KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 26 — The Najib administration has been promoting moderation to counter the rising threat of Islamic extremism, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said today following criticism of Putrajaya’s alleged support for conservative Islam.

Zahid, who is also home minister, said the government’s belief in moderation is clearly reflected in its formation of the Global Movement for Moderates (GMM), which he said has been leading the way in countering extremist propaganda.

“Malaysia has moved ahead in developing a counter messaging centre in line with its efforts to counter extremism in cyberspace as well as introducing the GMM as a new approach in international relations and foreign policy,” he said in his closing speech at the International Conference on Deradicalisation and Countering Violent Extremism here.

A Pew Research Centre study last year on the attitude of Muslims towards IS showed that 11 per cent of Malaysians support the Muslim militant group that has claimed responsibility over the January 14 bombings in Jakarta, Indonesia, that saw four civilians and four terrorists killed.

Bukit Aman’s counter-terrorism unit chief SAC Datuk Ayub Khan Pithchay Mydin previously noted that those drawn to the IS or other Islamic extremist groups often come from broken families and had shallow religious knowledge.

Yesterday, Zahid said that Putrajaya has designed a rehabilitation module for former militants.

The module, he said, covers various aspects like social skills, self-management, patriotism, financial management and psychology.

The government also collaborates with community figures like clerics, NGOs, family members and former militants in its rehabilitation programmes.

These figures are key to correcting misinterpretation or misconceptions linked to radicalism, and provide psychological and spiritual guidance for detained militants, he added.