Militants’ hit list include Putrajaya, brewery, discos and pubs

Police today revealed that Malaysian militants arrested earlier this year were planning to attack several pubs, discos and even the Carlsberg brewery in Shah Alam.

Federal Special Branch principal assistant director Datuk Ayob Khan Pitchay Mydin said the militants were supporters of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (Isis).

"The suspects admitted that they wanted to overthrow what they perceived to be an un-Islamic government in Putrajaya," Ayob told The Malaysian Insider today.

"Besides planning attacks on pubs and discotheques, the suspects were also targeting the Carlsberg brewery.

"One of their main objectives was to target Putrajaya," Ayob said, referring to the 19 extremists whom police picked up between January and June.

"Based on our investigations, the suspects had raised tens of thousands of ringgit from their fundraising activities."

Ayob also said that between 20 and 30 Malaysians have gone to Syria to fight with Isis, although figures could be higher.

"What we have detected so far is that figure but police believe the figure could be a lot higher than that."

Malaysian factory worker, Ahmad Tarmimi Maliki, died as a suicide bomber in May, and Ayob revealed that another Malaysian is believed to have died as well.

"I cannot reveal the details yet as we are trying to confirm the identity of a second Malaysian who is believed to have perished in the ongoing conflict in the Middle East."

But, Ayob said the activities of the Malaysian militants arrested thus far were merely in the planning stage.

"We are constantly monitoring the activities of suspected militants and their accomplices," he said, declining to elaborate further.

Police in June arrested three men in Sandakan, Sabah, who were allegedly militants.

One of the suspects had received training by the Abu Sayyaf Group in the southern Philippines, while another was a Royal Malaysian Navy personnel.

The three suspects had links with 11 people who had been arrested by police in April for involvement in militant activities.

The militants' main purpose was to send fighters to Syria after they had been given training, police revealed.

Isis fighters have successfully cut a bloody swathe across Iraq, overrunning large areas of the country and also conquering a substantial part of the northern region.