Special Branch Counter Terrorism assistant director Azman Omar made this startling revelation today, adding that the man also admitted to wanting to kill former finance minister Lim Guan Eng and minister in charge of Islamic affairs, Mujahid Yusof Rawa.
The suspect, a lone wolf, was nabbed just before the nation came under the movement control order last year, The Malaysian Insight reported.
“He wanted to stab them with a knife in a lone wolf attack. We managed to stop him from committing the crime in January 2020,” Azman was quoted as saying by the news portal.
Azman also said his unit only made seven arrests last year, including five men who were supporters of the Islamic State (IS).
However, he reassured that the situation was currently under control.
“The sympathisers became demotivated after the death of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi as well as the death of many Malaysian fighters in Syria.
“The mood has flattened and the death of Abu Bakr has affected many. It is now a lost cause for them,” he said, according to The Malaysian Insight.
Azman added that there were now 56 Malaysians stranded in Syria, comprising 19 men, 12 women and 25 children.
It was previously reported that former PAS life member Zainon Ismail was involved in a plot to assassinate Mahathir in 1988, during the latter’s first stint as prime minister.
It was, however, prevented by authorities and he was arrested with 30 other supporters.
Separately, Azman said there was no proof that terror group Jemaah Islamiah (JI) was gaining strength in Sabah despite the fact that its leader, Abu Bakar Bashir was released from prison recently by Indonesian authorities.
“However, we are monitoring ex-JI members who have been released. JI was active in the early 2000 but not now. There is no intelligence to show such movement,” he was quoted as saying.
Azman went on to admit that JI was a well-organised group compared with IS.
“JI is more dangerous than Islamic State. They are also more organised. They are capable of carrying large-scale attacks,” he said.
JI was previously blamed for suicide bombing attacks on the JW Marriot and Ritz-Carlton hotels in Jakarta in 2003 and 2009 respectively, as well as two terror attacks in Bali, in 2002 and 2005.