Militants using FB to lure youth in Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysian militant groups are targeting schoolchildren aggressively through social media, news agency Bernama reported.

Counter-terrorism senior police officer Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay said they have identified an individual who is recruiting young people actively using Facebook as they are easily misled.

"The trend to recruit youngsters between the ages of 15 and 30 through Facebook is worrying.

"Besides schoolchildren, students of private and public higher-learning institutions with family and educational problems, government and private sector employees as well as businessmen are being coaxed to join militant groups," he told Bernama yesterday.

Mr Ayob said the religious authorities should take proactive measures to counter propaganda from militants.

He added that parents and teachers should inform the police should they come across anyone with extremist tendencies.

The three militant groups in Syria with Malaysian links are the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, Al-Nusra Front and Ajnad Al-Sham.

So far, 22 Malaysians, including three women, have been involved with militant groups in Syria, and 23 others have been detained in the country for alleged links with these groups, Bernama said.

This article by The Straits Times was published in MyPaper, a free, bilingual newspaper published by Singapore Press Holdings.