PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia’s holistic approach to combating terrorism and extremism should be emulated by other countries.
Deputy Minister in Prime Minister's Department Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki said one should not depend only on the ‘hard’ approach when tackling the issue.
The government, he said, practises the concept of ‘wasatiyyah’ or moderation, which uses a balanced and fair approach to achieve national peace.
Wasatiyyah, he said, is not only a principle that can be adopted by Islam, but also other religions.
“We are not a country that depends on one aspect only. Since the wasatiyyah concept was introduced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, it has united the people of all races and religions.
"When combating terrorism, we cannot just use the ‘hard’ approach. It should be tackled in a balanced way via various approaches, including education and economy.
"In this regard, Malaysia is a leading country when it comes to dealing with terrorism, compared to other countries which have to face problems like starvation and deprivation of education, which led the people to become extremists.”
Asyraf was speaking to reporters after the delivering his presentation at the Putrajaya International Security Dialogue (PISD) 2018 at Marriot Hotel, here today.
He said the country's success in combating terrorism and extremism should be promoted as an example to other countries.
"We need to be proud of this. Malaysia has its own strengths in sustaining peace and harmony," he added.
Asyraf also condemned certain quarters who associate Islam with extremism. He said it was unfair to label Islam as a religion that promotes extremism as such ideologies can be spread by individuals of any faiths.
“There are also those from different religions spreading extremist ideologies. There are also non-Muslim countries that face terrorism issues.
“That's why in Malaysia, we view extremism from a bigger perspective. We won't let such ideologies enter the country.”
Malaysian Institute of Islamic Strategic Studies chief executive officer Datuk Mahamad Naser Disa also echoed Asyraf's statement, saying that wasatiyyah has been adopted by not only the Malays, but also Chinese, Indians and other ethnic groups in Malaysia.
Naser, in his presentation, said radicalism and extremism can be exhibited by any religious groups, be they Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist or even cults.
“For instance, the Radical Evangelist for Christian State (RECS) movement is slowly and quietly creeping into the nation.
He said the group uses provocative words during their congregation such as "the general will of God for all of us in Malaysia is to invade this nation with the kingdom of God. We are called to bring down God’s principles and cultures into Malaysia", advertised in their church activities.
"Malaysia already has adequate preventive laws to curb such radical movements under the Penal Code and Security Offences (Security Measures) Act 2012,” he said.
Asyraf and Naser earlier delivered their talks at the first plenary session titled 'Islam as an instrument of moderation and security'.
The session discussed how the true Islamic way of life emphasises on wisdom and moderation while at the same time rejects intolerance and extremism.
It also touched on the role of Muslim scholars, preachers and community leaders in rectifying misunderstandings on Islam and in exposing the extremists’ twisted ideologies and the methods that they use to deceive the public.