Tag: IS

Troubling Trend Of Civil Servants Supporting IS’ Cause In Malaysia

PETALING JAYA, Dec 3 — Two more civil servants who were channeling funds to the Islamic State (IS) have been arrested as police express worry over militant sympathisers in the civil service.

Police are working to establish the extent of IS influence among civil servants as so far six government officers had joined, planned or had sent money to the extremist outfit which controls chunks of territories in both Iraq and Syria.

A police source said in six months, four civil servants were arrested in the Klang Valley and Kedah, and there is a possibility of others in the service being involved.

“We are now investigating the extent of involvement of civil servants in IS activities in the country and abroad,” the source said.

“There is a possibility those detained had influenced others, including their colleagues, to join their cause and this is a worrying trend.”

Investigators are establishing if these suspects had recruited others from their departments.

The source said intelligence and operations personnel are working to determine the seriousness of the matter.

The latest arrest came when the Bukit Aman’s Counter-Terrorism Unit conducted an operation in Kuala Lumpur and Kedah on Nov 27 and 28.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said police picked up three men in separate locations.

“Two of them, aged 23 and 28, work at a government agency in Kuala Lumpur. They are suspected to have channeled funds to new recruits who are planning to travel to Syria to fight alongside IS.”

Investigations revealed the third suspect, aged 36, joined IS last year and had spent four months in Syria before returning to Malaysia on April 8.

He said the trio were being detained under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act (Sosma).

In October, police made a major breakthrough following the arrest of three men who played a key role in the recruitment of more than 20 Malaysians.

One of the recruiters was an assistant director attached to the Energy, Green Technology and Water Ministry.

The 37-year-old civil servant was responsible for recruiting and making travel arrangements for those wanting to go to Syria. He was also the contact person for Malaysian fighters in Syria.

The other recruiter fought alongside rebels in Syria last December and returned to Malaysia in April while the third was an expert in recruiting people via Facebook.

The three recruiters are believed to have been trained by Dr Mahmud Ahmad, 36, an Islamic studies lecturer with Universiti Malaya.

The trio’s arrest led to the arrest of 11 other supporters from various backgrounds — a 14-year-old student, a housewife, a graphic designer, a university student, factory workers and odd-job workers.

Police had then expressed shock that the suspects came from all walks of life, suggesting that the recruitment drive was intense. Police said the recruiters would scout for targets via Facebook and brainwash them to fight coalition forces in Iraq and Syria.

Once coaxed, the recruits would meet a 34-year-old suspect who fought in Syria.

The trio also had connections with 36-year-old stationery shop operator Mohd Najib Hussein and Muhammad Joraimee Awang Raimee, 39, who was attached to the Selayang Municipal Council.

Mahmud, Najib and Joraimee were previously IS recruiters but later fled the country and joined Abu Sayyaf in Southern Philippines.

Source: www.themalaymailonline.com

December 4, 2014
Two Civil Servants Among Three Arrested In Malaysia For Suspected Links to IS

KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysian police said today (Dec 2) that they have detained three men, including two civil servants, suspected of being linked to the militant Islamic State group.

The detentions bring the number of people held for suspected militant links to 43 this year.

National police chief Khalid Abu Bakar said the three were detained Nov 27 and 28 in operations in Kuala Lumpur and in northern Kedah state.

Mr Khalid said in a statement that a 36-year-old suspect had joined militant groups in Syria since Dec 28 last year and returned to Malaysia on April 8.

Another two, both civil servants in their 20s, were believed to have been channelling funds to several Malaysians who want to go to Syria to join the Islamic State terror group, he said.

The spread of the Islamic state ideology has worried Prime Minister Najib Razak, who recently warned that it can cause chaos and conflict in the country. He said the government would introduce a new anti-terrorism law next year to combat the security threat.

No details have been given on the new law, but officials said it may include preventive measures such as detention without trial. Critics have urged the government not to revive the Internal Security Act, which allowed indefinite detention without trial. It was abolished in 2012 as part of political reforms.

The government said they have identified 39 Malaysians fighting in Syria and Iraq, including five who had died. AP

Source: www.todayonline.com

December 3, 2014
Wife And Suspected Son Of IS Leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi Detained

BEIRUT — Lebanese authorities detained a wife and suspected son of the leader of the Islamic State group several days ago, and she is being questioned, two senior Lebanese officials said today (Dec 2).

A military official said the woman and child were detained about 10 days ago while carrying fake identification cards.

Both officials refused to give further details about the woman who is believed to be one of the wives of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the group’s reclusive leader. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.

The military official said the woman is a Syrian citizen and is being questioned by authorities.

The announcement of the arrest comes amid attempts to reach a prisoner-exchange deal between Lebanese authorities and the Islamic State group and the Nusra Front, al-Qaida’s Syria branch, who have been holding more than 20 Lebanese soldiers and policemen hostage since August.

They have demanded the release of Islamist prisoners being held by Lebanese authorities.

Last night, the Nusra Front threatened to kill one of the soldiers it is holding captive.

The wife’s arrest could be used as a bargaining chip for Lebanese authorities in their attempts to win the freedom of the troops.

