KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 22 — Terrorists were hoping to recruit students from the Al-Madinah International University (Mediu) in Shah Alam, Selangor, Deputy Home Minister Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed confirmed.
But he also swiftly said that the 10-year-old private institution is not a hotbed of terrorism activities.
“In the course of police investigations, they found out about terrorist plans to recruit students studying there.
“The university itself however, is not a recruitment hub,” he told Malay Mail Online when contacted yesterday.
Mediu, which offers Islamic-centric courses, is in the spotlight after police disclosed that two of its students were arrested for suspected links to global terror network, the Islamic State (IS) and was implicated in planning an attack on an international school in the Malaysian capital.
The recent spate of terror attacks worldwide has increased local anxiety over outbreaks here during the Christmas and New Year festive season, with the fear of the June bombing of a Puchong entertainment outlet still fresh on their minds.
Terrorists had targeted Mediu because of its high foreign student population, according to police intelligence reports.
“Police are monitoring suspected terrorists. Found out their plan to recruit students in that university, as they are mostly foreigners,” Nur Jazlan said.
Mediu is estimated to have an enrolment of 1,280 students from 43 countries, its deputy rector of foreign affairs Datuk Dr Ab Ghani Mohamad told national news agency Bernama yesterday. He added that the majority are from Nigeria, Bangladesh and Indonesia.
Nur Jazlan also said that police have now expanded their watch to include several other higher learning institutions for signs of extremism.
“Police are also monitoring other similar institutions for signs that terrorist groups plan to do the same there,” he said, without divulging those under scrutiny.
