MALAYSIA will continue monitoring Rohingya refugees in the country to ensure they are not involved in terrorism, said minister Shahidan Kassim. 

The minister in the prime minister’s department told the Dewan Rakyat today that there was no compilation of data on crime specifically committed by Rohingya refugees, as police based data on crime committed by foreigners on nationality and not ethnicity. 

“For 2017, 82 crimes were committed by foreign nationals. Out of this, 78 cases were committed by Myanmar citizens. This includes 30 violent crime cases and 48 property-related crimes. 

“To date, police have not detected any case involving terrorism committed by Rohingya in Malaysia,” he said. 

On October 24, Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein warned that the Islamic State terrorist group was recruiting Rohingya refugees and had its eye on setting up a base in Malaysia.

Bukit Aman Special Branch Counter-Terrorism Division assistant director Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay had also said that the IS was taking advantage of the Rohingya plight to recruit new members. – November 13, 2017.