At least 300 Chinese nationals in Islamic State via Malaysia, says Zahid
Malaysia is being used as a transit point by Muslims from China who are headed to Syria and Iraq to join the Islamic State militant group, Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said today.
The Home Minister said he was informed of this update from China's vice-minister of Public Security Meng Hongwei during a meeting at the home ministry in Putrajaya today, Bernama reported.
Meng disclosed to Zahid that more than 300 Chinese nationals have used Malaysia as a transit point on their way to join Islamic State. They moved to a third country from Malaysia prior to entering Syria and Iraq.
According to Bernama, Zahid said both Kuala Lumpur and Beijing view seriously this security threat and were committed to curbing it in a more comprehensive manner.
"Although there exists an arrangement between Malaysia and China to combat terrorism through counter-terrorism measures, this problem is serious.
"This is because ties exist at the international level between terrorists in China and those in other countries in the Southeast Asian region," the national news agency quoted Zahid as saying.
However, he added, Chinese officials did not inform if any of their 300 nationals had links with Malaysian groups or individuals.
Meanwhile, Zahid also spoke of the new free-visa status for Chinese nationals, saying the proposal was also being considered for other countries at the moment.
He was referring to the statement by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak yesterday that visas would be issued free to tourists from China as part of measures to strengthen Malaysia's economic resilience.
Bernama reported Zahid as saying that tourists from China visiting Malaysia still had to apply for a visa but they did not have to pay the 80 yuan (RM46.45) fee.
He added that an official announcement on the free-visa measure would be made after all rules and conditions had been refined by the Malaysian Immigration Department.
"We will make an official announcement at the Malaysian embassy and consulates general in China," he said, according to Bernama. – January 21, 2015
