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Second Advanced Course: Train-the-Trainers Course on Community Engagement for Prevention of Violent Extremism

September 12, 2023 @ 8:00 am – September 14, 2023 @ 5:00 pm

Kuala Lumpur, 12-14 September 2023 – The Initiative to Promote Tolerance and Prevent Violence (INITIATE.MY), in collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Counterterrorism Unit (E8) Special Branch and Safe in Custody, had successfully co-organised the “Second Advanced Course: Train-the-Trainers Course on Community Engagement for Prevention of Violent Extremism.” 

This intensive one-week training served as a continuation of the previous series held in August 2023. This training brought together over 30 alumni and new participants from the Counterterrorism Unit (E8) Special Branch of the Royal Malaysia Police. The event featured six distinguished speakers representing Malaysian universities and civil society organisations, and UNODC office in Malaysia and Bangkok who had shared their expert insights with the participants.

Timo Goosman, Minister Counsellor and Head of Political Affairs, Press and Information was delivering his opening speech by conveying his positive hopes on the Advanced Course series.

The course aimed to further enhance the skillset of the participants in operational, training, and mentorship capacities for the law enforcement officials to engage communities at large, criminal suspects and government agencies in counterterrorism responses. The training commenced with a session on “Advanced Evidence Collection: Effective Management of Experts in Collaborative Approaches to Legal Processes” that explored the role of experts in the criminal justice process, particularly during investigations, pre-trials and trials. 

Participants were exposed to terrorism-related offences that require expert assessment, the eligibility of the experts, the challenges of dealing with experts, and how to overcome them. Understanding these technical concepts would help participants in the investigation process particularly in evidence gathering and foster a meaningful collaboration with credible experts in the field.

Insightful session on “Advanced Evidence Collection: Effective Management of Experts in Collaborative Approaches to Legal Processes” delivered by Dr. Mukhriz Mat Rus, senior lecturer at Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM).

Besides that, the session on “Mastering the Art of Countering Terrorism Financing” covered the sophisticated trends of anti-money laundering and terrorist financing (AML/TF), international and national legal frameworks governing AML/TF and the roles of different agencies to collaborate in financial intelligence sharing.

Furthermore, this course also cultivated investigative methods such as the “Reid Investigative Technique”, the criticism revolving around it, and how the Planning, Engaging, Account, Closure and Evaluation (PEACE) interview method could be a better alternative. This would instil a more structured and systematic way to interview suspects in accordance with the human rights and “Do No Harm” principles. 

Vickram Ragunanth from UNODC Malaysia Office presenting on “Investigative Interviewing: Capturing the Story Between The Lines.”

INITIATE.MY is resolutely committed to serving as a vital bridge, fostering strong connections between government agencies and civil society organisations (CSOs) within Malaysia’s security sector. As we look ahead to the release of the National Action Plan on Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism (NAPPCVE), it becomes increasingly evident that this plan should not merely be a document but it should act as a catalyst, facilitating extensive collaborations between the government and CSOs through well-defined mechanisms and initiatives. This collaborative synergy will be instrumental in effectively addressing the complex challenges posed by violent extremism in Malaysia and the region.