Post-Terrorism, Rehabilitation and Deradicalisation of Female Ex-Detainees of Daesh in Malaysia: A Round Table Discussion with Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM)

• Published in: Intellectual discourse 2021-01, Vol.29 (1), p.231-243
• Main Authors: Khalid, Kartini Aboo Talib, Saidin, Mohd Irwan Syazli, Ismail, Ahmad Munawar, Hamjah, Salasiah Hanin, Halim, Fatimah Wati, Azmi, Zaireeni, Gapar, Muhammad Helmy Abd, Ken, Teo Lee
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Case studies; Collaboration; Community; Counterterrorism; Data; Extremism; Females; Hotels & motels; Ideology; Intervention; Islam; Muslims; Pandemics; Police; Rehabilitation; Social construction; Society; Terrorism; Terrorist organizations; Training; Wireless networks; Women
• ISSN: 0128-4878

This study explores women's engagement in post-terrorism activities in Malaysia. Because they are hard-to-reach subjects, the initial collaboration with the Royal Police Malaysia E8 Unit (Polis DiRaja Malaysia or PDRM) is fundamental to pave the way to gaining access to former female detainees involved in terrorism. Based on the PDRM's report, 43 former female detainees are associated with Daesh or Islamic State (IS) and Abu Sayaff. All have been released, except two females who are still incarcerated. The Round Table Discussion is the key to understand the rehabilitation and processes institutionally. The perspective and experience gathered from officers in-charged in the anti-terrorism unit are essential to understand and assess the programs and mechanisms developed to treat former female members of terrorist organisations before rejoining society. The goals of meeting with PDRM are explained as follows; first, the round table discussion will allow researchers to collect primary data on the rehabilitation and deradicalisation processes and mechanisms to treat the global terrorist group's former female detainees. Secondly, the data gathered will be used to understand the ways the programme, process, and mechanism are designed to treat former female detainees of the global terrorist group, and lastly, the data will set a continuous improvement in the design of both preventive and intervention measures.