"Liberalism" and Christian evangelism may become causes for returning Malaysian jihadists from the Middle East to launch a local crusade, former top cop Tun Mohammed Hanif Omar (pic) said.
"God forbid these two local developments are turned into a local crusade, it may destroy one of the last oasis of religious peace in the world," he told The Malaysian Insider in an interview.
He specifically named Comango, or the Coalition of Malaysian NGOs, in the Universal Periodic Review Process, and "evangelical Jesuits" as "causes that may be seized upon by Malaysian jihadists as justification for a local crusade".
Hanif, who was Inspector-General of Police (IGP) for 20 years, was interviewed recently in conjunction with the 25th anniversary of the Hatyai Peace Accord on December 2, 1989, which ended the communist insurgency. The treaty was signed by the Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) and the Malaysian and Thai governments.
As a police officer, Hanif had fought the CPM.
The longest-serving former IGP also talked about the evolution of terrorism in Malaysia since beginning his career in the police force in 1959.
He spoke about the possible threats posed by Malaysians who were fighting with, or supporting, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (Isis) forces in the Middle East, noting that this cause had not received much support locally.
"The threats and insurgencies by the CPM and Sarawak Communist Organisation (SCO) were Chinese-based," Hanif said.
"The recent terrorism and militant threats are Malay-Muslim based. So far, they have not had much traction locally," said the 74-year-old Hanif, who served as IGP between 1974 and 1994.
However, Hanif said that the recent arrests of Malaysians who were attempting to join Isis showed a deeper appeal to make the supreme sacrifice for their brand of Islam.
Malaysian intelligence have revealed that there are about 40 Malaysians fighting with Isis forces in the Middle East.
Three Malaysians have been arrested so far upon their return and charged in court. However, authorities believe there are more who have yet to return.
"Will their cause celebre be later found in Malaysia itself? If it is, then Malaysia could be in for a spot of serious trouble," Hanif said.
He then referred to Comango's liberalism and evangelical Jesuits as "two local developments" that Malaysian militants might rally around.
Comango's member NGOs had participated in the United Nation's universal periodic review of the human rights record of countries, and has been vocal about Malaysia's mistreatment of sexual minorities.
Muslim conservatives have accused Comango and other human rights groups of having a "liberal" agenda which they say will weaken the position of Islam in Malaysia.
There are also claims of a "Christianisation agenda" as part of the country's racial and religious undercurrents, heightened by the court battles over non-Muslims' right to use the Arabic word, "Allah" for God.
The following is a question-and-answer with Hanif on his thoughts about how terrorism has evolved since his time as the IGP.
TMI: Your thoughts on the 25th anniversary of the Hatyai Peace Accord?
A: The Hatyai Peace Accord ended the CPM-driven terrorism in the Malay peninsula. A short while later the following year, a similar accord ended the residual SCO terrorism in Sarawak.
However, in 1985, PAS militancy had led to the Memali incident in which several policemen and PAS supporters were killed. Ibrahim Mahmud, also known as Ibrahim Libya, was preaching a seditious struggle to form an Islamic country in Malaysia by force of arms. Police vigilance, change of tack and good handling of the aftermath, plus a reasonable reaction to the incident, prevented PAS militancy from going overboard.
TMI: What happened after the Memali incident?
A: A 14-year-old survivor of Memali was traumatised by the incident and went to Indonesia for further religious studies. After he completed his studies, he returned to his childhood haunt and managed to win over a motley group of militants called the Al-Maunah.
In 2000, they raided the armoury of a military camp, seized some firearms and set up base on the jungle fringe in Sauk, Perak. They killed a soldier on a reconnaissance mission but were eventually disarmed and arrested by a combined army and police force during Operation Dawn.
TMI: What came after the Al-Maunah incident in 2000?
A: Abu Bakar Bashir emerged as the ideological godfather of Jemaah Islamiyah. This movement has regional ambitions and ramifications as its tentacles extended from Malaysia through Singapore to Indonesia and southern Philippines.
Strong action from the Special Branch in Malaysia and Singapore quickly put a lid on it.
But in Indonesia, Abu Bakar's movement was assisted by Malaysian bomb experts Noordin Md Top and Azahari Husin to carry out the 2002 Bali bombings.
However, the Indonesian anti-terrorism team, Densus 88, has achieved remarkable success against Jemaah Islamiyah.
In Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia, JI remains a dormant threat.
TMI: Your thoughts on former CPM secretary-general Chin Peng?
A: My own personal view is that Chin Peng's insurgency caused the country immeasurable harm. He fought to place Malaya under a foreign yoke.
He could have returned under the Hatyai Peace Accord but made no serious effort to do so despite being personally advised by the Special Branch director then in Chin Peng's own apartment in Bangkok.
Many of his men are buried in Thailand where they chose to live. He should be interred there. – December 5, 2014.
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