KUALA LUMPUR: An expert on terrorism and extremism has warned of the dangers of allowing "certain ideologies" to flourish in the wake of the Ulu Tiram attack which saw a lone assailant kill two policemen.
Professor Dr Mohd Mizan Mohammad Aslam who wrote a thesis which covered Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) said Friday's attack was a stark reminder of the existence of extremist ideologies in the country.
The suspect in the attack, who was shot dead was a 21-year-old local who has been described as a recluse.
Police have revealed that JI material was found in the suspect's home. Five of his family members have been arrested.
However, Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution said investigations indicate that the suspect was a "lone wolf" and was not linked to any group.
Mizan said that while JI's operational activities may have slowed, the Ulu Tiram attack indicated their ideology persists.
"We believed they (JI) had been neutralised after a series of crackdowns and arrests from the early 2000s to 2005.
The National Defence University of Malaysia academic said the spread of JI ideology among younger generations cannot be ruled out.
"The recent attack highlights the danger posed by JI and the absence of activity does not guarantee that we are safe," he said.
"Another factor we cannot ignore is too much leeway for certain ideologies to flourish in the country, which poses a danger to our nation. To progress, we must scrutinise their policies."
Mizan said that while the authorities can counter extremists, there would always be loopholes in intelligence gathering.
"If they operate in groups, they will gather at certain meeting points, allowing the police to intervene when necessary.
"However, if they operate within their own families or circles, it becomes more challenging for law enforcement."
Mizan said the absence of the Internal Security Act (ISA) made combatting terrorism more challenging but acknowledged the law, which allows for detention without trial for up to two years, has been abused in the past.
The ISA was repealed in 2012 and was replaced by the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma).
"This has somewhat weakened our preventive measures against terrorism. In terms of security, safety, and sovereignty, the ISA was among the best tools, although it was abused by certain quarters.
"In the past (when ISA was still in force), if we identified someone posing a threat to the country but lacked sufficient evidence, we could still detain them," he said, adding that some countries still had similar laws.