KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 17 ― Bangsar, Solaris and Bukit Bintang are among the locations actively targeted by terrorist groups aiming to spread fear in Malaysia, said Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Mansor today.

The federal territories minister said the authorities are aware of and preparing for the threats, adding that his ministry's enforcers were lending their resources to the police in efforts to improve security.

“The threats are there and we are very well aware of this, so we are on standby for any possible event,” he was quoted as saying by the New Straits Times on its website today.

“Among the places that they are targeting include the Kuala Lumpur city centre, Bukit Bintang, Publika, Solaris, Hartamas, Bangsar and The Curve,” he said today after kicking off the FT flag campaign in conjunction with the upcoming FT Day celebration on February 1.

The Umno secretary-general said Putrajaya was also considering deploying military assets to popular tourist and shopping zones to secure the locations if necessary.

He said the motive of the terrorist group is to destabilise the country‎, similar to the recent attack in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta.

Tengku Adnan also urged the public to come forward with any information or suspicion on any form of militant activities.

Police yesterday revealed that they arrested four suspected Islamic State militants including a suicide bomber en route to carry out an attack.

A local security expert told the Wall Street Journal that the arrest of the suicide bomber meant that the threat of terrorist attacks in Malaysia was now a reality.

Malaysian police were put on red alert following the bombings in Jakarta three days ago that involved at least seven blasts and left seven people dead.

The Jakarta blasts followed a suicide bombing in Istanbul, Turkey, on Tuesday that killed 10 people, all of whom were Germans, which officials reportedly blamed on the Islamic State.