WITH Thailand being rocked with bomb attacks and its government announcing that Abu Sayyaf sub-leader, Mudzrimar alias Mundi Sawadjaan still alive, an expert urged the intelligence community to overhaul their methods in dealing with terrorism.
“We need ways to counter their ideology. Gone are the days where terrorists moved in a group and supported using big money.
“The latest attacks in Thailand and confirmation of Mudzrimar being alive shows that it doesn’t matter to them whether its pandemic or natural disaster, their act of terror will continue.
“Unfortunately, our intelligence community have yet to evolve together with the terrorists’ methods,” Arunachala Research & Consultancy Sdn Bhd principal consultant R Paneir Selvam told FocusM.
Yesterday, Reuters reported that bombers set off at least 13 blasts in a town in southern Thailand overnight, and the police killed two suspected insurgents in a separate raid after a 20-hour siege in a nearby province, authorities said yesterday.
While officials did not link the two incidents directly, the violence came weeks after the government reopened a dialogue with insurgents from a Malay-Muslim minority in the southern part of the Buddhist-majority country.
The siege took place in Narathiwat province, where a combined force of soldiers and police surrounded a house in the Ra-ngae district on Friday, following a tip-off that suspects linked to bomb attacks last year were hiding inside.
Later yesterday, Bernama reported that Mudzrimar, a suspect wanted by the Sabah Eastern Zone Security Command (ESSCom) and reportedly shot dead last May in the Philippines, has been confirmed to be still alive.
ESSCom commander, DCP Hamzah Ahmad said this was confirmed through the sharing of information by the Philippine security forces involving the Joint Task Force Sulu (JTFS) and Western Mindanao Command (J2 Westmincom).
“Mudzrimar or Mundi Sawadjaan has been confirmed to be still alive following a series of clashes and encounters between the Philippine security forces and the suspect since July 2021,” Hamzah was reported as saying.
Touching on the matter, Paneir Selvam said the authorities must understand that terror groups are no longer reliant on their leaders to act, as they are driven by their ideology.
He added the point was proven right as al-Qaeda and Islamic State (ISIS) continue to strike terror in many countries despite the deaths of their respective leaders, Osama bin Laden and Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
“As for the attacks in Thailand, it happened as the peace talks are about to happen. This could not have occurred without someone in the hierarchy knowing about it.
“Similarly for Mudzrimar, he could not have escaped the authorities’ watchful eyes without support from his sympathisers.
“This is why I keep stressing on the need for us to work on countering their ideology. That is the root cause of the problem,” Paneir Selvam mentioned.
Form an advisory body of various experts
Offering solutions, he urged the intelligence community to form an advisory body which not only has representatives from the security apparatuses but also people who are expert in various racial and religious matters.
Paneir Selvam added that the team must also include psychologists, lawyer and other experts from various field.
“This is what being practised by other intelligence agencies like the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) of the US and UK-based MI5. They bring in experts from various races, religions and ideologies to help counter the narrative perpetrated by terror group,” he quipped.
While he commended Malaysia’s Special Branch for deterring attacks on Malaysian soil so far, Paneir Selvam reiterated that they cannot be applying the same methods as most terrorists are now work like sleeper cells and act autonomously.
“Like the London Bridge attack last year, the terrorist just used a private vehicle and kitchen knife. As for the hostage crisis in Texas recently, the assailant came from the UK and targeted a synagogue.
“This is how powerful the narrative peddled by their ideology drive them, which is the biggest challenge for us now,” Paneir Selvam added.
Stop supporting hate preachers
On related matter, the academic urged political leaders to stay away from the intelligence communities work so as so to not disrupt their professionalism.
“Our politicians should stop supporting and bringing in hate preachers just to get political mileage. You may get some votes but the long-term damage in the country may get out of control.
“UK is having that problem now. They used to bring in hate preachers from Middle Eastern countries and the latter brainwashed certain communities.
“That is why they had problems dealing with hate preachers like Anjem Choudary and his organisation Al-Muhajiroun, which was later banned.” Paneir Selvam remarked. – Jan 31, 2022
