In recent weeks in Australia – and indeed in neighbouring Southeast Asian countries – the news has been dominated by events in the Middle East and the danger from local terror groups.
The conservative government in Australia led by Tony Abbott has introduced two bills before Parliament to counter a potential threat from local Islamist radicals. Among its northerly neighbours, much discussion about similar legislation has been undertaken by Indonesian authorities. Malaysian authorities have made several arrests at Kuala Lumpur International Airport of Muslim citizens suspected of departing to join the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq.
The Australian legislation has attracted bipartisan support from the two major political blocs: the conservative Liberal/National governing coalition and the Labor Party opposition. This is a rare thing in Australian politics, with the preceding Labor government unable to win across-the-board support for its policies from its own members .
