Notwithstanding the obvious, the Bangladesh government insists that Islamic State (IS) has no foothold in the country. Similarly in Pakistan, the government continues to deny that international jihadist network has no formal presence in the insurgency-ravaged country. It has been identified that many of the Saudi hijackers behind the September 11 attacks on American soil were also from wealthy families.

It is now apparent that well-heeled youths are providing Islamist terror groups with foot soldiers long before the emergence of IS. This rather awkward (foolish would be a better word) sense of bravado is not confined to countries on the Indian sub-continent alone. Malaysia has now joined this exclusive club of potential IS targets.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar had initially dismissed allegations that the bombing of the Movida pub in Puchong on June 28 was the work of Islamist terrorists. He, however, admitted later that the grenade attack was done by two Islamic State operatives who are still at large. The bombing is the first ever successful IS terror strike on Malaysian soil. Will this be the first and perhaps the last?

Eight people were injured following the grenade attack on the Movida Bar and Lounge in IOI Boulevard Puchong. The threat of open warfare in Southeast Asia by the murderous Islamic State, as espoused by Mohd Rafi Udin, the self-styled leader of the IS network in Malaysia and a former taxi driver, has taken on a new dimension.