Lecturer: Corruption, powerlessness against injustice driving youths to join IS

PETALING JAYA, Sept 8 — Rampant corruption and the sense of powerlessness against perceived injustice towards Muslims are key factors pushing young Malays towards extremism, an academic has said.

Maszlee Malik, an assistant professor at the International Islamic University Malaysia, told a forum here last night that the findings were gathered during an interview with over 30 detained militant suspects, some formerly members of terror group, the Islamic State (IS).

“There is this perceived growing injustice towards Muslims all over the world..and they feel powerless to do anything,” the academic said at a forum discussing the politicisation of Islam.

“And they feel the global leaders have failed them, Western leaders have not done anything, even the Muslim leaders have failed them.

“So they need a hero and IS brings hope and also a sense of utopia.”

Pew Research Centre study released in 2015 showed one in 10 people in Malaysia hold favourable views of the IS.

In the study of Muslims’ attitude towards IS, which the Pew Research Centre gleaned from its 2015 Global Attitudes survey, support level for the group in Malaysia was tied for second place with Senegal among 11 nations with significant Muslim populations polled.

Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid in the same year said cult-like worship towards the IS, coupled with problems with family and financial difficulties are among the reasons why some Malaysians join the militant group.

But Maszlee said the government is also indirectly contributing to the radicalisation of those youths by failing to address key issues like corruption and economic pressure.

“Cost of living, GST, corruption...they contributed to their sense of disillusionment,” he said.

Just last week the Malaysian police thwarted a plan by a member of the IS-linked Abu Sayyaf militant group to attack the closing ceremony of the South-east Asian Games in Kuala Lumpur on August 31.

The suspected attacker, a 25-year-old Philippine national, had been involved in fighting, kidnapping and beheading of foreign hostages in the Philippines, Inspector-General of Police Mohamad Fuzi Harun said in a statement.

The arrest has raised concern about increasing cooperation among militants within South-east Asia and what governments fear is the spreading influence of Islamic State as it loses ground in the Middle East.