The police have identified 500 Facebook accounts used by the terrorist group Islamic State (IS) to propagate its ideology, said the Home Ministry.

"At present, 500 Facebook accounts used by IS have been found," said the ministry in a parliamentary written reply yesterday.

"The cyber security unit is closely monitoring these accounts through intelligence-sharing and cooperation with international intelligence  agencies including Interpol," the ministry told Mohd Fasiah Mohd Fakeh (BN-Sabak Bernam).

It added that the management of Facebook has so far blocked 100 individually-owned Facebook accounts, for having connections with terrorism.

Blocking access to blogs and websites

The police, with the help of Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), also identified and acted against the blogs and websites which propagated the terrorist group's ideology by blocking the access.

The government has gone all out to combat possible terrorism threat and to stop Malaysians from being recruited into IS.

A new legislation - Prevention of Terrorism Act 2015 (Pota) - was passed in Parliament which allows for detention without trial.

In a parliamentary written reply dated May 18, Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi ( photo ) had revealed that 154 Malaysians, including infants, have been involved in IS activities.

"Individuals involved with the militant group IS comprise various age groups, from age one to 60 years old. This is very concerning to the government as it also involves children," he had said.

Of the 154 people, police have arrested 91 of them before they could leave for the conflict zone in the Middle East.

However, 45 Malaysian citizens are already fighting in the conflict zone, 11 have been killed in combat and the remaining seven have returned to Malaysia after the fighting.

Of the seven, police have arrested six while another is on the run.