One of 15 suspected Islamic State supporters arrested in Malaysia has been revealed as a senior aviation technician for a firm that serviced aircraft used by the nation’s corporate and political leaders.

The suspect, aged 49, is a former flight engineer for the Royal Malaysian Air Force, a regional security source told the South China Morning Post.

“The suspect is a senior technician whose responsibility was to check that an aircraft is safe for use. He is the person who gives the green light whether an aircraft is safe to take off or not,” said the security official.

… “This is a matter for concern because this is precisely what I and others have referred to as the ‘insider threat’ of transnational terrorism,” said Associate Professor Kumar Ramakrishna, head of policy studies at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies Singapore.