Home Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said the US government’s report was nothing new and this was why security forces had been relentless in their monitoring and enforcement efforts.

Dangerous elements, he said, could not be ignored and this was why anti-terrorism efforts were important.

“There are those we have arrested, they have been proven to be terrorists. We have taken action to arrest and charge them and so on.

“We receive cooperation with many countries to resolve this problem,” he told reporters after attending the ministry’s 2019 family day today.

The US State Department’s Country Reports on Terrorism 2018 published recently noted that Malaysia remains a “source and transit” point for terrorist groups like the Islamic State (IS), Abu Sayyaf, al-Qaeda, and Jemaah Islamiyah.

The report, however, noted Malaysia’s efforts to combat terrorism by various means, including monitoring social media, border patrols, and rules to counter financing of terrorism.

On the security situation in Sabah, Muhyiddin said the authorities will continue to monitor the situation.

Sabah’s east coast, which is close to the Philippine’s troubled south, has become a target for cross-border kidnap-for-ransom groups.

“The police or general operations forces we have placed in the area take action against those involved and bring them to justice. There is cooperation with the Philippines.”