Hishammuddin is right that the terrorism attacks in Paris which finally left 20 dead can happen in Malaysia but why are the extremists in the country allowed to purvey their rhetoric and politics of hatred and intolerance unchecked?


Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein is right when he warned yesterday that the terrorism attack in Paris, which finally left 20 dead, can also happen in Malaysia.

Hishammuddin said he came back from Paris and London last month where he had discussion with their intelligence agencies and what happened was not something unexpected.

He said what happened in France should not be taken lightly as it is not impossible to face the same scenario in the country, and that Malaysia must beef up its security, especially in the Sabah coastal area.

It is most unfortunate that the Defence Minister is looking at the problem solely from the perspective of security intelligence, preparations and assets instead of why Malaysia is becoming increasingly prone to threats of terrorism, whether in the country or emanating from the country as evidenced by Malaysians rallying to Islamic State’s Caliphate cause despite mass murders and beheadings.

The Global Terrorism Index 2014 released by the Institute of Economic and Peace in November, where Malaysia climbed 42 places in the international terrorism indicator, citing religious extremism as the primary cause of terror attacks worldwide, should be a wake-up call that the peace, harmony and unity of Malaysia’s multi-racial, multi-lingual, multi-religious and multi-cultural polity is placed in jeopardy if nothing is done to check the rhetoric and politics of hatred, intolerance and extremism which had increasingly aggravated racial and religious polarization in recent years.

Malaysia is now 48th in a ranking that has Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan at the top, having risen from 91st spot in the 2012 issue of the report.
Malaysia’s score on the index measuring the number of terrorist incidents, fatalities and casualties as well as damage to property has also risen steadily from 2012, going from 0.415 out of a possible 10 to the current 3.04. Ten signifies the highest impact of terrorism.

The Global Terrorism Index 2014 is bad news for Malaysia, for overnight, Malaysia has shot into the international radar of the top 50 countries under the world’s terrorism-watch, having overtaken 43 countries in a matter of two years as a country where terrorism is a bigger problem – overtaking countries like Uganda, Belarus, Saudi Arabia, France, Chile, Italy, Kazakhstan, Morocco, Tajikistan, Spain, Jordan, Switzerland, Zimbabwe, Sweden, Germany, Canada and Serbia.

What has gone wrong as Malaysia has always prided itself as a model for the world for inter-racial and inter-religious understanding, tolerance and harmony that we are now in the top 50 countries in the world in the Global Terrorism Index on the negative impact of terrorism, when Malaysia should be one of the countries with score of zero, indicating no negative effects from terrorism.

There are a total of 39 out of 162 countries in the Global Terrorism Index 2014 ranked 124 with a zero score indicating negative effects from terrorism, including Qatar, South Korea, Turkmenistan, Vietnam, Finland, Gambia, Ghana, Malawi and Mauritius. In 2012, there were 43 countries with a score of zero with no impact of terrorism.

The horrific terrorist attacks in Paris, together with Malaysia’s adverse ranking in the Global Terrorism Index, should set off the alarm bells in the country as it come at a most critical juncture of the nation’s history, with the recent lurch towards the rhetoric and politics of hatred, intolerance and extremism with racial and religious polarization at its lowest point for over four decades.

Hishammuddin is right when he said that the terrorism attacks in Paris could happen in Malaysia.

However, there could be no dispute that under the first five Prime Ministers from 1957 to 2009, the likelihood of the Paris terrorism attacks taking place in Malaysia were substantially less likely than under the sixth premiership of Datuk Seri Najib Razak, especially with the extremists allowed to purvey their rhetoric and politics of hatred and intolerance unchecked in the past few years!

It is most ironic that while the Prime Minister is promoting the Global Movement of Moderates in international platforms, extremists at home were rearing their ugly heads and had never been so blatant and reckless in their rhetoric and politics of hatred, intolerance and bigotry to the extent that the Defence Minister in the country openly admits the possibility of the Paris terrorist attacks happening in Malaysia.

It is time for Malaysians, regardless of race, religion, region, gender, age or even political affiliation, to stand up for moderation, and for the politics of inclusion to replace the politics of exclusion.

Is the Prime Minister and his Cabinet prepared to take the lead in the country to promote moderation and drown out the voices of extremists, who can only represent a tiny though raucous minority in the country?

  1. #1 by Bigjoe on Saturday, 10 January 2015 - 10:23 am

    UMNO B distributed political narcotics in exchange for power. They stole the “lampu ajaib” in order to keep supplying the narcotics to their followers. Now that “lampu ajaib” does not have enough to keep the addicts hopped up.. What else would addicts suffering from withdrawal do? What can over-entitled, unqualified leaders do with crazed addicts?

    • #2 by cemerlang on Saturday, 10 January 2015 - 11:58 pm

      Let them chant ” Satu Malaysia. Satu Bangsa. Satu Agama ” and this will distract them from the pain of withdrawal.

  2. #3 by good coolie on Saturday, 10 January 2015 - 1:45 pm

    Do you think our leaders, those in government, that is, do not know why religious extremism is rearing its ugly head in Malaysia? Just look at the steps we took downwards since Merdeka. Gradually, it was unholy to be with friends from other races because of fear of contamination or danger of being converted. People started to hold the life-style of the 7th century Middle-East as the ideal life-style which would lead to ultimate victory over the “enemy” . The victory of a pious Muslim over the oppresive Shah of Iran inspired locals and made up for the disastrous psychological hurt of the Arab-Israeli conflict.

    At present, many people still put their faith in armed religious conflict to redeem honour and avenge injustice, thus playing into the arms of violent religious extremists. Just look at the Middle East. Malaysian politicians appear to turn a blind eye to the causes of religious extremism. While appreciating the difficult position that they are in, it is not out of place to remind them of the inherent danger of turning a blind eye to danger.

    And who is the “musuh Islam” anyway? I hear so much of this these days.

  3. #4 by boh-liao on Saturday, 10 January 2015 - 2:24 pm

    Global terrorism has now moved 2 a different NO MERCY level
    The decency line has been crossed
    There is no more honor among terrorists/”martyrs”
    Unarmed, peaceful CIVILIANS (children n adults) in normal living situations r now targets of terrorists/”martyrs”
    ANYthing goes, EVERYthing CAN in every country, city

    Very soon, all countries will hv METAL DETECTORs n SECURITY/BODY scanning machines installed at all public places n transport systems (hotels, buses, MRT stations, conference halls, shopping malls, schools, universities, etc), together with ARMed security officers
    (Note: Share prices of some public listed security-related companies most likely 2 increase)

    Every morning, NO 1 KNOWs 4 sure if he/she would live 2 see d sun set
    Anything n everything COULD happen in d course of a day
    Remember 2 prepare your WILL in advance n 2 say what U want 2 say 2 your loved ones every morning (b4 it’s too late)

    LIFE is FRAGILE
    Welcome 2 d REAL modern world

  4. #5 by winstony on Saturday, 10 January 2015 - 3:30 pm

    Well, well, well.
    Now, nobody can say that we are not climbing up the ladder!
    We have gone up 42 steps of the ladder.
    Albeit in the wrong stakes!!!!

  5. #6 by Bigjoe on Sunday, 11 January 2015 - 9:34 am

    Hishamuddin is the least radical of UMNO/BN leaders but the fact he he can’t help himself but continue with their politics, at a time, the world is asking and crying in desperation for real solutions, shows how really irresponsible, apathetic and even arrogant they are of their already proven bankrupt and corrupt ways..

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