KUALA LUMPUR – A report by the United States Congress and a critically acclaimed political book have suggested that a Malaysian individual was recruited in the 1990s to join the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, to spy on Israel.
A Congress document from 2005 noted that Iranian intelligence officers, who were active in Malaysia in the 1980s, successfully recruited an Indonesian by the name of Pandu Yudhawitna to join Hezbollah’s cause. Upon the successful recruitment, a book noted that Pandu convinced a Malaysian named Zainal to join the ranks.
According to the book ‘Hezbollah: The Global Footprint of Lebanon’s Party of God’ authored by Matthew Levitt, Pandu reported to Iran’s Intelligence and Security Ministry officers in Malaysia before he was handed over to Hezbollah.
The book cites a Phillipines intelligence report, which detailed that Pandu had in 1995 held a meeting in Johor with a Malaysian man known only as ‘Zainal’.
The Filipino report followed Pandu’s arrest for drug possession at a Mindanao airport in 1999.
Levitt, who is a director with the pro-Israeli American think tank Washington Institute for Near East Policy, posited that the ‘Zainal’ referenced by Pandu could be Zainal Talib, a local trader supposedly recruited into Hezbollah’s ranks.
While Pandu told investigators that he did not have much information on Zainal’s activities beyond their meeting, Levitt asserted that the Malaysian possibly underwent operational and intelligence training in Lebanon in 1997.
It is believed that Zainal may have also travelled to Israel undetected in the late 90s and early 2000s to collect intelligence for the militant group.
While Zainal appears to have a scant online trace with little to no local news coverage on him, a 2001 Malaysiakini report stated that a businessman in his 40s by the same name was among one of six individuals arrested by authorities for being Shia followers.
Escalating conflict
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday warned Lebanese citizens that they could face destruction “like Gaza”, unless they free their country from Hezbollah.
Hezbollah, a militant group based primarily in Lebanon, shows no signs of backing down, announcing today that their fighters detonated an explosive device targeting Israeli Defence Forces attempting to infiltrate southern Lebanon.
Although Hezbollah has made headlines ever since they clashed with Israeli troops following Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 27 last year, the Shia militia has been operating since the 1980s after the second invasion of Lebanon by the Zionist regime.
Since then, with funding and an abundant supply of weapons from Iran, Hezbollah has had a global reach – with Malaysia being no exception.
Hezbollah’s influence in Malaysia ‘limited’: experts
Security practitioner and researcher Munira Mustaffa said it is possible that Zainal may have been in his mid-30s to 40s when he performed activities for Hezbollah and is likely to be in his 60s now.
Confirming that Pandu was a Hezbollah recruiter for Malaysia and Indonesia “a couple of decades back”, Munira said that while Malaysia could still have Hezbollah-linked individuals currently, consideration should be given to the nation’s hostility towards Shia believers.
“Hezbollah supporters or affiliates are likely to be Shia leaning – this is important to remember. While the possibility (of Hezbollah operatives here) is there, it might be low…if they do exist, they have to be covert or at best, they’re just sympathisers.
“It’s a question of capabilities, and unlike what many people think, capabilities are very difficult to achieve,” Munira, who is also the founder and executive director of security consultancy Chasseur Group, told Scoop.
She added that Hezbollah sympathisers here would have to be highly motivated if they are active given that Malaysia’s tough crackdown on Daesh terrorists has led to “very punitive” counterterrorism and intelligence response which can be effective as a deterrent.
Noting that recruitment and intelligence-gathering activities by state actors are common in the world of international relations and conflicts, Munira said the impact and success of such efforts, if they exist, would be difficult to ascertain without concrete evidence.
“Given the current state of global affairs, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to anticipate that various parties, be they state-backed or otherwise, might be keeping their ears to the ground and possibly reaching out to potential sympathisers in various countries, including Malaysia.”
Meanwhile, Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Media and Information Warfare Studies Centre security and political analyst Noor Nirwandy Mat Noordin said it would be unwise to comment on Pandu and Zainal given that Malaysian authorities have never confirmed the figures’ alleged activities.
He also said that Malaysians should not worry about the possibility of foreign agents operating in Malaysia given the country’s non-aggressive foreign policy posture.
“We should leave such matters to the discretion of our security and intelligence agencies who are world-renowned when it comes to their capabilities,” Nirwandy said when contacted. – October 9, 2024
