PETALING JAYA, May 4 — Porous borders, weak enforcement, and vulnerable youths from poor families. These are among the factors leading to the rise in the number of militants in the country, says a political analyst.
National Defence University’s Prof Dr Aruna Gopinath said the recent arrest of 11 individuals, mostly unemployed and one a religious school student, showed that such extremist groups were alive in the nation and that the authorities must act quickly to stem their activities.
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said the latest group had apparently planned acts of terrorism in and out of the country.
Malay Mail spoke to Aruna, whose work includes a comparative study on the liberation movements in south Thailand and the southern Philippines, on how groups recruit members and what needs to be done to address the latest national threat.
Malay Mail (MM): Those arrested for their alleged involvement in the militant group were between the ages of 20 and 55. Why do they join such groups?
Aruna Gopinath (AG): Members of such groups are usually vulnerable and gullible. Most of them are from troubled homes, come from poor families or do not possess proper education. Recruiters target such individuals and promise them a better life, either in this lifetime or in the afterlife.
MM: What are the main methods used by the recruiters?
AG: Most members do not even know what they are fighting for and the recruiters know this. They usually brainwash the recruits into thinking they are fighting for their religion or for their country. In the process, the members are exposed to the wrong interpretations of either religion or policies. Those who go against the recruiters are labelled “infidels”, instilling fear into them. The recruiters will promise them that if they followed through the groups agenda, they will secure a place in heaven.
MM: Are our borders easily penetrated by would-be recruiters?
AG: There are places such as the Philippines province of Tawi-Tawi which is located close to Sabah. It takes less than an hour by speedboat to get to the border. Sadly, enforcement has been weak even after the Lahad Datu incident last year as foreigners are still able to enter into the country easily.
MM: And as a result of this....
AG: When the borders are porous and we don’t have strong patrol teams, you see many illegals from the neighbouring countries coming in and residing in the country, marrying the locals and ending up becoming permanent residents. Sadly, we don’t know who they actually are, their background or their believes — which could pose a national threat.
MM: What should be done to counter such threats?
AG: The government has to be strict in its policies and if they are worried about creating tension between them and neighbouring countries, then they need to sit down with representatives from the countries concerned and find a common ground. As for the individuals, it boils down to their upbringing and level of education. Families and schools need to make sure they are teaching these youngsters the right morals and values. They need to also ensure youngsters are not only learning for the sake of learning, but the reasons behind what they are being taught to promote thinkers. This will make sure that those approached by the recruiters would be able to make up their own minds instead of being easily convinced into doing something they know is not right.
- The Malay Mail -
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