KUALA LUMPUR, July 12 — Police believe universities have become breeding grounds for Islamic militants and are now monitoring them closely, Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said.

The Star quoted Zahid as saying the Special Branch and Bukit Aman terrorism units are now screening the institutions after a University Malaya lecturer was among the Malaysians involved with militant group Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

Zahid added that the police knew that universities were being used by foreigners as a recruitment and indoctrination platform although he noted that the management of the institutions may not be aware of it.

“We are not only looking at student visas but other passes as well, including work permits. Those with refugee status will also not be exempted from surveillance,” he was quoted as saying.

Zahid added that militant groups were also using youth oriented platforms like social media and chat forums to indoctrinate and recruit.

“We are facing a new trend of terrorism with the use of modern technology and renewed calls for jihad by international terrorist groups,” he said.

He also noted that the militants were attracting Malaysian youths by misleading them into believing in the heavenly rewards of the “jihad”.

Malaysia is in the global spotlight after some of its citizens allegedly joined the growing Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) movement in the Middle East.

A Malaysian suspected of being a member of the jihadist group was believed to have been the suicide bomber who killed 25 members of an Iraqi police team in May.

Zahid had previously said they are aware of more potential  militants in the making while UM lslamic Studies Faculty lecturer, Dr Mahmud Ahmad, 35, is the latest in the wanted list of suspected militants.

The home minister said yesterday his ministry had deported 67 foreigners of various nationalities suspected of being involved in militant activities in Malaysia and abroad since 2009.

Those sent back include members of Somalia’s Al-Shabaab and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

Most of them were operating under the cover of being students in local institutions of higher learning, he added.

Zahid also said suspected militants are also working in industries and businesses.

To deal with the problem, the home ministry has implemented several initiatives, including the Advanced Passengers Screening System and the Foreign Workers Centralised Management System to further screen the influx of suspected militants.

“We are also working with the Education Ministry and other departments on this,” he said.

He added that police have arrested 16 people under Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma) since it was gazetted in 2012. Currently while six are facing militant charges.