MALAYSIA NEVER A TARGET OF ANY TERRORIST MOVEMENTS, SAYS MINISTER

PUTRAJAYA, May 3 (Bernama) -- Malaysia has never been a target of any terrorist movements or militant groups till now, said Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein.

"As of today, there is no real concern that Malaysia is a target. On how we deal with this threat in the future, it is very important to understand the mindset of these international criminals.

"They are not limited only to Islamic militants but also other militant groups,” he said after receiving a courtesy call from Indian Foreign Affairs Minister S.M Krishna at his office here Tuesday.

He also said that it was not true that Malaysia had been a breeding ground for terrorist networks or a place to recruit followers among university students.

Commenting on the death of Al-Qaeda leader Osama Laden on Monday,
Hishammuddin said it was more important now to look at what would unfold after this.

He said the police had tightened security in strategic places like embassies and public areas.

"Our counter terrorism unit is also getting further information from their counterparts across the globe. This is something we cannot wait. And we can only get information if we have a very strong relationship,” he added.

On his meeting with Krishna, he said both countries agreed to set up a joint working committee on security matters.

He said its main focus would be terrorism besides addressing issues like immigration, human trafficking and transborder smuggling of drugs and weapons.

He was confident that with the move, both countries could tackle these problems more effectively.