PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia will share the sucess of its deradicalisation programme with other countries as part of its effort to combat terrorism, radicalism and extremism.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said Malaysia is ready to share its counterterrorism efforts with other Islamic countries, especially those facing conflict and terrorism issues.
Zahid said this will be done together with Rabitah Al-Alam Al-Islami following the success of the two-day Putrajaya International Security Dialogue (PISD).
"The deradicalisation programme for those involved in extremist movements has received encouraging results and are recognised internationally.
"The programme has achieved a rehabilitation rate of 97 per cent.
"In this regard, we not only touch on using policing and military elements, but also emphasise on rehabilitating their minds and hearts," he told a press conference after the PISD closing ceremony, here.
Zahid said PISD serves as a platform for 14 participating countries to share their experiences in countering terrorism using the wasatiyyah (moderation) approach.
Earlier, Home Ministry secretary-general Datuk Seri Alwi Ibrahim delivered a 12-point consensus derived from PISD 2018.
They are:
* Countering radicalism and extremism require holistic soft and hard approaches;
* Combating terrorism requires countering ideology and extremist narrative using various approaches including online education and rehabilitation according to the level of comprehension of the various communities;
* The introduction of the Wasatiyyah approach according to the teaching of Ahli Sunnah Wal Jamaah is of utmost importance;
* Combating terrorism requires a legislative approach while preserving human rights;
* Common political values need to be shared and addressed among Islamic and non-Islamic countries by means of inter-religious programmes, continuous dialogues and debates as collective efforts to combat terrorism and promote harmony;
* A holistic deradicalisation and rehabilitation programme needs to have a greater collaboration at a multitude of levels including relevant agencies, NGOs, civil society as well as the family unit;
* An alternative way of thinking which requires a new language of moderation for understanding each other as well as to promote tolerance between the differences;
* Combating ideology of takfiri (a Muslim accusing another Muslim of apostasy) such as accusing each other is imperative to tackle the issue of terrorism among Muslims;
* The advancement of Information Technology and the current trend of terrorism requires one to improve one's strategies and methods in tackling threats;
* Deepening cooperation and collaboration between countries in various aspects of counter-terrorism initiatives;
* Empowering the community of religious scholars, civil societies and the academia to challenge the extremist narratives; and,
* International collaboration needs to be further enhanced to overcome terrorist financing.
Alwi said the war on terrorism cannot be fought through force or punitive measure alone.
"We need to have two-pronged approaches to defeat the threats of extremism and terrorism.
"We must attempt to win the hearts and minds of each and every one who is engaged in or is prone to engage in terrorist activities, even if it means taking a longer time to battle against extremism and terrorism.
"This soft approach includes elements of wisdom and moderation that this dialogue seeks to highlight," he said.