Malaysia Will Not Compromise With Militant Groups, Says Najib. Will Phillipines And Thailand Be Convinced?

Malaysia will not compromise with militants or extremists and will always be proactive to check these groups' ideologies from spreading in the country, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said Thursday.

"We are indeed strict in this matter. If we detect groups like Abu Sayyaf or Jemaah Islamiah or any other group that is militant or extremist in nature, in other words those who promote violence, we will not compromise, and we will take stern action before they cause any undesirable incidents," he said.

Najib, who is also Defence Minister, was commenting on a foreign agency report quoting Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo as seeking support from neighbouring countries to detain Abu Sayyaf members who had fled the southern Philippines.

Najib said the Philippines need not make an official request for Malaysia's support to check the group. "There is no need for an official request. If there are Abu Sayyaf members here, we will nab them," he added.

On yesterday's attack in southern Thailand where three people were killed, Najib advised Malaysians to think twice before deciding to go there. "We have given such advice many times. They know that the situation in southern Thailand is no longer secure. As such, the government cannot guarantee their safety. "Visit areas in Thailand where there are no conflicts," he said. (Bernama)

***** While I have no doubt as to Najib's sincerity in the matter I wonder if it will fully convince the Thais and the Filipinos. We have rightly or wrongly been considered in the past as being a bastion of sorts for Muslims in the region who have been displaced or on the run, for whatever reason. These perhaps may have included terrorists or those who support them. I'm sure that our non-Muslim neighbours must have at times viewed our legitimate actions with a suspicious and perhaps jaundiced eye.
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