I’m not afraid of Isis kidnap threats, says Hishammuddin

Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein says he is not afraid of the Isis threats to kidnap him. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, March 8, 2016.Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein today said that he was neither afraid nor scared by the reported attempts by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (Isis) militant group to kidnap him last year.

However, he said the threats posed by that militant group could not be viewed lightly.

"I'm not scared, it's not me as an individual (that they're after), but the post (of defence minister) that I hold.

"Whatever it is, I leave it to the authorities to ensure the safety of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, as well as other ministers," he told reporters at the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) base in Lumut, Perak today.

Hishammuddin said this in response to Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi's disclosure at the Dewan Rakyat today that the nation's security forces had succeeded in curbing and thwarting several attempts by Isis to kidnap the country's leaders, including the prime minister.

Zahid said that apart from the prime minister, he himself and Hishammuddin had also been the targets.

The deputy prime minister said besides the plot to kidnap, the group also planned attacks on places of worship and public places, steal firearms from army camps, as well as robbing cash to finance their activities.

As such, Hishammuddin gave assurance that all military camps, especially those with firearms store, would be tightly controlled to prevent trespassing by the so-called militants.

He said the ministry would also foster closer cooperation with the security forces in other countries, especially in terms of intelligence-sharing, to ensure security in their respective countries. – Bernama, March 8, 2016.