A foreign militant group, the Radical Militant Movement of Bangladesh (GMRB), has been spreading extremist ideology among Bangladeshis who entered Malaysia legally to work, before recruiting them to join terrorism-related activities.
According to a report by Berita Harian, Inspector-General of Police, Datuk Seri Mohd Khalid Ismail shared that the group had begun spreading the ideology of the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group to the migrant community, especially Bangladeshis, through social media and messaging platforms.
“Malaysia is not a target or transit location for this group, but rather a destination for work in the labour sector, such as factories, construction sites and the service industry,”
“However, during their time in this country and working here, some of them were influenced by radical ideas brought from their home countries and abroad,” he said.
How it all started
Investigations initially began after the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) detected several Facebook accounts actively spreading IS propaganda. Results of a review showed that the accounts involved used IP addresses from Malaysia and were operated by Bangladeshis who are working here.
Following this, an integrated security operation was carried out in stages since April, which led to the arrest of 6 individuals around Selangor.
“The results of an interrogation also revealed the existence of GMRB, based in Johor. In this regard, 3 phases of the operation were carried out starting April 28. On May 7, 14 individuals, including the group leader, were arrested in Johor, while another 16 were arrested between June 19 and June 21,”
“The total number of arrests was 36 individuals.”
Out of those arrested, 5 people were charged under Chapter VIA of the Penal Code, for participating in a terrorist organisation and spreading extremist ideology, 15 people have been handed over to the Immigration Department for deportation, and 16 others are still in custody.
How the group functions
The group’s modus operandi is to recruit members among foreign workers, specifically targeting Bangladeshi workers, through organised and secretive approaches.
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“They use social media to attract supporters and spread extremist ideology, while WhatsApp and Telegram are used to organise activities including ‘taalim‘ sessions, ‘baiah‘ and closed-door meetings for members,”
“Members who recite ‘baiah‘ online will be assigned to lead new cells in specific locations to expand their movement,” Datuk Seri Mohd Khalid Ismail explained.
The group was also found to be collecting funds through digital applications and international money transfer services to support militant operations abroad.
“The group carries out a phased recruitment process, starting with membership screenings to the stage of establishing a complete structure,” he added.
Datuk Seri Mohd Khalid Ismail further explained that the infiltration of extremist ideology in the migrant community is difficult to detect and risks damaging Malaysia’s image in the eyes of the world if not addressed immediately.
“Malaysia risks becoming a logistics and transit hub for foreign militants if left unchecked, and this will tarnish the country’s image as a safe destination,”
“We ask Malaysians to be more aware of their surroundings and immediately report any suspicious activities to the authorities.”
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