Ulu Tiram Attack: The lone-wolf attack on Ulu Tiram police station in Johor last month should be a wake-up call to the lingering threat posed by the Islamic State (IS), security experts and law enforcement sources warn.
Although the terrorist organisation no longer has a significant territorial grip, the ideology of IS continues to be spread by those who still believe in its fight.
According to them, this poses a constant threat to the country’s security, even if the surface situation suggests otherwise.
Security analyst Ahmad El-Muhammady said Malaysia’s prolonged calm over terror attacks does not mean such a threat does not exist.
“Actually, this lull is more dangerous when it comes to terrorism. Because you do not know what is being planned, and terrorists like to take such a situation to their advantage. The Ulu Tiram (incident) proved the case that we cannot sleep, we have to stay vigilant,” he said.
Ulu Tiram Attack
Two police officers were killed on May 17 when a lone gunman attacked them at the Ulu Tiram police station.
He first attacked and killed one of the police officers with a machete, then stole his firearms before engaging in a shootout with other police officers. While the attacker was shot dead, a third police officer was seriously injured.
Police initially suspected the attacker was influenced by Jemaah Islamiyah, of which his father was a member, but later discovered that he was believed to have been indoctrinated by IS ideology.
The last successful ISIS attack in Malaysia was in 2016, when suspected members of the group detonated a hand grenade at the Movida bar in Puchong.
ISS Influence Remains
According to a report in Malaysiakini, there is a growing concern among security experts and intelligence agencies over the rise of a younger generation of IS supporters who they say are being radicalised by recruiters operating silently.
A security agency official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said authorities were having difficulty estimating the number of IS supporters and sympathisers in Malaysia.
This is because the group’s ideology is spread through social media and small discussions on group chats rather than face-to-face meetings.
However, Ahmad highlighted that the greatest danger posed by ISIS lies in the discourse it introduces.
“If you look now, the narratives of IS are still available in many forms, and some individuals are still spreading them. It is not about the size (of the supporters), but the existence of that kind of discourse. Like the Ulu Tiram case, it took only one person.”
Making their move
Sources told Malaysiakini that the spread of IS ideology is worrying as it could be too late by the time a radicalised individual appears on the radar of authorities.
A sympathiser or follower of the group’s doctrine could remain inactive and hide his loyalty from him until the day he decides to put his faith into action, a source said.
“IS followers believe there are three stages for their struggle. The first one is through self-discipline before moving on to preaching their ideology to others. And the highest level for them is to act, meaning by launching attacks against those they believe are the enemies of Islam. Their main aim is to die fighting taghut (idols) forces. They will make their move when they feel they are ready for the highest level,” said the highly placed source, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Sources say that ISIS supporters have not only been detected among adults but have also gained sympathisers among teenagers and students.
This doctrine seems particularly attractive to those who have already harboured ill feelings towards the government and to those influenced by the belief that Islam is being undermined in the country.
Earlier on Wednesday, five relatives of the Ulu Tiram attack suspect, including his father, were charged in court with allegedly spreading ISIS ideology.
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