Eight people were detained for alleged Daesh ties, including a former lecturer

PUTRAJAYA: In simultaneous operations throughout four states on June 22 and 23, the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) detained eight people, including a former lecturer, on suspicion of involvement in radicalism and extremism associated with Daesh.

Detained in Kelantan, Johor, Penang, and Selangor are six men and two women, ages 25 to 70, according to Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.

Threats against the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, the Prime Minister, dignitaries, and senior PDRM officials were also discovered during the preliminary PDRM investigations into all of the accused.

He said at a news conference held here today that “the eight suspects also come from various occupational and economic backgrounds, including being unemployed, housewives, and educated professionals.”

He claimed that under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma), each of them is being detained for a period of 28 days.

When asked if the suspects were a part of a network, Saifuddin Nasution stated that their ideological similarity is what unites them.

The notion that the leadership of the nation is not founded on the caliphate system, for example, is the basis of one ideology and one belief.

“One of the indications of their group’s beliefs is that when such conditions are not met, they justify actions to challenge the government,” the speaker stated.

According to Saifuddin Nasution, aspects of violence, radicalism, and extremism are currently being identified. These components take advantage of technological improvements and use social media to propagate dangerous views.

The Malaysian government is unwavering in its determination to deal with anyone who encourages, engages in, sponsors, or shows support for extremism, radicalism, or violence within its borders.

He issued a warning: “The authorities will not think twice about taking the strongest enforcement actions against these groups.”

The people was reassured by Saifuddin Nasution that they shouldn’t be concerned about Malaysia’s level of public order and security.

He said that the PDRM’s effectiveness and skill in proactively thwarting threats of radicalism, violence, and extremism “is what drives this assurance, demonstrating the readiness and capability of the forces to confront any threat at all times.”