PUTRAJAYA, July 9 — Malaysia has been taking precautions ahead of the expected release of over 300 Indonesians convicted for terror activities, Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said today.

Zahid, who is also deputy prime minister, said both Malaysia and Indonesia have been actively exchanging information as Putrajaya tries to prevent the spread of global terror group Islamic State’s (IS) propaganda here.

"We also worry because maybe more than 300 supporters of Abu Bakar Bashir that has been sentenced due to terrorism activities in Indonesia will be released from Indonesian prisons.

"With the cooperation of Indonesia’s immigration and Malaysia’s immigration department, we exchange information including fingerprints and biometric [data] so those who are released will not be able to enter our country and influence those who are readily influenced by IS propaganda,” he told reporters here.

Zahid said both Malaysia and Indonesia have been exchanging information on methods to deradicalise and rehabilitate militants, as well as data from Interpol.

Abu Bakar, the spiritual leader of the now-disbanded regional militant group Jemaah Islamiyah, has reportedly asked his supporters in 2014 to support IS.

But The Straits Times reported this January that Abu Bakar had allegedly withdrawn his support for IS, with the latter’s lawyer claiming that the Muslim cleric was misinformed about IS.

Earlier this week, Malaysian police confirmed that a June 28 grenade attack at a bar which injured eight people is the first successful attack by IS locally.