Home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the suspects, which included two women, were nabbed in simultaneous operations led by Bukit Aman’s Special Branch in Johor, Kelantan, Perak and Selangor.

All eight suspects, aged between 25 and 70, have been detained under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma), he added.

“Preliminary investigations revealed that there were threats against the king (Sultan Ibrahim), prime minister (Anwar Ibrahim), several dignitaries, and senior police officers,” he said at a press conference.

According to Saifuddin, the suspects were from various backgrounds and economic statuses, adding that they included a housewife, a construction worker, and a former lecturer.

Preliminary investigations also showed that they were radicalised after believing that the country’s leadership did not follow the Islamic caliph model.

This led to them plotting “threats” against prominent national figures, he added.

On May 17, a 21-year old man, initially suspected as being a member of the extremist group Jemaah Islamiyah, stormed into the Ulu Tiram police station and killed two constables.

Subsequently, his father, mother and three siblings were charged with inciting terrorism by spreading the Islamic State ideology.

When asked if the arrests of the eight individuals were linked to the Ulu Tiram attack, Saifuddin said this was still under investigation.

“The Special Branch is doing their job. For now, we will not link the arrests to any incident,” he said.