The police have detained 16 Indonesians for allegedly spreading "deviationist" Islamic teachings, a spokesman said today. The detainees were initially also suspected of carrying out militant activities, but police investigations had shown that they had not been involved in "any violent acts", the spokesman told AFP .

"They are members of an Islamic sect with deviationist teachings, but nothing has come up to show militant activities."

He said the suspects, who were arrested late Tuesday in Perak, would be held for up to 14 days for questioning.

The Indonesians, 12 of whom held permanent residence permits while the remaining four were illegal immigrants, will be deported when investigations are complete.

"So far, we have found they are not members of a local militant group, but if we find any links at all, they will be held longer and we will be very tough," the spokesman said.

The police have previously detained at least five Indonesians suspected of having links to local Islamic extremists in the Kumpulan Mujahidin Malaysia and other terror networks, including Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda.

Islamic states

The government has suggested that the KMM has links with militants in Indonesia and the Philippines and that together they hoped to create Islamic states in the region.

Malaysia has also identified three Indonesian preachers as responsible for religious and militant indoctrination within the KMM.

The KMM is accused of planning the violent overthrow of the Malaysian government using militants trained in Afghanistan. (AFP)