echoes a disturbing pattern witnessed abroad, notably in France.
In June 2025, during the Fête de
la Musique festival, over 145 people across France reported being pricked with
syringes in crowded public areas. In both cases, the weapon of fear was not a
gun or bomb but a syringe.
When viewed together, the Rafizi
incident and the mass needle attacks in France reveal an alarming global trend
of unconventional, psychological violence that leaves behind not just physical
uncertainty but emotional trauma.
The question we must now ask is:
are these acts simply random criminality, or should they be treated with the
gravity of terrorist attacks?
A Pattern Beyond Borders
In France, the attacks spanned
multiple cities, with 13 confirmed cases in Paris alone. Victims included
women, men, and even minors, such as a 15-year-old girl. Though the substances
injected remain unverified, toxicology tests are underway, and fears revolve
around drugs such as GHB or Rohypnol, often associated with date-rape or
chemical incapacitation.
The sheer volume of incidents,
the anonymity of the attackers, and the unpredictable nature of the assaults
have led French authorities to treat the matter with utmost seriousness.
Meanwhile, in Malaysia, the
Rafizi case stands as a singular but deeply chilling event. In broad daylight
in a Putrajaya mall parking lot, a young boy was grabbed and jabbed by a man
who had trailed him on a motorcycle alongside an accomplice.
The motive remains unclear was it
politically driven intimidation, random violence, or something darker?
Though the French cases occurred
during a high-traffic, high-visibility national celebration, and the Malaysian
attack involved the child of a prominent politician, the underlying psychology
is strikingly similar: both involve intimate, invasive forms of assault using
needles. The randomness, anonymity, and uncertainty around the consequences are
designed not just to harm but to terrorize.
The Psychological Weaponry of
Syringe Attacks
Unlike overtly violent assaults,
syringe attacks operate in the space of ambiguity. Victims are often left not
knowing what they were injected with, what the long-term health effects might
be, or whether they’ve been infected with a virus, drugged, or poisoned. The
psychological impact especially on minors can be severe and enduring.
For Rafizi’s son, the trauma is
not only physical but deeply emotional. To be attacked while accompanied by his
mother, in daylight, in a place generally perceived as safe, is a violation of
personal and public security. Similarly, French victims expressed confusion,
fear, and helplessness, unsure if they were targeted, if others were next, or
whether it was safe to even report the incident.
Such tactics blur the line
between street-level crime and psychological warfare. They may not produce the
immediate devastation of a bombing, but they inject fear literally and
metaphorically into daily life.
They turn ordinary spaces like
malls, festivals, or even sidewalks into zones of paranoia. This raises a
critical question: should such acts now be classed as terrorism?
Is This Terrorism?
By definition, terrorism is the
use of violence or threats to intimidate or coerce, especially for political
purposes. In the case of Rafizi’s son, the political connection is undeniable.
While no group has claimed responsibility, and the assailants remain
unidentified, the targeting of a politician’s child suggests more than just a
random act. It feels calculated intended to send a message.
In France, the scale and
coordination or at least the simultaneity of the attacks suggest premeditation.
Social media posts reportedly called for women to be targeted with syringes,
indicating a form of ideological or social motivation, even if misguided.
Whether for misogynistic thrill-seeking, protest, or something more insidious,
the intent seems to be the same: to cause fear, vulnerability, and disruption
of social norms.
If the purpose of terrorism is to
destabilize the psychological safety of a population, then these syringe
attacks meet that bar. The ambiguity of the weapon whether its medical,
non-lethal appearance adds to the confusion. A gun or knife announces itself; a
syringe hides in plain sight.
The Global Rise of
Micro-Terrorism?
This type of attack may mark the
emergence of what could be termed micro-terrorism i.e. low-profile, low-tech
assaults that bypass traditional security systems yet achieve a similar impact
on public psychology. One attacker, one syringe, and a crowd of people can
generate a ripple of panic that far outweighs the scale of the act itself.
Governments and law enforcement
agencies need to adapt. In Malaysia, the Rafizi incident cannot be dismissed as
a one-off. The fact that such an assault occurred in Putrajaya known for
government infrastructure and heightened surveillance is deeply troubling.
If a child of a political leader
is unsafe in broad daylight, what does that mean for the average citizen?
In France, authorities are taking
the threat seriously, opening investigations and conducting toxicology tests.
However, the public is still left in the dark, uncertain whether these attacks
are isolated pranks, orchestrated harassment, or emerging terrorism.
Moving Beyond Politics
This is not merely a political
issue but also it’s a societal one. Attacks like these undermine the public's
fundamental right to safety in shared spaces. Whether in Kuala Lumpur or Paris,
in a parking lot or a festival, people should not have to scan their
surroundings in fear of invisible weapons wielded by strangers.
Both Malaysia and France must
begin treating such assaults not just as criminal offenses, but as potential
acts of terror. The intent to inflict fear and chaos particularly in a public,
symbolic, or familial context which places them within a broader scope of
threats to national security.
A Call for Rethinking Security
The Rafizi case, while singular,
demands as much urgency as France’s broader wave of incidents. Public spaces
need to be reevaluated not just for their physical security but for
psychological safety. Law enforcement must develop protocols that address the
subtle yet devastating impact of syringe attacks, and toxicology capacities
must be expanded to handle such cases swiftly.
Above all, governments must
ensure that children, women, and vulnerable individuals do not become easy
targets in an age of evolving and insidious forms of violence. When fear can be
delivered with a needle, it is time we take notice and act accordingly before
these micro-terrors become the new norm.
Kuala Lumpur.
15.08.2025
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https://focusmalaysia.my/syringe-attacks-in-malaysia-and-france-random-violence-or-terrorism/
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