IGP: No word yet on Malaysians in Syria and Iraq

KOTA KINABALU, Jan 22 — Malaysia cannot bring home Malaysians living in Syria or Iraq without a concerted effort by various authorities as well as the Malaysians themselves, said Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Mohamad Fuzi Harun.

The nation’s top cop said the police have made an effort to expatriate those who have expressed a wish to return but said that since a Malaysian widow “Aisyah” was brought back in October last year, they have had little success with others.

“We have had people with family members in Syria approach us, asking for help in bringing their relatives back, but somehow the response from them has been unclear.

“To bring them back, we need help in identifying their exact location so that our contacts there can help bring them back. We also need cooperation from the Turkish authorities, of which they have been very helpful,” said Fuzi during a press conference here today.

Fuzi said that if they were serious about coming home, a lot of effort from both sides was needed, as well as constant communication as to their location in Syria or Iraq.

“They just need to contact their families in Malaysia or us directly.

“As far as I know, there are a few Malaysians in Syria who have said they would like to return home. It is a process, just like we did for ‘Aisyah’ and her family,” he said.

Last year, a Terengganu-born woman named Aisyah, along with her two children, were brought home after her husband, who had fought for the Islamic State (IS) died.

“She is recovering well, in the second stage of recovery. But we have not got any new information from her in regard to the fighting,” said Fuzi.

In October last year, Fuzi said that there were four other groups of Malaysians — four adults and seven children — who wanted to escape the horrors of IS in Syria.

The Special Branch Counter Terrorism Division has so far identified 54 Malaysians — 23 men, 11 women, 12 boys and eight girls — still in Syria.