National Action Plan on Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism: Civil Society Deserves a Seat at the Table

 

Kuala Lumpur, 24th February 2022The mandate to develop the National Action Plan on Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism (NAPPCVE; referred to as ‘NAP’ in this document) is derived from the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) 70/674 in 2015 to address the changing threats of violent extremism. Many countries have come up with their own action plans, among them Indonesia (2020-2024). At the time of writing, Malaysia is still developing its NAP under the purview of the Home Affairs Ministry, with the launch expected in the first quarter of 2022. 

This policy brief will discuss the structural barriers and other challenges facing Malaysian civil society organisations (CSOs) in the PCVE arena, generally, and the NAP drafting process, specifically, and propose strategies for policymakers and CSOs to empower the latter’s role via the development of the action plan. Two research methods are used: an independent consultation with Malaysian CSO representatives, and a comparative analysis of PCVE policies currently in place in Malaysia and abroad.