LAHAD DATU: The involvement of youths in radicalism in the country is quite worrying as 80 per cent of arrests by police in the latest available data involved those under 40.
Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Datuk Mohd Yusof Apdal, said in January 2020, some 246 people were charged in relation to terrorism cases in court.
He said 199 of them were sentenced while 47 people were arrested in accordance with the Prevention of Crime Act (POCA) while 36 people were charged with the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA).
“The data presented shows the seriousness of the extremist threats in this country, especially among the youth,” he said, at the Seminar on Prevention of Radicalism and Extremism: Challenges Amongst Youth, Saturday.
Mohd Yusof said the Ministry would continue with programmes to prevent radicalism and extremism in collaboration with researchers at Higher Education Institutions and enforcement agencies.
He said youths would inherit the leadership of the national government in future and are responsible for shouldering the role.
“The involvement of youths in violent activities is quite worrying. Radicalism and extremism can affect people from all walks of life. One of the major challenges of the national security issue is in preventing youths getting involved in radicalism and extremism, especially when acting as an agent of inculcating terrorism among youths,” he said.
“Aware of this fact, the government has introduced several bills that play a role in blocking the influence of terrorism from continuing to grow,” he said.
Yusof also praised the organisers of the seminar which acts as a platform for meeting and sharing experts who are directly and indirectly involved in ensuring that radicalism and extremism in society are controlled.
This seminar also, he said, provides an opportunity and provides a platform for sharing experiences from experts in dealing with issues related to radicalism and extremism among the youth.
“This partnership is very important and critical to all youths, especially those present in this seminar in an effort to prevent immoral activities among the community and ensure disclosure regarding this matter is given early. We hope through a programme like this we will be able to strengthen our identity, form our own personality while also be able to apply spiritual and human values as well as instilling patriotism among the youth, especially IPT residents,” he added.
A total of 500 participants attended the seminar, consisting of students from public universities, polytechnics and community colleges, as well as direct involvement from local community youth.
This seminar also features speakers, panels and moderators who are experts in the topics discussed, namely representatives from the Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom), the Southeast Asian Regional Centre for the Prevention of Terrorism (SEARCCT), the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM), the Prisons Department, the Security Council State and University Malaysia Sabah.
