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Counter-terrorism in Malaysia is a series of measures implemented in Malaysia to detect and prevent terrorism as well as to minimise damages from such terrorist acts should they occur. These measures involve all levels of security services including military, police, border and infrastructure security, civil defence, medical readiness and psychological preparedness. Malaysia also participates actively in international counter-terrorism efforts. The Internal Security Act 1960 (repealed 2012, replaced with Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 was enacted to prevent terrorism in Malaysia.
Due to the nature of modern terrorism threats, it is no longer feasible to rely on the existing criminal law provisions. With information travel across the globe in a matter of minutes, evidences are getting more and more obscure and personal liberty is being misused, it is imperative for the Malaysian Government to enact a separate law to deal specifically with terrorism threats.
Generally, the need for anti-terrorism laws can be summarised as below:
Historically, Internal Security Act 1960 was enacted in 1960 by the administration of Tunku Abdul Rahman, then Federation of Malaya's Prime Minister to deal specifically with the threats of armed resistance from the communists. The main features of the Internal Security Act 1960 were:
The controversy surrounding the Internal Security Act 1960 led to the abolishment of the Act in 2012 by the administration of Dato' Seri Najib Tun Haji Razak and it is replaced by the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012, [1] with shorter detention period and more explicit terms related to the exclusion political activities from being subjected under the new Act. However, access to legal counsel (Section 5(1)(b)) can be delayed for up to 48-hours, subject to authorisation by a person not below the rank of Superintendent of Police (Section 5(2)).
Prior to the enactment of the Internal Security Act 1960, there was no specific anti-terrorism legislation in place. The closest resemblance of an anti-terrorism provision is Chapter VI of the Penal Code (Act 574), [2] related to offences against the state.
With the onset of World War II looming in the Pacific theatre, the Japanese army invaded Malaya on 8 December 1941. The Japanese Occupation of Malaya lasted for four years and throughout the occupation period, the Japanese army was constantly harassed by the Malayan People's Anti-Japanese Army (MPAJA), a group of resistance fighters from the Malayan Communist Party.
Following Japanese surrender on 16 August 1945 after the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, MPAJA fighters came out of their hideouts in the jungle and many were initially hailed as heroes. However, before the return of British forces to Malaya, MPAJA fighters began their reprisal campaign against Japanese collaborators and civilian population. When the British re-established their control of Malaya, the MPAJA was disbanded and arms returned to the British Military Administration (BMA), an interim administration outfit prior to the formation of Malayan Union.
During this period, the Malayan Communist Party began to become more anti-British. With the post-war world's economy still in its recovery period, the British administration in Malaya faced growing resentment, particularly from the labour unions. At this stage, the Malayan Communist Party played a significant role in supporting and leading labour unions and kept up the pressure on British colonial occupation. Following the assassination of three European planters in the State of Perak and proclamation of the state of emergency on 16 June 1948, the British Empire outlawed all left-wing groups in Malaya, including the Malayan Communist Party. Many party members were arrested while others went into hiding in the jungle to avoid arrest. These events led to Malayan communist founding the Malayan National Liberation Army (MNLA) which sought to gain independence for Malaya from the British Empire and transform the country into a socialist republic.
The British administration was constantly ambushed by the communists during the period of 1949 to 1955. In 1955, the first general election of Malaya was held and Tunku Abdul Rahman became the first Chief Minister of the Federation of Malaya. Towards the end of 1955, the Federal Government held a peace talk with the Malayan Communist Party, which broke down due to the refusal of the Federal Government to legally recognise the party and demanded its dissolution. The fight continued until the Federation of Malaya achieved her independence on 31 August 1957.
The Malayan Emergency was declared over on 31 July 1960 and the first anti-terrorism law was enacted in the same year, known as the Internal Security Act 1960, to provide sweeping power to the Federal Government to deal with the threats of armed communists resistance.
