Take a leaf from Malaysia, terrorism expert tells Indonesia on how to stop militant outflow

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 19 ― Malaysia's success in stopping individuals from joining the Syria-based terrorist group Islamic State (IS) is due to its database on regional militants and its ability to get crucial information from former militants, an Indonesian terrorism expert has said.

Terrorism expert Dynno Chresbon, who was dissecting Indonesia's failure to stop its own nationals from joining IS in Syria, had pointed to both Malaysia and Singapore as successful models in blocking the outflow of such recruits.

Dynno pointed specifically to Malaysia's recent arrest of 12 Indonesians that were purportedly attempting to use the country as a transit point for IS base Syria, attributing Malaysia's success to its database on the region's militant networks and suspected militants, the Jakarta Globe reported yesterday.

“That database allows them to capture suspected militants planning to go to Syria, including those coming from Indonesia,” he was quoted telling the Indonesian paper on Tuesday, having pointed out that the 12 had managed to slip through Indonesia's immigration authorities.

“Malaysia and Singapore have such databases, while Indonesia misses out because it doesn’t have one,” he said.

Malaysia and Singapore's database comes from their success in deradicalising former militants to disclose information on militant networks in the region, Dynno said.

He highlighted the need for Indonesia to improve its own programme to tap into local militants' knowledge.

“Indonesia’s deradicalisation programme, meanwhile, has met gridlock. Here, the outcome of the program is no more than certificates issued by the BNPT [the National Counterterrorism Agency] and the Home Ministry for former combatants,” Dynno said.

“It doesn’t make them willing to share crucial information about terror networks and groups in Indonesia, let alone in Southeast Asia, about which of them share the IS ideology and so on,” he told the Indonesian paper.

Dynno reportedly said that many of the estimated 500 Indonesians that joined the IS had used Malaysia or Pakistan as a springboard, before passing through Jordan to Iraq or Syria, basing the figure on Indonesia's police and military statistics.

Al Chaidar, another expert in terrorism, also said Indonesian police lacked success in taking preventive action against terrorism, as they focused more on law enforcement to crackdown on such activities.

Jakarta Globe reported that the lack of a database on militant networks coupled together with growing numbers of IS sympathisers would mean that the trend of Indonesians leaving for Syria would not stop.

Malaysian police have made multiple arrests and raids on those suspected of being IS recruiters or sympathisers and have blocked several from flying off to join the militant group.

Utusan Malaysia recently reported that 50 Malaysians are believed to be in Syria with the IS terror group, while two Malaysians have been identified as dying as suicide bombers for IS.