Speaking at a press conference at a convention on financial crime and terrorism funding here, he said most foreign terrorists are of Arab and African nationality.
“Since they enter the country without a visa, Malaysia becomes their first choice,” he said, adding that it is up to the government and home ministry to tighten existing visa laws.
Ayob said this was not a new issue although the government is working to address it.
“So far, we’ve arrested 38 foreign terrorist fighters who were transiting in Malaysia since 2013.
“Some were charged here in Malaysia while some were sent back,” he added.
A US government report on terrorism last year named Malaysia as a “source and transit point” for terrorist groups like the Islamic State, Abu Sayyaf, Al-Qaeda and Jemaah Islamiyah, which Putrajaya acknowledged.
Home Minister Muhyiddin Yassin also said the report was nothing new, which was why security forces had been relentless in their monitoring and enforcement efforts.
However, the report made no mention of the now-defunct Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), which made headlines following the arrest of 12 individuals on suspicion of involvement with the militant group.
When asked to comment on this, Ayob said Malaysia was a sovereign nation and did not have to follow the US’ list.
“We are a sovereign country – we have our own laws and listings. And we go through a consistent standard operating procedure before they (terrorist groups) are listed,” he said.
Adding that other countries still acknowledge LTTE as a terrorist group, he said if Malaysia wished to follow the US, it should follow it “fully” and implement other laws as well.
He also said the police are working with Bank Negara Malaysia, local banks and the private sector to address the issue of terrorism financing.
He said 22 investigation papers on terrorism funding have been opened since 2016, resulting in 19 convictions with three cases currently being tried. He added that the conviction rate was very high.
He said such transactions were usually small amounts, at most RM2,000, but frequently made.
He added that banks would monitor for irregularities and inform the authorities, who would act accordingly.