A judicial official said the interrogation is being supervised by Lebanon’s military prosecutor, Mr Saqr Saqr. He added that a DNA test is underway to confirm that the child is the son of the detained woman.

The Lebanese daily As-Safir was the first to break the news, saying they were detained near a border crossing point with Syria. It added that the arrest was made in “coordination with foreign intelligence agencies”.

Very little is known about al-Baghdadi’s personal life, including how many wives and children he has. Conservative interpretations of Islam allow for a man to marry up to four wives.

Al-Baghdadi’s first wife is believed to be Iraqi citizen Saja al-Dulaimi, who was reportedly held by Syrian authorities and freed in a prisoner exchange with the Nusra Front earlier this year.

In March, the Nusra Front freed more than a dozen Greek Orthodox nuns, ending their four-month captivity in exchange for Syrian authorities releasing dozens of female prisoners. AP

Source: www.todayonline.com

December 3, 2014
Ng Eng Hen: About 60 SAF Personnel To Join In Coalition Effort Against IS

The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) will be sending about 50 to 60 personnel to take part in the multinational coalition efforts to combat the terrorist threat from the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said as he officially opened the new training facility for the republic’s airborne troopers at Pasir Ris camp on Monday (Dec 1).

Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said planning and liaison officers have already made their way to the United States Central Command to get “a sense what the mission’s requirements are”. He said coalition partners have welcomed Singapore’s involvement and are looking forward to Singapore’s professional input.

Dr Ng said the SAF will now “synchronise” where its help is most needed.

“I would say that the reaction to our involvement is a positive one. They know that as we did in Afghanistan, we contributed very positively, by our KC-135 refuelling tankers as well as our imagery analysts,” said Dr Ng. “So coalition partners have welcomed our involvement because they expressed the opinion that we have helped previously and they look forward to our professional input.”

Dr Ng, who had a go at one of the stations at the new training facility, said the facility is a worthwhile investment as it will ensure soldiers are trained well, such as in the event of a terrorist threat.

“We take our special forces training with extra care and there are a few reasons for it,” said Dr Ng. “As you know since 911, the threat of terrorism is real and present and with the recent terrorist threat from ISIS in Iraq and Syria, this threat is uppermost in our minds, when we plan and prepare. As you know our neighbours, both Malaysia and Indonesia, have expressed concern that those who have returned from Iraq and Syria can cause harm to the residents in their countries and I would include Singapore in the same threat scenario.”

Earlier this month in Parliament, Dr Ng had said that Singapore’s efforts will include deploying a KC-135R tanker aircraft for air-to-air refuelling and an Imagery Analysis Team. He said there will be no combat troops on the ground in Iraq and Syria.

The SAF soldiers will operate from surrounding countries together with other coalition forces.

December 2, 2014
Video Of A Beheading Carried Out By ISIS Militants Aired At UMNO General Assembly

KUALA LUMPUR (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) – Delegates at Malaysia’s Umno general assembly in Kuala Lumpur watched in pin-drop silence as a short video clip of a beheading by Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militants was aired.

The clip, lasting about a minute, was shown during the winding-up speech by Umno vice-president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

The video showed several men, believed to be ISIS militants, walking with their captives in a desert landscape.

Several people in the audience were heard gasping as the militants grabbed knives and placed them against the neck of the captives, who were made to kneel in front of them, before the clip abruptly ended.

Earlier, Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid, who is also Home Minister, said he would be leading the committee to draw up new anti-terrorism laws against such a threat.

He also said that he did not mind being labelled a hardcore Malay or an Islamic fundamentalist – all in the name of race and religion.

Despite this, he said his respect towards other religions remained strong and he would never reject those of other races living under the Malaysian sun.

“It is all right if people perceive me as hardcore because that means I am hardcore for the Malays and if I am known as a fundamentalist, I am so in the name of religion.”

Umno vice-president Hishammuddin Hussein said the Bar Council was not the country’s sole authority that had the right to speak on legal matters.

Datuk Seri Hishammuddin, who is the party’s legal bureau chairman, said its newly-formed unit called Bonafide Friends of Umno had engaged legal practitioners and found that many lawyers agreed with the party on issues such as the Sedition Act.

The Bar has been pressing for the repeal of the Act, calling it draconian.

“The right to speak on legal matters is not the exclusive right of the Bar Council. It is the right of all Malaysians,” he said.

Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal said between June 2013 and September this year, the party registered 5,939 new voters, MCA (256), MIC (266) and Gerakan (373).

“However, this pales in comparison with that of Opposition parties with PAS registering 1,775 new voters, PKR (2,103) and DAP (9,309).

“The Umno president has ordered me to team up with all coalition components for a national movement to register new voters,” he said.

Mr Mohd Shafie highlighted a lack of coordination between religious institutions on Islamic affairs, especially on judgments made by the civil and syariah courts.

“There has to be a stricter enforcement, which would not allow any party to take advantage.

“For instance, the National Fatwa Council and state religious councils should work together,” he said.

He referred to verses in the Quran, which called on Muslims to uphold their faith while at the same time respect other religions.

Source: www.straitstimes.com

December 1, 2014