Dr Ahmad El Muhammady, Islamic Studies and Political Science lecturer at the International Islamic University Malaysia, said this group comprised social media users who were easily influenced by IS propaganda.

“It appears to be a trend where youths are exposed to a lot of information sources through social media and don’t know how to differentiate right from wrong.

“Peer influence also plays a major role when someone who doesn’t know anything helps a friend who is involved with the IS. That person is not aware he is being made used of to purchase items to make explosives to bomb his own country.”

He said this to reporters after giving a talk on “Malaysia in Facing the Triangle of Conflicts in Southeast Asia” in conjunction with the Malaysian Institute of Defence and Security (MIDAS) Lecture at Wisma Perwira, Malaysian Armed Forces.

Ahmad said most IS followers comprised youths while the “otai”, or old-timers, became leaders of the terror group at the highest level.

“The youths involved lack good religious guidance that could help them differentiate between good and bad. And all information received is not screened first.”

He said the youths involved in IS were mostly from marginalised groups in society and this gave the militant group the opportunity to recruit them.

Bukit Aman Special Branch Counter-Terrorism Division principal assistant director Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay said last Sunday police had arrested 257 people between April 2013 and Oct 30 this year for involvement in IS militant activities in the country and most had been imprisoned.