Malaysia: 230 terror suspects arrested in three years

Kuala Lumpur (VNA) – Up to 230 terror suspects were detained in Malaysia over the past three years, the Malaysian Ministry of Home Affairs announced at a special briefing to foreign diplomats on August 9.

Of the total, 84 have been charged, 18 expelled and 62 freed.

The ministry said it has enhanced the presence of security officers, the sharing of information with other countries, joint patrol by the police and military forces, and installation of mobile police booths.

Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi stated that the briefing is to help foreign countries understand the security situation in Malaysia, especially after the country suffered its first attack linked to the Islamic State in late June and Indonesian police foiled a bomb attack attempt targeting Singapore last week.

Meanwhile, Ayob Khan, principal assistant director of the counter terrorism unit, revealed that 90 Malaysians have been identified to get involved in IS activities in Syria, 21 of whom have been killed.

A similar security briefing to foreign diplomats was also held in April, during which a senior official urged the Australian and British governments to withdraw their security alerts for Malaysia, saying the Malaysian government had undertaken all necessary security measures to prevent terrorism in the country.-VNA