A senior Indonesian journalist has called on the Malaysian government to be more fearful of influence from the hardline Islamist groups, rather than adopting an anti-Shiite stand.

Mohamad Taufik Al-Jufry, who is of Arab descent, claimed that such influence could come from adherents of the Wahhabi school of thought.

“In actual fact, the Malaysian government should not be afraid of Shiites,” Taufik said in an interview with Malaysiakini in Shah Alam.