Why Malaysia will be the next Isis target

First, one bomb went off.

Then, another one blew.

Soon after, they opened fire on civilians.

Almost to the script, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (Isis) claimed responsibility of the attacks outside Sarinah mall in downtown Jakarta in an almost repeat fashion of the malaise at St Denis, Paris, two months ago.

Isis has now set foot in Asean.

And if we are not careful, Malaysia will be next.

Malaysia has a poor track record of dealing with situations of emergency, clearly displaying our inability to act decisively in times of crises.

It is all down to our failure to prepare to face disasters.

“Malaysia is not equipped to deal with terror attacks”, Deputy Home Minister Nur Jazlan said moments after the Jakarta bombings.

A shocking admission to be made, but one that cannot be ignored.

The Isis faction which hit Jakarta, Katibah Nusantara, have been trying since mid-2015 to set up shop in Southeast Asia by going on a very public recruitment drive on social media networks.

Their targets? Young, literate, Malay/Indonesian-speaking men who can take the helm and are willing to put their lives on the line for a greater cause, a paper by S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies found.

The same study goes on to say that Katibah Nusantara plans to lay claim to the Isis leadership and “turn Southeast Asia into a war zone”.

By using social media, this particular group is marketing itself as “cool and attractive”.

At the same time, it has its eyes set on a very specific kind of combatant, ones that obey orders and act on command.

Assailants in Jakarta were found to be members of Katibah Nusantara and some were allegedly Indonesians who have been keeping in contact with their Syrian counterparts through the Telegram messaging platform.

Similarly in Malaysia, there is a growing number of individuals who subscribe to a radicalised way of thinking and opt to live and die by the sword.

This came to light when a former member of PAS, Mohd Lotfi, made his way to Syria and lost his life while waging way against troops reportedly under the control of Bashar al-Assad in September 2014.

Shockingly, a New York Times investigation in his home town in central Kedah found that many of the teenagers there were eager to follow in the footsteps of their former ustaz and end up as martyrs, if given the opportunity.

A madrasah is now being constructed in memory of the late ustaz.

This could mean one of two things.

First, they manage to find their way into Isis camps abroad and “answer their calling” of sorts to wage war.

But worse, what if they are thoroughly convinced that such an extremist way of living is indeed what is expected of them?

They will stick around town, expand their influence and resort to putting their ideas into practice right here in Malaysia, comparable to the Jakarta catastrophe.

While there are many of us who choose to belief that Malaysia is indeed a moderate nation with its fair share of liberal-minded people, there is no denying that the radical sect is growing considerably too.

Fuelled by a tough economic situation with impending job losses, many could be swayed by radicalism and the pleasant afterlife they are promised with.

That is something we have to deal with head on rather than stop discussing this for fear of those in positions of power.

While some lauded the people in Jakarta for coming out boldly with their #KamiTidakTakut (We are not afraid) hashtag, I actually think it is somewhat cocky and unnecessarily downplaying a grave situation.

#SayaTakut, without a doubt. While the police may be doing an adequate job, if I had a kid and was walking in the streets of Kuala Lumpur, I’m not sure I have the confidence that they are up to the mark to keep us safe from Jakarta-like incidents.

Contrary to popular belief, Isis does not want its people to live in fear. It wants to be recognised as a state, as a body which champions a particular cause, however ridiculous it sounds.

Loretta Napoleoni, author of “The Islamist Phoenix” said, “The biggest mistake the West is doing is the fact that it wants to deny that Isis is a State.”

Maybe it is time for us to take them seriously and stay on our toes. – January 20, 2016.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.