“This success shows that our intelligence is at a top level, because if it wasn’t, we wouldn’t have made the arrests,” he told a press conference after attending the ministry’s monthly assembly here today.

Saifuddin said Malaysia would never allow its territory to be used for terrorist recruitment or fundraising.

“For our agencies involved, our focus is that Malaysia cannot be a platform to recruit or collect funds for these terrorist activities. We will not compromise at all when it comes to terrorism,” he said.

The Bangladeshis were arrested during three operations in Selangor and Johor between April and June. Police believe that they were recruiting new members for the Islamic State from Malaysia’s migrant labour sector.

Inspector-General of Police Khalid Ismail said recruitment efforts had targeted individuals working in factories, petrol stations, and construction sites. Social media apps such as Facebook, WhatsApp, and Telegram were also used to connect with potential members.

New border index to strengthen enforcement

At the same event, Saifuddin launched the National Border Security Index (IKSN), which he described as a “historic milestone” in the country’s efforts to monitor and safeguard its borders.

“Today, we mark history with the official launch of IKSN,” he said.

Saifuddin said the index would serve as a key tool in assessing the performance, effectiveness and readiness of enforcement agencies based on data and objective measurements.

“It is the result of a comprehensive study from the perspectives of enforcement agencies, senior leadership, community leaders, NGOs and society at large, involving 12 cross-border crime issues.”

Among the categories with the lowest threat scores are kidnapping for ransom and maritime robbery (score: 0.00), arms smuggling (0.22), and cybercrime (0.47).