Some Malaysians taking out personal loans to join the Islamic State
At least two women borrowed money from local lenders to pay for their transportation to Iraq and Syria and for expenses while there
PUBLISHED : Sunday, 11 January, 2015, 12:44am
UPDATED : Sunday, 11 January, 2015, 6:02am
Amy Chew in Kuala Lumpur
A fighter of the Islamic State waves an IS flag on a street in the Iraqi city of Mosul. Some young Malaysian men see joining IS as a way to 'cleanse their sins'. Photo: Reuters
Malaysian militants seeking to join the Islamic State (IS) have been taking out personal loans from local banks or money lenders to fund passage and living expenses in Syria and Iraq, according to counter-terrorism officials.
The emerging trend comes after an IS cell leader in Malaysia urged followers to apply for the loans, which are unlikely ever to be repaid, in order to help them join the fight in the Middle East.
To date, at least 59 Malaysians are officially known to have joined IS in Syria and Iraq. More than 65 have been arrested by police either on their way to Syria and Iraq or on their way back since the start of last year.
"At least two women have taken out a personal loan to pay for their passage to Syria to join IS and to fund their living expenses there," a senior Malaysian counter-terrorism official said.
"One woman took out a 20,000 ringgit (HK$44,000) personal loan from RHB Bank. Another woman took out a 6,000 ringgit loan from a licensed money lender," the counter-terrorism official added.
The RHB Banking Group is Malaysia's fourth largest financial services group.
Emailed questions and phone queries to RHB regarding the alleged loan were unanswered.
But there is no evidence the lenders knew the true purpose of these loans.
According to RHB's website, the bank provides personal loans ranging from a minimum of 2,000 ringgit to a maximum 150,000 ringgit.
"There are no indications these two women will return to Malaysia. The chances of that is very thin," the official said.
"So I guess the loan is not likely to be repaid."
Police are also investigating another woman who is suspected of taking out a loan for the same purpose. "However, that loan application has not been approved yet," said the official.
Apart from seeking martyrdom, some Malaysians went to Syria because they wanted to live in an Islamic caliphate, which was declared in an area straddling Syria and Iraq in June last year. Muslim-majority Malaysia, according to IS supporters, is an infidel state as it maintains a secular constitution.
"We arrested a family of five in Shah Alam who sold off their business, property and land and were about to move to Syria," said the official. "This family owns one restaurant and three kindergartens."
Shah Alam is 25 kilometres west of Kuala Lumpur.
Some male IS followers are going to Syria for the sole aim of becoming suicide bombers as a means to "cleanse their sins" for having had premarital sex, which is against the teachings of Islam, the official said.
"These men are all in their twenties and single. They believe that becoming a suicide bomber is a short cut to cleansing themselves of their sins and entering into heaven," the official said.
At least six Malaysians have died in Syria and Iraq fighting for IS, said the official, who also confirmed that a former Malaysian Armed Forces commando was among 135 IS-linked militants detained by Saudi Arabian authorities in Riyadh in December.
Following the terror attack in Paris and hostage-taking incident in Sydney, Malaysian police have stepped up their surveillance of certain groups and individuals, according to the national news agency, Bernama.
