Putrajaya takes seriously reports of Israeli threat to ‘launch attacks in Malaysia’

Malaysia today said it would take seriously any threat against officials of the Palestinian resistance group Hamas residing in Malaysia, amid concerns over reports on Israel’s warning of attacks on its enemies abroad such as the drive-by killing by Mossad agents of a Palestinian engineer in Kuala Lumpur three years ago.

Home Minister Hamzah Zainudin however called for calm, saying the security situation in the country is under control.

“The police, along with other security agencies, have stepped up security control in all aspects to defend public order and the safety of Malaysians, including Palestinians in this country,” he said in a statement, following queries by MalaysiaNow over online clips of reports purportedly quoting Israeli military intelligence.

In one clip posted on YouTube, it was claimed that Israel would carry out attacks against “terror operatives around the world”.

“The Israeli leadership has ordered the country’s secret services Shin Bet and Mossad to eliminate top Hamas officials inside and outside of the country,” the report said quoting Israeli television, adding that Malaysia had been named alongside Iran, Turkey and Qatar as countries that “host, finance and train Hamas officials”.

In 2018, electrical engineer and Hamas member Fadi al-Batsh was gunned down in Kuala Lumpur in a drive-by shooting by two men believed to be assassins hired by the Israeli secret service.

Malaysia has a cordial relationship with Hamas, the governing authority in the Gaza Strip, and a popular group seen as a major player behind the Palestinian resistance.

Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin recently spoke with Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh, who updated him on the latest situation in Palestine.

“On behalf of the people of Malaysia, I expressed my condolences and sadness on the loss of lives and injuries inflicted on Palestinians by the Israeli regime’s vicious attacks,” Muhyiddin said in a Facebook post.