Suspects in first Daesh attack in Malaysia change plea

By P Prem Kumar

KUALA LUMPUR (AA) – Two suspects accused of executing the first Daesh in Malaysia changed their plea in relation to various terrorism charges to not guilty Monday.

The duo -- a factory operator and an unemployed man -- initially pleaded guilty in July to nine charges including the attempted murder of eight people and possession of a hand grenade that was used to attack an entertainment center near Kuala Lumpur on June 28.

Authorities have accused Imam Wahyudin Karjono, 20, and Jonius Ondrie @ Jahili, 24, of being Daesh supporters who received instructions from Malaysian-born Daesh leader Mohamad Wanndy Mohamed Jedi.

On Monday, Judge Azwarnida Affandi fixed Nov. 14 for the duo’s case mention, with case proceedings due to begin afterwards.

Jedi is suspected of recruiting locals to join the terror movement in Syria, and is believed to have set targets on Malaysia's senior political leaders, police officers and judges.

The entertainment center attack in which eight customers were injured after a hand grenade was hurled toward them was the first successful Daesh attack in Malaysia.

According to police, the assailants attacked the nightspot after discovering that their initial target had closed for the day.

As of last month, Malaysian police had detained more than 230 terror suspects since 2013, including 200 locals, as officers remain vigilant against Daesh influence in the Southeast Asian country.

Some 84 suspects have been charged while 62 have been freed.

To-date, some 90 Malaysians have been identified as being involved with Daesh in Syria.