With the cessation of armed communist resistance, formalised through the peace agreement between the Malaysian government and Malayan Communist Party on 2 December 1989, critics argued that the Internal Security Act 1960 was no longer relevant and should be repealed. Under the administration of Mahathir Mohamad and Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, the Internal Security Act 1960 has been invoked on a number of occasions to quell dissidents. This has prompted the United States to express concern over the use of the law. [3]
In 2011, the administration of Najib Razak agreed to repeal the Internal Security Act 1960, [4] after facing growing disapproval from members of the opposition parties and civil groups. The Internal Security Act 1960 has been replaced by Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012. [5]
Malaysia has been largely spared from any major terrorism incidence since the signing of peace accord with the Malayan Communist Party. However, after the terrorist attack on World Trade Centre and Pentagon in the United States on 11 September 2001, Malaysia is facing growing threats from regional terrorist groups, the most notable is Jemaah Islamiyah (JI). The effectiveness of anti-terrorism efforts in Malaysia is dependent on cross-agencies co-operation as well as international co-operation in terms of intelligence sharing and training in handling the threats of terrorism.
These are the events related to terrorism and counter-terrorism in Malaysia. Also listed are major terrorist incidents in the Malaysia that have influenced counter-terrorism policies in Malaysia.
At the forefront of the battle against terrorism are specialised military, law enforcement, and civil defence units, namely:
Chin Peng, born Ong Boon Hua, was a Malayan communist politician, guerrilla leader, and revolutionary, who was the leader and commander of the Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) and the Malayan National Liberation Army (MNLA). A Maoist, he led the CPM as secretary general from 1947 until the party's dissolution in 1989.
The Malayan Communist Party (MCP), officially the Communist Party of Malaya (CPM), was a Marxist–Leninist and anti-imperialist communist party which was active in British Malaya and later, the modern states of Malaysia and Singapore from 1930 to 1989. It was responsible for the creation of both the Malayan Peoples' Anti-Japanese Army and the Malayan National Liberation Army.
The Internal Security Department (ISD) is the domestic intelligence, counter-espionage, counterterrorism, and primary security agency of Singapore under the purview of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). It is tasked to confront national security threats ranging from subversion or sedition, foreign influence, spying or espionage, domestic or international terrorism, and political or racial/religious extremism.
Pasukan Gerakan Khas is a special operations command of the Royal Malaysia Police (RMP). The PGK has two distinct sub-units; the Special Actions Unit and the 69 Commando Battalion.
The Malayan National Liberation Army (MNLA) was a Communist guerrilla army that fought for Malayan independence from the British Empire during the Malayan Emergency (1948–1960) and later fought against the Malaysian government in the Communist insurgency in Malaysia (1968–1989). Many MNLA fighters were former members of the Malayan Peoples' Anti-Japanese Army (MPAJA), including its leader Chin Peng.
The Communist insurgency in Malaysia, also known as the Second Malayan Emergency, was an armed conflict which occurred in Malaysia from 1968 to 1989, between the Malayan Communist Party (MCP) and Malaysian federal security forces.
This article is about the extent of terrorism in Malaysia, including historical background, laws concerning terrorism, incidence of terrorism and international terrorism from the Malaysian perspective.
The New Zealand armed forces saw action in Malaysia throughout the 1950s and 1960s, first as part of the British Commonwealth response to the Malayan Emergency, and then in defence of Malaysia in the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation.
The Royal Malaysia Police, is a (primarily) uniformed national and federal police force in Malaysia. The force is a centralised organisation, and its headquarters are located at Bukit Aman, Kuala Lumpur. The police force is led by an Inspector-General of Police (IGP) who, as of 23 June 2023, is Razarudin Husain.
The Royal Malaysia Police trace their existence to the Malacca Sultanate in the 1400s and developed through administration by the Portuguese, the Dutch, modernization by the British beginning in the early 1800s, and the era of Malaysian independence.
The General Operations Force is the light infantry arm of the Royal Malaysia Police. The General Operations Force was established in 1948 during the Malayan Emergency by the British Administration when Malaya was a colony. The police service was mobilised to the field role, primarily to engaging Communist guerrillas during the emerging Insurgency. When Malaysia was formed in 1963, this law enforcement unit was then known as the Police Field Force. The title was adopted when it dropped the previous handle widely referred to as the Jungle Squad.
