Malaysian police said on Monday (May 15) four Malaysian militants have taken over the role of slain Syria-based Islamic State (IS) recruiter Muhammad Wanndy Mohamed Jedi’s role.

Despite Muhammad Wanndy’s death, the Malaysian authorities are still on high alert, with the police warning that it will not defeat the terrorist group’s main activity of planning attacks and seeking out more sympathisers to enlist with them.

Experts believed IS’ jihadist ideology is still active and continues to spread via social media despite the group losing significant ground in Syria and Iraq. It was also made known that the terrorist group now targets every level (of society), from school and university students, government staff, search and rescue personnel, members of the public, imam and university lecturers.

Ms Nur Azlin Mohamed Yasin, an associate research fellow at the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research of S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), said inter-agency cooperation is key in the fight against terrorism.

“Political milieu and different interests of states, political parties, security, technology and communication agencies are among our barriers to working together. Until we push for a change, our weaknesses remain our adversary’s playing field,” she wrote in an RSIS commentary.