Defence Minister Mohamad Sabu said the displaced community could easily be recruited by terrorist groups, if they are convinced the only way to achieve victory and return to their homeland is death by combat.
“This is our concern. It may happen to the Rohingya, similar to what happened to the Palestinians. When they are desperate, they can accept whatever extremist views because they feel that is their only way out.
“This is why the Myanmar issue is a big issue for Southeast Asia. It is not an internal conflict nor is it a domestic issue because their refugees have spilled over to Malaysia, Bangladesh and a few other countries,” he said on the sidelines of the International Association for Counter-Terrorism and Security Professionals (IACSP) Asean Security Symposium today.
Mohamad said the crisis needs to be tackled by Asean partners, the United Nations and other key countries, so that those who have been chased out can return to their country and live harmoniously.
“I hope the UN can play a bigger role in ensuring Rohingyas can return to their country,” he said.
At a press conference later, Bukit Aman Special Branch Counter-Terrorism Division principal assistant director Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay said there was always a possibility of Rohingyas being exposed to extremist ideology, recruited and subsequently sent back to Rakhine state in Myanmar to wage a jihad war.
Ayob said there were four such cases involving the group back in 2015.
“One we arrested back then was in the Islamic State trying to recruit the Rohingya. But you must remember, ARSA (Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, a Rohingya insurgent group), also has its elements.
“We have intelligence of them operating in Southeast Asia, so we need to closely monitor them to ensure that Malaysia is not turned into a base for either the IS or ARSA to recruit Rohingya.
“We will not tolerate any attempts by foreigners in Malaysia to wage war against third countries, whether they are recruiters, giving financial support or spreading the extremist ideology to encourage the Rohingya,” he said.