KUALA LUMPUR: Experts warn that introverted individuals, who tend to avoid social interactions, are more vulnerable to being influenced by radical ideologies.
This trend has been observed in several cases, especially involving locals joining militant groups.
A security analyst from the National Defence University, Professor Dr Mohd Mizan Mohd Aslam said such individuals were more easily influenced by their isolated social lives and rigid thinking, which can lead them to adopt extremist beliefs.
He pointed to the 2019 Christchurch mass shooting as an example, where the attacker was described as antisocial and a fan of violent video games.
"Introverted individuals often lack broad social exposure, which makes them more susceptible to adopting twisted ideologies. Additionally, they may need to prove themselves as 'heroes,' and joining a radical group can seem like the fastest way to do that," said Mizan.
He also labelled local individuals who join foreign militant groups as terrorists, noting that their actions can jeopardise national security.
He also emphasised the need for greater intelligence cooperation with foreign agencies to identify and track individuals who may have joined foreign conflicts and expressed concern that these individuals could return home with dangerous skills such as handling firearms and explosives, which would pose a significant security risk.
"Imagine a local returning from a foreign conflict with combat experience, and authorities have no prior knowledge of their involvement. This could seriously compromise national safety," he added.
"This is why intelligence is so crucial in monitoring these individuals."
Mizan stressed that swift action is needed to counteract the spread of radical ideologies among foreign fighters.
Meanwhile, Malaysian Cybersecurity Association president Siraj Jalil highlighted how video games produced in the West often portray villains as being linked to Russia, reinforcing negative stereotypes.
"Many popular war games today feature evil characters with names like Vladimir and Makarov, which are strongly associated with Russia—even if the developers don't explicitly mention it," he said.
"For some individuals, this narrative becomes literal and motivates them to join foreign conflicts, thinking they are defending Ukraine from Russian aggression," he added.