The deputy home minister added that in the process of preventing these terror attacks on Malaysian soil, police arrested 369 individuals linked to the Islamic State (IS) militant group, of which 87 were foreigners.
Speaking at the last session of the Putrajaya International Security Dialogue here today, Nur Jazlan said the country is leaving no stone unturned in the fight against violent extremism.
“The bombing of the Movida nightclub in Puchong, Selangor in 2016 is the only IS-related attack to have taken place on Malaysian soil with the perpetrators already sent to jail,” he said.
He was referring to a hand grenade attack at the Movida club on June 28, 2016. Then inspector-general of police Khalid Abu Bakar had later confirmed that it was the first ever successful attack by IS on Malaysian soil.
“This (the Movida attack) was a reminder of the reality of modern terrorism whereby conflicts thousands of miles away can still have repercussions on our life.
“Local issues infused with IS propaganda can create conflict that affects many people in other parts of the world,” Nur Jazlan said.
He added that though IS had been defeated as an army in Iraq and Syria, its sympathisers are still present all around the world.
“Therefore, it’s important we nip this militant group in the bud, by preventing extremist views from escalating into violent extremism.
“We need to battle the menace with hearts and minds to counter their ideologies.”
He added that Malaysia will not budge from its firm stand in preventing terrorism.
“We will continue to use our preventive laws in fighting the menace despite criticisms against us by certain quarters,” he said.
Nur Jazlan said oppression and injustices are also seeds of terrorism and therefore must be addressed.
“An example of this is the Rohingya issue. We must tackle this crisis together before it escalates into a religious strife.
“We must create an environment that makes Malaysia a model of tolerance, understanding and co-existence.