MALAYSIA remains a “source and transit point” for terror groups like the Islamic State, despite the country having stepped up its anti-terrorism efforts, said the US State Department.

Its Country Reports on Terrorism 2018 highlighted four terrorism-linked incidents, but noted there were no IS-affiliated attacks on Malaysian soil last year.

“Although there were no IS-affiliated attacks in Malaysia in 2018, the country remains a source and transit point, and to a significantly lesser extent, a destination country, for terrorist groups, including IS, Abu Sayyaf, al-Qaeda and Jemaah Islamiyah.

“Suspected IS supporters deported from Turkey and individuals planning to travel to southern Philippines to support IS-affiliated groups used Malaysia as a transit point,” said the report, which was released yesterday.

“Malaysia monitored, arrested, deported and tried suspected supporters of terrorist groups.

“Malaysia also cooperated with the US and others to increase border security capacity at airports and in the Sulu Sea, to counter terrorist messaging on social media and to improve terrorist prosecutions.”

The four terrorism-linked incidents include an unsuccessful kidnapping attempt in August 2018 in Malaysian waters, though the exact location was not stated.

Another incident was in September the same year, when two Indonesian fishermen were kidnapped by Abu Sayyaf off the coast of Semporna, Sabah. The militants demanded a US$1 million (RM4.2 million) ransom.

The same month, two members of a kidnap-for-ransom group were killed by security forces on an island near Kunak, Sabah.

The fourth incident was the kidnapping of three Malaysians near Sabah’s Pegasus Reef on December 5 last year. The trio were taken to the Philippines.

The report noted the arrest of some 20 people in Sabah for suspected involvement in terrorism-related activities, among them, “smuggling militants into southern Philippines, enabling kidnapping-for-ransom operations, recruiting children as militants and human shields, and participation in Abu Sayyaf-led beheadings”.

The report mentioned Pakatan Harapan’s commitment to review terrorism-related laws, including the Prevention of Crime Act 2012, Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 and Sedition Act 1948, to “remove elements of oppression”.

It also noted Bank Negara Malaysia’s directive to curb money-laundering and terrorism financing using digital currencies.

Under the “Countering violent terrorism” section, the report pointed out the closure of the King Salman Centre for International Peace, which was established by former prime minister Najib Razak in partnership with the Saudi government. – November 2, 2019.