Possible threats to King, PM foiled with arrest of eight suspected extremists, says Home Minister

PUTRAJAYA: Possible threats against His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia and the Prime Minister were thwarted after the police arrested eight people for suspected links to extremist ideologies.

At a press conference here on Monday (June 24) Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the suspects were arrested in an operation on Saturday and Sunday (June 22 and 23).

The suspects, aged 25 to 70 years, were arrested in Johor, Kelantan, Perak and Selangor.

"The arrest of the six men and two women were due to suspicions of being linked to Daesh and Islamic State (IS), and were follow-up arrests from previous operations conducted on May 15, 17 and 30.

"Preliminary investigations also showed the existence of threats against His Majesty, the Prime Minister, VIPs and the top leadership of the police," he said, adding that follow-up security action will be taken as per standard operating procedure.

Investigations are underway to determine links between the suspects but Saifuddin said they all "had the same ideology".

The suspects, he added, came from various employment backgrounds and economic statuses.

"This includes housewives, retirees and professionals," he said.

He added that the government will not compromise with any parties that are part of or that support extremist and radical ideologies.

"The authorities will not hesitate to take the strictest enforcement action available on these people," he said.

Saifuddin also gave his assurance that the country was safe and secure and that the public should not be fearful about security levels and public order in the country.

"This is supported by the expertise and speed of the police in combating extremist, radical and violent threats at the early stages, which is also a manifestation of the preparedness and competency of the force in facing any threats at all times," he said.