Published: Friday September 18, 2009 MYT 4:19:00 PM
Updated: Friday September 18, 2009 MYT 8:06:39 PM

PM: Unfair to label Malaysia ‘exporter of terrorists’

By DHARMENDER SINGH

PUTRAJAYA: It is unfair to label Malaysia as an exporter of terrorists just because terror mastermind Noordin Mohammed Top came from this country, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

Terror is a global problem that needs a concerted effort from all countries to combat and blaming Malaysia for the activities of Noordin, Asia’s most wanted terrorist, will not help provide a solution, he said.

The 41-year-old Malaysian-born Noordin was shot dead by a crack Indonesian anti-terrorism squad during a shoot-out in a village in Central Java early Thursday morning, ending an almost nine-year manhunt.

Najib said Noordin started his terrorist activities after being influenced by Abu Bakar Bashir, an Indonesian who used to run a religious school in Hulu Tiram in the southern Malaysian state of Johor.

“So whatever it is, we have to work together to fight the terror threat and finger-pointing will not help.

“Even the Sept 11 (bombing of the World Trade Centre in New York) incident in the United States was carried out by perpetrators from the outside.

“(Terrorism) is a global problem and not just of one country,” he told a press conference after chairing the Permata Negara committee meeting here on Friday.

Also present was his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, who is the Permata Negara Police Working Committee chairman.

Noordin, who was gunned down along with three others in an ambush at his hideout in Solo, was said to be responsible for a string of deadly bombings in Indonesia, including those in Bali in 2002 and two luxury hotels in Jakarta recently.

Najib also congratulated the Indonesian authorities for their success in wiping out “a serious threat.”

He said he was made to understand that initial forensic findings indicated that Noordin was one those shot dead by the authorities, and that the Indonesian authorities were now conducting a DNA test to confirm the identity and that the results would be known in about one week.

In JAKARTA, national police spokesman Nanan Soekarna told wire agency AFP that Indonesia will return Noordin’s to Malaysia.

“The Malaysian Government and Noordin Mohammed Top’s family have requested his body so he can be buried in Malaysia. We will give him back to them.

“We will complete his DNA test today (Friday) and hand the body over to the foreign ministry which will arrange to return it to Malaysia,” he said.

With Noordin dead, Soekarna said police were concentrating their efforts on the search for followers still on the run including Syaifudin Jaelani, a recruitment expert, and Mohamed Syahrir, a former technician for national airline Garuda Indonesia.

“Police will continue our efforts to hunt down other fugitives. There are still many on our wanted list, people like Mohamad Syahrir and Syaifudin. We’ll continue to chase them,” he said.

Ketut Untung Yoga Ana, another police spokesman, said intelligence officers were on alert for possible retaliatory attacks as the country prepares to celebrate the Muslim Eid al-Fitr (Hari Raya Aidilfitri) holidays marking the end of Ramadan next week.

“We can’t read their minds ... there may be retaliation. We’re on the alert even when there are no incidents,” Ana said.