SIX local men, including three minors, were arrested on suspicion of involvement in terrorist-oriented activities of the Islamic State (IS) militant group in a special operation on February 14 to 15.
Inspector-General of Police Datuk Mohd. Khalid Ismail said the operations, which were carried out in several locations in the Klang Valley, Johor, Kedah and Terengganu, followed intelligence and information sharing related to terrorist-oriented activities and extremist beliefs online.
He said the matter included the spread of radical ideology, recruitment, promotion of propaganda materials and planning attacks involving youth, teenagers and children.
The police action, led by the special branch, resulted in the arrest of six male suspects aged between 16 and 21 years.
“Three of them are under 18 years old. The arrest and seizure were carried out in accordance with the procedures under the Special Measures Security Act SOSMA-2012 without disregarding the rights enshrined under the Children’s Act-2001 and the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
“Equipment seized includes those containing materials related to the IS group, 11 mobile phones, two laptops, one external hard disk, four IS flags, one shirt with the IS logo and three extremist books,” he told a press conference today.
Mohd Khalid said that further investigations revealed that apart from pledging allegiance to IS leaders, the suspect also supported recruiting new members, possessed IS-related materials and actively promoted the terrorist group on social media, including planning attacks on police stations and public interest facilities.
The IGP said investigators also found that the suspects were first exposed to extremist narratives through mainstream social media before moving into closed messaging groups such as WhatsApp and Telegram.
"The tendency to surf social media related to the war and geopolitical crisis in West Asia, as well as online games, especially Roblox, has shaped the suspect's mind towards radical beliefs as a teenager," he said.
He said that the formation of radical thinking through online mediums has the potential to seriously affect the mental development of young people.
"Continuous exposure to negative or extremist content on digital platforms, if not prevented at an early stage, can affect their emotions and behaviour, thus leading to impulsive, aggressive actions and increasing the risk of incidents that could threaten public and national military security.
“All suspects are being investigated under Chapter 6A of the Penal Code for Terrorism-Related Offences based on the procedures and provisions of the Security Offences Special Measures Act SOSMA 2012,” he said.
He said the prosecution had agreed to charge all suspects in court with several charges, including promoting a terrorist group through social media, being or admitting membership in a terrorist group and possessing material related to a terrorist group.
“The authorities also stressed that the identities of the suspects involving children have not been revealed to protect their dignity and future in accordance with the Children’s Act 2001 and the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
“The public is advised not to speculate on the arrests and not to spread unverified information that could cause public panic,” he said.
At the same time, he added, parents are advised to monitor their children’s activities and interactions, including on online platforms, to prevent them from being exposed to the influence of extremism.
“The swift action is an early preventive measure to prevent more serious incidents that could threaten the country’s sovereignty.
“Currently, the country’s security level remains peaceful, safe and under control despite the turbulent international geopolitical situation,” he said. – March 6, 2026
