EXTREME GROUPS STEM FROM RELIGIOUS DIFFERENCES AMONG MUSLIMS - ACADEMICIAN

By Mohd Razman Abdullah and R. Vikneswaran

Conflicts due to religious differences between Sunnah Wal-Jamaah and Syiah members in the Middle East are believed to have been influenced by the emergence of religious groups in the region, said an academician.
    Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) College of Law, Government and International
Studies dean Prof Madya Dr Martadar Mohamed said, on the other hand, Malaysians
were easily influenced by the militants' activities due to feelings of
unsatisfaction on the development in Syria and Iraq.
    He said this extreme belief culminated in these people indulging in counter
jihad whose struggles were in conflict with Islamic teachings.
    According to his study, he said the militant groups obtained donations from
sympathetic people, including from organisations and individuals within the
country.
    "They also received financial aids from non governmental organisations and
Islamic groups from countries in the Middle East," he told Bernama.
    He said, as such, Malaysian authorities needed to provide suitable mechanism
to curb the matter so that the conflicts that occurred in the Middle East would
not spread to the country.
    Dr Martadar was commenting on the five Malaysians who were currently wanted
by the police to assist in investigations pertaining to militant activities,
including a Universiti Malaya senior lecturer, Dr Mahmud Ahmad, 36.
    Meanwhile a security source said a militant member from Malaysia would
normally be trained in the southern Philippines for basis military training
before being sent to countries in the Middle East such as Syria and Iraq.
    He said they would receive trainings on shooting using various weapons,
warfare technique and militant groups' ideology.  
    Prior to this, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar had said
this year police had arrested 19 locals, who were believed to be involved in
militant groups that had ties with those in southern Philippines and Middle
East.      
    "In this (militant) movement, it is not easy to allege with real evidence
that can be accepted by the court," said Deputy Home Minister Datuk Dr Wan
Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar told the Dewan Negara sitting last week.
    Efforts to combat militants had become more challenging to the police after
the repeal of the Internal Security Act (ISA).    
    This is because under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act
2012(Sosma), individuals can only be detained for 28 days and required to be
charged in court after that period.
    Crime analyst Datuk Akhbar Satar is of the view that the involvement of
Malaysian nationals in militant crimes were still under control but the
authorites must not take it lightly by increasing the monitoring and
intelligence level. 
    "Our intelligence experts must have indepth knowledge to identify the
militant members because this issue not only can tarnish the country's image but
also jeopardise national security," he said.
    He even urged the management of local universities to monitor the movement
of their staff under their purview following the involvement of university
lecturers in militant activities.
    "Vice-chancellors and faculty deans must recognise the lecturers who serve
in the universities. They have to know the thoughts and direction of every one
of their personnel," he said.
    Former Bukit Aman Crime Investigation Department director, Tan Sri Zaman
Khan Rahim Khan said the police needed to widen their intelligence contacts with
 other countries to fight militant crimes among locals.
    "Other countries can channel information as militant crimes among the locals
are influenced by those outside Malaysia to enable action, to contain these
militants, to be taken," he said. -- BERNAMA