Najib was on IS kidnap list: Zahid

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak was among Malaysian leaders who were targeted by the Islamic State (IS) in its kidnapping plot last year, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
Ahmad Zahid, who is also Home Minister, said other leaders included in the kidnap list were himself and Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein.
He said IS had planned several attempts between September 2014, and May 2015, to cause disorder in Malaysia, but the country's security forces managed to thwart them.
"In Jan 30, 2015, a total of 13 Daesh (IS) individuals had planned to kidnap the country's leaders including the Prime Minister, Home Minister and Defence Minister. Security threat faced by the country is true and very real," he told the Dewan Rakyat.
Ahmad Zahid, who is also Bagan Datoh MP, said the kidnap plan was among the four plots attempted by IS to attack the country's institutions, including a plan to attack government properties in Putrajaya.
All the plots were managed to be identified and thwarted through legislation such as the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2015 (Pota), he said in reply to a supplementary question by Datuk Abdul Manan Ismail (BN-Paya Besar) who wanted to know the effectiveness of the country's laws in addressing the militant issues.
Last November, Hishammuddin revealed that three Malaysian top leaders were on the IS hit list, but did not disclose the names.
Ahmad Zahid said in September 2014, IS had planned to test an "improvised explosive device" in Alor Star in its bid to attack several locations in Kedah, including a Chinese temple.
"In April, 2015, 11 IS individuals planned to destroy several entertainment and gambling centres in KL.
"They were also planning to blow up Putrajaya. For that intention, a preparation for bomb explosion testing was conducted," he said, adding IS had also planned to bomb a Freemason lodge in Bukit Jalil.
He said although there was no IS branch in Malaysia, many of its followers that were influenced by the terror ideology has been receiving direct orders by the group's leader Abu Bakar al-Baghdadi in Syria.
To tackle the spread of IS threat, he said the government has conducted information sharing with other foreign intelligence agencies.
"Individuals suspected through the information sharing will be forwarded to the Immigration Department to be blacklisted and included in the suspect list.
"We also cooperated with the Communications and Multimedia Commission to monitor the social media of those suspected to be involved (in IS activity)," he said.