Anwar expresses admiration for fearless Indonesians
Jailed former opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has expressed admiration for how the Indonesians reacted in the aftermath of terrorist attacks in Jakarta yesterday.
"I would like to express my admiration for ordinary Jakartans who have shown the world how to respond to terror.
"They have spoken up on social media to share their refusal to be afraid (with the hashtag) #tidaktakut (not afraid), and to treat terrorism with the ridicule it deserves," he said in a statement today.
Just like Indonesia, he said “we should refuse to fear".
Extending his condolences to the families of the victims, he said the attack on Jakarta, for which the Islamic State (IS) has claimed responsibility, is an attack on Southeast Asia itself.
As Malaysia and Indonesia share a common history and a common threat of their youths being indoctrinated by this militant group, he said the two countries should work together to face this threat.
"Indonesia and Malaysia must together aspire to become anchors of peace, prosperity, and democracy in the Muslim world," he said.
Yesterday, a deadly hail of bombs and gunfire in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta left six dead and several others wounded.
Indonesian police have reportedly shot dead four of the attackers, while premium coffee outlet Starbucks has closed all its premises in the capital after one of the cafes there became a target in the attack.
IS has claimed responsibility for the attack – the first time the radical group has targeted the world's most populous Muslim nation.
In the wake of the attack, Indonesians took to social media to use the defiant hashtag #tidaktakut to declare that they will not be cowed.
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