Malaysia offers to help France fight radicalisation

Malaysia, which has chalked up wide experience combating terrorism since 1948, has offered to France and other countries the standard operating procedure on terrorist deradicalisation and rehabilitation.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (pic) said the SOP, in four languages including French, would be offered to France, which came under another terror attack on Thursday.

“Compared to organised crime, crime ideology should be seen as more than just violence. This is ideology ... there is radicalisation as well, and Malaysia has the SOP to share with countries that are victims of terrorism,” he told Malaysian journalists here.

Dr Ahmad Zahid, who is leading the Malaysian delegation to the 11th Asia-Europe Meeting Summit that opened here Friday, said Malaysia was ready to offer training for trainers to countries faced with the problem of radicalisation.

News reports said at least 80 people were killed in the southern French city of Nice Thursday after a truck ploughed through a crowd of people celebrating Bastille Day.

In November last year, more than 100 people were killed in a terror attack in Paris.

Dr Ahmad Zahid, who is also the Home Minister, said Malaysia expressed sadness over the incidents and was concerned that the acts would tarnish Islam if they were committed by terrorists in the name of the religion.

Elaborating on the SOP offer, he said he had instructed the Prisons Department, Royal Malaysia Police, Federal Territory Islamic Affairs Department and several psychologists and “ulama” (religious scholars) to help the nations in need.

“As this seems to be a long-term problem, it will tarnish the image of Islam if it is not resolved quickly. Islam does not condone killing, terrorism ... but its image will be tarnished because a rotten apple spoils the barrel,” he said.

Malaysia, which has overcome communist terrorist and militant threats, had also offered to the United States the SOP for rehabilitation of militants detained at Guantanamo Bay, he said.

“The United States has accepted our offer and will send over officers to Malaysia. This shows Malaysia’s commitment to share, though we may be a small country,” said Dr Ahmad Zahid.

- Bernama