"We can guarantee that security across Indonesia is strong, despite the recent terrorism warning from Australia," Brigadier General Agus Rianto said.Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Indonesian authorities reiterated on Thursday that the country is secure despite recent warnings issued by Australia regarding possible terrorist attacks planned on Indonesia.
"We can guarantee that security across Indonesia is strong, despite the recent terrorism warning from Australia," National Police Commands Head of Public Information Service, Brigadier General Agus Rianto, said on Thursday.
He said the police was not underestimating any threat, but would accept a warning as input to increase alertness.
The government will be reviewing a report from the Australian government relating to terrorist activities in the country, Indonesian Cabinet Secretary, Pramono Anung said.
"We have detected all potential terrorism activities. The Indonesian government has received information from Australia and will review the report," he stated.
"Recent indications suggest that terrorists may be in an advanced stage of preparing attacks on Indonesia," the Australian Foreign Affairs and Trade Ministry announced in its travel advisory for Indonesia.
The ministry also announced a similar travel advisory to Malaysia on February 21, which highlighted the terrorist activity in and around Kuala Lumpur city.
The Indonesian government can control the security situation and improve national stability, Anung stated.
"It has already proven that during the Thamrin (recent) attack. The security officers, including the Police and the National Counter-Terrorism Agency, had successfully controlled the condition in only three hours after the raid," he stated.
The security situation in Indonesia is safe and well managed, he said.
The government is coordinating with security agencies, following an advisory from Australia, by improving the alertness.
"We have already increased alertness in all regions. But we should not have to exaggerate in responding to the issue," Anung added.
The government and the House of Representatives are now examining the law on Counter-Terrorism and de-radicalization efforts are being made a part of preventive efforts to handle terrorism, he said.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has emphasized the need for government stability for fighting terrorism in addition to reducing the number of Foreign Terrorist Fighters (FTF).
"To combat terrorism and reduce the number of FTF, we need political stability, democratic governance, and the absence of foreign occupation," the President said during the session of Retreat II of the US-ASEAN Summit in California, the United States.
Australia had issued a warning regarding possible terror attacks on the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur and urged tourists to be alert, following recent arrests of terrorist suspects.
"Terrorists might possibly plan attacks in and around Kuala Lumpur," according to the Australian Foreign and Trade Ministry.
"Attacks could be at random and were likely be aimed at Western interests or places frequented by westerners," it said in a statement.
The appeal however was not followed by an increase in the security level.
The Malaysian government has arrested a number of people for allegedly planning to attacks, including on entertainment centers in Kuala Lumpur.
The Malaysian police at the end of last month arrested seven militants with affiliations to ISIS, who were suspected to carry out violence, including one related to Indonesian extremist Bahrun Naim.
Bahrun is one of three Indonesians to have joined ISIS in its fight against Syria.
The Indonesia police said Bahrun had played a significant role in motivating terrorist groups to launch attacks on Indonesia.
Malaysia follows moderate Islam and has never suffered significant terrorist attacks in the past few years.
Fear, however, has increased in the multi-religious country while the authorities have said that a number of people have gone to join ISIS in Syria and Iraq.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
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