Suspected Malaysian Militants Use Singapore, Indonesia and Thailand As Transit Points to Middle East

KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia’s Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has said that suspected militants from Malaysia were using countries like Singapore, Indonesia and Thailand as transit points to travel to the Middle East to join up with extremist groups there, according to the local media.

He added that his ministry would monitor Malaysians going through these countries on their way to Iraq and Syria, with the help of Interpol and intelligence agencies, reported the New Straits Times (NST) on Friday.

“We are working with Interpol and our intelligence unit is monitoring these people because they don’t travel straight from Malaysia,” Datuk Seri Zahid was reported by the NST as saying.

“The government would like to stress that we don’t endorse the Islamic State (IS) militants of Syria and Iraq nor are we a hub for terrorism and a terrorist training centre,” Dr Zahid added, according to the NST.

He was addressing the media at the 23rd Security Services Association Malaysia Annual General Meeting in Kuala Lumpur on Friday morning.

Source: http://www.straitstimes.com/news/asia/south-east-asia/story/singapore-among-nations-suspected-militants-use-transit-middle-east