Awareness and resilience: Preparing Malaysian youth for life abroad

SEPTEMBER marked the start of the 2025 academic year for many universities worldwide, particularly in Europe and North America, making it a period when many Malaysian students depart to begin their studies abroad.

For these young Malaysians, this moment represents the beginning of an important new chapter. As part of their preparation, scholarship awarders typically organise pre-departure activities, ranging from alumni engagement sessions to practical advice on adapting to life abroad. Recently, the South-East Asia Regional Centre for Counter-Terrorism (SEARCCT) had the opportunity to contribute to these activities by delivering briefings focused on evolving security challenges and the importance of building resilience in the digital space.

Beyond safeguarding against extremist narratives, such resilience also supports students in adapting to diverse social and cultural environments overseas, where navigating online and offline interactions becomes part of their everyday experience.

SEARCCT has long reached out to students through its University Lecture Series, an initiative that began in 2013 to raise awareness on the influence and threats of terrorism and violent extremism. The briefings complemented this initiative by extending SEARCCT’s reach to outgoing scholars who are about to embark on their academic pursuits, providing a timely opportunity to strengthen their awareness of global and regional security trends. 

Among key messages emphasised during the briefings was the importance of understanding how actors exploit emerging technologies. Extremist actors are increasingly exploiting technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and online gaming spaces for recruitment, propaganda, and networking. By highlighting these risks, SEARCCT sought to encourage scholars to be more vigilant about their online interactions and to approach digital spaces with great critical awareness. 

Extremism today is not confined to a single narrative. It is shaped by a convergence of ideologies that cut across religion, politics, identity, and grievances. From Daesh to far-right and ethnonationalist movements, these ideologies often feed off one another, creating complex risks that transcend borders.

The Southport stabbing incident – in July 2024 in the United Kingdom – where disinformation quickly fuelled Islamophobic and anti-immigrant sentiments online, illustrates the real-world consequences of unchecked narratives and serves as a reminder how diverse ideologies can exploit the same narratives of division and fear. 

Recent rallies in the UK and Australia provide further evidence of how anti-immigrant and far-right mobilisation can transition from online narratives to mass action. In London on Sept 13, 2025, an estimated 110,000 to 150,000 protesters gathered for the “Unite the Kingdom” rally. Similarly, in Australia, the “March for Australia” protests in August 2025 illustrate how narratives of division and fear can be harnessed to undercut social cohesion.

These examples show that online rhetoric is not abstract  and can, in fact, manifest in large, real-world protests and violence. 

For outgoing scholars, such cases highlight the critical importance of being informed and engaging constructively with content and conversations online. During the briefing, SEARCCT underscored the role of digital and media literacy in this process, encouraging youth to question sources, verify information, and resist manipulative content that fuels extremist propaganda and harmful narratives.

These skills take on added significance as they adjust to a new social setting and are exposed to a wider mix of ideologies and influences. This aligns with the prevention pillar of the Malaysia National Action Plan on Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism 2024-2028, which seeks to empower individuals before extremist influence can take hold. 

Equally important is a community-based approach. Extremism cannot be addressed by governments and institutions alone as it requires a whole-of-society approach. Scholars were encouraged to see themselves as community actors who can create inclusive spaces, support peers, and challenge harmful stereotypes.

This message resonated strongly, with one scholar even e-mailing to ask: “How could I contribute to initiatives in this space, or even start an NGO related to it?” Such responses reflect the willingness of youth not just to learn, but to lead.

In reflecting on these briefings, SEARCCT recognises such engagement as a meaningful complement to its existing outreach efforts. While the University Lecture Series engages students within Malaysia, pre-departure briefings allow SEARCCT to strengthen awareness before scholars enter new environments. By equipping them with knowledge of emerging threats and skills in digital literacy, SEARCCT hopes these students will carry forward resilience and responsibility as they represent Malaysia abroad.

NURUL HIDAYAH MOHD NOAR

Research officer

Research and Publications Division

South-East Asia Regional Centre for Counter-Terrorism (SEARCCT)

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Malaysia