Government not to allow militancy to be thorn in the flesh - Najib

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said tonight the government would not allow militancy to be ‘a thorn in the flesh’ that can erupt into chaos in the country.

He said the number of people in the country involved in the activities of IS, ISIS and ISIL could be small but they could have an undesirable impact on the country and the people.

“We have seen that though they are a small group, their militant actions can result in the death of many people and destruction of much property, as what happened in Paris recently.

“Although only three people had resorted to violence, the consequence was disastrous. We have heard of the lone wolf. Even if one person were to resort to violence, the impact can be disastrous to our country, confidence. The people will be subjected to anxiety and the external sentiment of Malaysia can change,

for example,” he said in an interview on the ‘Soal Jawab’ programme over TV3 tonight.

The prime minister said it was not impossible for what happened in Paris and Sydney to take place in Malaysia.

Najib said the authorities had detected 39 Malaysians involved in the activities of IS, ISIS and ISIL in Syria and Iraq, besides the two individuals who turned suicide bombers and caused the deaths of many.

As such, he said, the government tabled a white paper in Parliament last year to inform Parliament and the people that this militant movement posed a very serious threat.

"When we say that we have ascertained that this threat is serious, we have to consider what we can and should do, among others introduce new legislation and strengthen existing laws.

“We will table in Parliament new anti-terrorism laws in March to empower us to handle such a threat,” he said.

Najib said the principal thing for the government was to do something before violence erupted in the country.

Furthermore, he said, Malaysians should understand and appreciate a greater understanding of Islam and ‘jihad’ (holy war) so that they are not easily influenced by the propaganda of the militant group.