Islamic State watched me while I went jogging, says Ayob

Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay, a retired deputy inspector-general of police, recounted in an interview how he and his colleagues were aware that the Islamic State (IS) had been monitoring his jogging routine at Taman Tasik Perdana. According to Ayob, who served as head of the counter-terrorism division from 2016 to 2020, the IS principal coordinator for Malaysia actively recruited Malaysians through social media to conduct surveillance on security personnel.

He mentioned that they even tracked the movements of top officers, including the inspector-general of police Khalid Abu Bakar, who was known to take bike rides on Saturdays.

Ayob's experiences as part of a group tasked with monitoring IS activities provided him with firsthand knowledge of the threats posed by the terrorist organization. He revealed that he had to adopt additional security measures during his time in counter-terrorism, such as traveling in a bulletproof vehicle, frequently changing routes, and always being vigilant about his surroundings.

During meals, Ayob would even sit facing outward to monitor the movements of people around him—a practice rooted in techniques developed during his fight against the Malayan Communist Party in the 1950s to 1980s.

The deputy inspector-general also emphasized the need for specialized legal tools to combat major security threats, pointing to the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma) as a crucial piece of legislation. However, he acknowledged the ongoing debates surrounding Sosma and stressed that it should not be used as an excuse to reinstate the Internal Security Act 1960 (ISA), which permitted indefinite detention without trial.