KULIM, March 7 — Police require a longer investigation period to probe a case involving six local males, with three of them being minors, who were recently detained for allegedly being involved in activities oriented towards the ideology of the Daesh terrorist group.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said that although some parties may be urging that the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act (SOSMA) 2012 should not be applied to them, a thorough investigation is necessary in the context of terrorism.

“For sure, the police action has drawn some criticism, particularly from a group of so-called human rights advocates, who pointed out that those detained were minors.

“They are therefore urging that SOSMA should not be used against those whom the police have identified as being involved. However, in the context of security threats, especially those involving terrorism, the police require a longer period to complete their investigation,” he said.

He said this to reporters after attending the Noble Values Cultivation programme and the Kedah-level Nuzul Quran observance here last night.

According to Saifuddin Nasution, if the case involves activities in a neighbouring country, the police would need to contact the authorities there to verify information and conduct profiling.

He explained that the process cannot be completed within just two or three days, even if the suspects involved are aged 17 or 18.

Saifuddin Nasution said based on preliminary investigations and information obtained from the suspects’ devices, the police found that at that age, they were aware of the risks of being involved in terrorist activities.

“Therefore, I place full trust in the police team that has carried out surveillance and intelligence gathering for a long time, and only made the arrests in the past week or two. They are still continuing their investigation, and the matter will eventually be brought before the courts,” he said.

Elaborating further, he said the arrest of all the suspects was the result of meticulous intelligence work, carried out over a long period by the Special Branch, through close monitoring, including activities on social media and various online application platforms.

According to him, investigations found that there are new methods of spreading extremist ideology embedded in various media, including online games, which indirectly expose users to such beliefs.

Saifuddin Nasution said that the influence of such ideology could encourage certain individuals to support or join violence-oriented movements when they feel that the realities of the world contradict the beliefs they acquire through social media content.

He said that the situation is very dangerous for Malaysia, which is a multiracial, multi-religious and multicultural country which has long lived in peace and harmony despite differences in views.

Yesterday, Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Mohd Khalid Ismail said police had foiled an attempt to revive the ideology of the Daesh terrorist group in the country, with the arrest of six local males, including three minors, in recent special operations.

He said that the suspects, aged between 16 and 21, were detained in operations conducted by the Special Branch over two days, beginning Feb 14, in the Klang Valley, Johor, Kedah and Terengganu. — Bernama