Defence may likely ask for more funds for Sabah, Sarawak

Its minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said Sabah's position must be viewed from a different perspective.

The focus should not only be on kidnap or intrusion cases but also the militant threat which could proliferate unobtrusively if unchecked.

"I will discuss with the Prime Minister and Second Finance Minister on the allocation for security in Sabah and Sarawak.

"Aside from that, we will look at how we can enhance cooperation in intelligence with Southern Philippines, Brunei and Indonesia," he told reporters after opening the Umno Klang divisional meeting here Saturday.

Hishammuddin said grave measures were also necessary to counter militant threats such as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), which used an approach different from that of Al-Qaeda and Jemaah Islamiah.

He cited ISIS' approach to gain influence via the internet and social media, which could potentially pose a threat to the region.

"This is real, new and sophisticated threat that uses social media and the internet to move on to non-traditional recruitment bases, which makes the global security landscape much more complicated.

"We need to address that, and as Malaysia cannot do it alone, we need at least at the lowest level, Asean," he said.

The Defence Minister indicated that the issue would be addressed at the Asean Conference next year which Malaysia would lead.

Between April and Sept 21 this year, 19 Malaysians have been detained for alleged involvement in ISIS.

They are believed to have been recruited by four militant cells (Khaed Al Waled, Al Jemaah Brigade, Daulah Islamiyah and Arakan Daulah Islamiyah Arakan), to be assigned to Syria.