Malaysian Masonic Temple on ISIS Hit List

On Wednesday, Malaysia's Deputy Prime Minister announced that an extensive terror plot by local ISIS supporters has been uncovered by authorities. One of their targets included the Read Masonic Temple in Bukit Jalil, a suburb of Kuala Lumpur.

From The Malay Online website:

Read Masonic Hall, the Bukit Jalil Freemason lodge, is shocked that it was on the Islamic State hit list as revealed by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi in Parliament. 

A spokesman said misunderstanding and outright disinformation had led to hatred against the freemason fraternity in the country. 

“Freemasonry is not an underground cult or secretive movement to undermine countries. We are a fraternity and we do charity on a regular basis and that is all there is to it,” he said. 

However he expressed confidence in the authority’s ability to neutralise the threat posed by extremist groups. 

“The security forces have the situation under control. I’m glad nothing has come of these plots to hurt innocent Malaysians,” he said, adding that they had taken note of last month’s protest against a conference in Penang and were appalled by the allegations made by the protestors. 

On Wednesday, Ahmad Zahid revealed an extensive plot by members of Islamic State (IS) to carry out terror attacks in Malaysia. 

The plot included the kidnapping of prominent politicians, the theft of firearms and manufacturing homemade explosive devices to be used against a Chinese temple in Alor Star and the Bukit Jalil Masonic building.