Lee Meng, also romanised as Lee Min, was a Malaysian Chinese communist guerrilla and a leading member of the Communist Party of Malaya (CPM). She took part in guerrilla resistance against the Japanese occupation of Malaya as a member of the Malayan Peoples' Anti-Japanese Army (MPAJA) and later joined the Malayan National Liberation Army during the Malayan Emergency to fight against British rule in Malaya. She was described as one of the most capable members of the local communist movement, and was also the leader of the "Kepayang Gang" in Perak.
Ferret Force was a counter-insurgency unit formed by the British and Malayan authorities as part of their response to the communist insurgency during the Malayan Emergency. The unit only existed for six months, but was to help establish doctrine for British operations in the jungle.
The Malayan Peoples' Anti-Japanese Army (MPAJA) was a communist guerrilla army that resisted the Japanese occupation of Malaya from 1941 to 1945 in World War II. Composed mainly of ethnic Chinese guerrilla fighters, the MPAJA was the largest anti-Japanese resistance group in Malaya. Founded during the Japanese invasion of Malaya, the MPAJA was conceived as a part of a combined effort by the Malayan Communist Party (MCP) and the British colonial government, alongside various smaller groups to resist the Japanese occupation. Although the MPAJA and the MCP were officially different organisations, many saw the MPAJA as a de facto armed wing of the MCP due to its leadership being staffed by mostly ethnic Chinese communists. Many of the ex-guerrillas of the MPAJA would later form the Malayan National Liberation Army (MNLA) and resist a return to pre-war the normality of British rule of Malaya during the Malayan Emergency (1948–1960).
The Prevention of Terrorism Act 2015, is an anti-terrorism law that was passed by the Malaysian government on 7 April 2015. It enables the Malaysian authorities to detain terror suspects without trial for a period of two years. POTA also does not allow any judicial reviews of detentions. Instead, detentions will be reviewed by a special Prevention of Terrorism Board. The POTA bill has been criticised by opposition elements as a reincarnation of the former Internal Security Act, which was revoked in 2012. The passage of POTA coincided with the arrest of seventeen suspected militants who were involved in an alleged terror plot in the capital Kuala Lumpur.
The Peace Agreement of Hat Yai (1989) marked the end of the Communist insurgency in Malaysia (1968–1989). It was signed and ratified by the Malayan Communist Party (MCP), and the Malaysian and Thailand governments at the Lee Gardens Hotel in Hat Yai, Thailand, on 2 December 1989.
The National Special Operations Force (NSOF) has been Malaysia's main security force which serves as the first responder to any terror threats on the country's sovereignty after October 2016. The force covers elements from the Malaysian Armed Forces, Royal Malaysia Police and the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency.
The 69 Commando ; also known as Very Able Troopers 69 is an elite multi-tasking special forces unit of the Royal Malaysia Police. The VAT 69 is based at Ulu Kinta, Perak and together with Special Actions Unit, they are part of Pasukan Gerakan Khas. The mission of 69 Commando is to conduct high-risk tasks such as counter-terrorism, hostage rescue, intelligence gathering and counter-insurgency within the borders of Malaysia.
The Special Actions Unit, commonly known as and abbreviated to UTK, is a tactical unit of the Royal Malaysia Police (RMP). The unit is headquartered at the RMP buildings in Bukit Aman, Kuala Lumpur. Together with the 69 Commando, they form the Pasukan Gerakan Khas.
The Special Forces and Elite Forces include both a specially and higher trained unit and a small percentage of personnel from a specific Malaysian military branch, law enforcement or government agency. In Malaysia, the term 'Special Forces' is widely used by uniformed services for special forces, special operations forces and 'special' trained units while 'Elite Forces' for units that more trained and capable combat. Regular personnel must undertake specialized and higher training to be able to join the units of the 'Special and Elite Forces'. These "Special Elite Forces" are denoted by different beret colours, shoulder tabs, unit patches, skill badges and uniforms.
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