What with the PM suggesting that UMNO could do with being as brave as ISIS are...... now this:

Islamic State 'now planning terror attacks on Asian soil' | South China Morning Post

Any thoughts anyone? Is it just scaremongering from China or could it be a possibility?

Well,it says that Malaysia has arrested at least 19 suspects linked to the group in seven months. That doesn't seem to suggest that the government is in support of ISIS...quite the opposite.

Always a danger of terrorists anywhere in the world. Good that the Gov is being vigilant. Let's hope that continues.

Anyone here grow up with the IRA?

Guinness or Koran? Balaclavas or Burkas? Knee-cappers or suicide-bombers. I have a slight preference for the IRA. Plus they had an agenda, specific demands and an eventual negotiated settlement. Difficult to understand what it is that ISIS wants to achieve other than the global overthrow of democracy..

I was working in central London when all that was going on and it wasn't much fun with bombs going off, plenty of false alarms/evacuations of buildings. And climbing down an evacuated BR train onto the tracks in high heels and business suit not a lot of larfs either

I bet that wasn't fun! Funny though, it was right on our doorstep for years and yet it seems to have blown out of all proportion now.

What do you think then?

At the risk of exposing my newbieness in matters Malaysian it seems to me that what Malaysia has is a very racially tolerant population run by a somewhat less tolerant majority Muslim government.

ISIS seems more focused on opportunities characterised by the opposite set of circumstances, ie the overthrow of non-radical governments by an intolerant Muslim population.

If that is correct then one would hope the good people of Malaysian would not provide the fertile breeding ground for such radicalisation.

The recent developments in Syria show how extremist British Muslims can be and demonstrates that there are few safe havens from this particular war.

To be perfectly honest, I do not know. Of course there has been a lot of trouble in the North around the Thai border for a number of years. As far as I can make out, that is mainly Thais and I would say nothing to do with ISIS per se. Although they do seem to want to bring in Syriah Law if they get their own way.

In terms of ISIS in Malaysia, at the moment it does only seem to be a tiny minority and yes, Malaysia has been a very tolerant country pretty much since Independence. I wonder, though, just how little it might take to light the blue touch paper? Where I would disagree with IVV is the government being less tolerant - certainly so long as UMNO remain in control. I think it is some of the other coalition partners that need to be kept in check although I do, as always, stand to be corrected if my interpretation is wrong!

As an (ex-patriate) British Muslim (as in I am British and a Muslim convert) myself I would also take issue with IVVs generalisation! To say "..... how extremist British Muslims can be...." is to paint a rather one-sided picture to say the least! Of course there are extremists, but I would argue again that they are very much in the minority. It would equally be true to say that there are extremists of many other varieties (whether on religious or racial grounds) and not just British either. Admittedly most do not seem to go to the lengths that ISIS have, although there have certainly been innumerable instances of genocide and persecution throughout history.

Returning to the article and BB's question back to me, I do think it could happen, but I would like to believe that the Malaysian Government will be strong enough to stand up to it. I guess though it all depends on what might set things in motion and what emotions are stirred up in the process.

This video is less than 5 minutes... the lady speaks a lot of sense!

Very interesting video geedee. Of course, it must correct that the only effective way to deal with minority Muslim extremists is pressure from the Muslim moderate majority. Anyone else standing up against them is simply labelled another enemy of Islam.

And Bluenose1, I wasn't suggesting that British Muslims are "generally" extremists but rather that British society, which has a history of inclusiveness for other races and religions, has still managed to allow a radicalisation of some Muslims to take place. The average Muslim interviewed on TV after some atrocity or other always expresses surprise that this has occurred but it's difficult to believe there is general ignorance in the wider Muslim community of these developments.

My hope is that in Malaysia the majority, which welcomes and includes other cultures and religions, would not tolerate such an extremism taking root.

Hi IVV! As you'll have seen, that video wasn't just targeting Muslim extremists... it targeted extremists of all shapes and sizes... the point being that we, the Silent Majority, who just want to get along, are steamrollered into allowing the minority extremists to dictate courses of events because we just sit there and do nothing. As Einstein (supposedly) said:

"The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it." ... hence her comments that the majority is irrelevant.

I recall passing through KLIA some years ago around Christmas time seeing a large poster for a Dept. store in KL. The poster was in 3 colours, the top third was green, the middle third was white and the bottom third was red. The text went something like, in the top green third, " Come to our Hari Raya Sale for some great bargains!", on the white middle third, the text was something like "Come to our Christmas Sale great bargains!" and yes, you've guessed it, the bottom red third went something like "Come to our Chinese New Year Sale great bargains!" - all on one poster! As the tourism jingle goes "Malaysia, truly Asia!"

I think generally speaking that's the way it is, isn't it, Hovite.

I may have told this story before but, on one of our first visits to Penang or may have been just after moving, can't remember....it was Christmas and went into a pharmacy and there was a Malay (Muslim) young lady serving at the counter, with the Muslim headgear obviously but also with reindeer antlers she knew it looked daft and had a big grin on her face. Made everyone smile....and sums things up (well...mostly).

The OP asked a very pertinent question for debate..viz..."Any thoughts anyone? Is it just scaremongering from China or could it be a possibility?"

It isn't well known but China has more people of the Muslim faith than any other country, excluding Indonesia.
I live in Bali, which is an island Province of Indonesia, but has a 95% population of about 3.5 million Balinese Hindus....not Muslim.
Following Bakedbean's observations I also see the hilarity (ridiculous but nice) of Bali Hindu girls, during the Muslim celebration month of Idul Fitri, wearing the traditional Muslim headgear 'jilbab'..... as a matter of respect.
Actually...not so much hilarious, but sexy...I turned 77 last June and can say I'm looking forward to next year's Muslim holiday. According to their calendar it gets earlier every year thus, I'm getting younger.
I await to see the attractive Bali girls in their provocative headgear.... but I'm just a lecherous old agnostic guy.
I only came to Bali because, at school, I learned the pretty Bali girls are topless.
Sad to say my geography teacher died over 50 years ago so cannot confirm...and she was a lesbian.