The Malaysian Ministry of Foreign Affairs is in the process of putting together a Digital Communication Centre to combat Islamic State influence in the country. According to foreign affairs minsiter Datuk Seri Anifah Aman the centre will block IS social media recruitment efforts, as well as, reducing the spread of extremist views in Malaysia.
The foreign affairs minister has said that his ministry is aware of how the terrorist group is able to exploit social media to recruit new members and spread proganda. He also said that the advent of the internet means that terrorists no longer need to act in large groups.
“With these efforts (the digital communication centre), Malaysia hopes to build a mental firewall for society, be it on a national or regional level so that no one is easily influenced by the IS propaganda and any other militant groups,” Anifah was quoted saying.
There is no word on how the new centre will work, or who is involved in the project. In any case, any amount of effort to combat the influence of the Islamic State in this region is welcome. Especially considering the increased number of attacks in Muslim majority countries like Turkey, Indonesia, and Pakistan since the beginning of the new year.
[Source: Malay Mail Online]
