Saudi Arabia Impressed With Malaysia's Measures To Curb Terrorism

From Elmi Rizal Alias RIYADH, Oct 14 (Bernama) -- The Saudi Arabian government are impressed with measures and methods used by Malaysia to tackle terrorism activities and to curb militant groups. Deputy Prime Minister Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the recognition was given after the standard operation procedure implemented by the Malaysian security forces to curb militant groups since the Communist Insurgency in 1948 was published as a book in Arabic and handed to the Saudi Arabian government. "Both the countries agreed that the problem of violence which gave a bad image to Islam among non-Muslims or Islamophobia must be jointly tackled," said Ahmad Zahid who is also Malaysian Home Minister. He was talking to Malaysian reporters after a meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Naif Abdulaziz Al-Saud, who is also his counterpart. Ahmad Zahid is on a five-day official visit to Saudi Arabia from Wednesday. As such, the Deputy Prime Minister said the Malaysian government would continue to conduct deradicalisation programmes and rehabilitate extremist groups efforts to combat violence. "We also exchanged experiences in the deradicalisation programme to ensure they (detainees) returned to normal lives with their families and society," he said. He said Malaysia also shared its experience in tackling and rehabilitating communists other than successfully curbing militant activities including Malaysian Militant Group (KMM), Jemaah Islamiah, Al-Qaeda and Daesh. At the same time, Ahmad Zahid said they also discussed problems of illegal workers, Syrian and ethnic Rohinya refugees. The Deputy Prime Minister said he was told Syrian refugees in Saudi Arabia were given the best treatment including jobs, school for their children and health facilities. --BERNAMA