Malaysian premier seeks tougher law to fight IS militants, supporters
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Kuala Lumpur (dpa) - Malaysia's prime minister urged parliament Wednesday to give the government more legal tools to fight against Islamic State militants and supporters in the predominantly Muslim South-East Asian country.
"A specific law needs to be enacted when it comes to combating new threats such as Isis (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, the group's previous name) especially when facing those who were in conflict zones and are returning to Malaysia," Najib Razak told legislators.
He said current security laws need to be strengthened "to ensure that authorities are able to act more effectively.
"Police have already identified 39 Malaysians involved in militant activities in Syria, adding that security officials have arrested at least 40 more supporters were planning to join the fighting, which Islamic State calls a jihad.
Police have monitored at least five Malaysian jihadists who have returned from Syria. Three of them have been charged in court while security officers are looking for the other two.
Najib expressed concern that those returning from Syria would recruit more people and could launch terror attacks in Malaysia.
"They can influence and recruit individuals, especially the youth," he said. "They have the potential to conduct terror attacks on their own or in groups.
"Najib warned that the IS could reinvigorate local terrorist groups in the region, such as the Indonesia-based Jemaah Islamiyah and theal-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf rebels in the southern Philippines.
