Police crackdowns, intelligence cooperation and laws such as the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act (Sosma) have helped dismantle extremist networks and prevent major attacks.
Yet the recent arrest of six local youths linked to the Islamic State raises a troubling question: why do extremist ideas continue to resonate with segments of society despite strong counter-terrorism enforcement?
The arrests are a stark reminder that terrorism does not simply emerge from secret militant camps or foreign battlefields. It is cultivated through narratives: ideas about religion, identity and power that gradually radicalise vulnerable individuals.
In Malaysia, these narratives often circulate not only in...