Thirty men, nine women and eight children from Malaysia are fighting for the self-claimed Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, according to Malaysian news agency Bernama.
Another 18 Malaysians in IS were reportedly killed in Syria and seven others died as suicide bombers last year.
Malaysian police have taken measures to restrain the spread of IS by collaborating with the country’s Immigration Department, Kuala Lumpur International Airport and Interpol to monitor entry points, the news agency quoted Mohamad Fuzi Harun, director of Royal Malaysian Police Special Branch, as saying.
If these IS militants return to the country through Kuala Lumpur International Airport, they will be arrested immediately, he added.
Additionally, the police are monitoring the families of suspected IS militants, the director noted.
Dr Admad El Muhammady, a lecturer in Islamic Studies and Political Science from the International Islamic University Malaysia, recommended that the government should organise programmes in rural areas to improve residents’ awareness about the threat of IS.
