Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak has called on all quarters to stop spreading false and unverified news that may disturb peace in the country.

"Among the easiest way (to preserve peace) is to stop spreading false or unverified news, which can cause unease and fear among the people.

"All of us has a role to play, and if everyone plays that role with pure and sincere intentions to ensure our beloved country remain peaceful and safe from terrorist threats, then God willing, by His blessing, Malysia will continue to be protected and safe," he said in a blog post today.

He reminded all that just passing the buck to the security forces to preserve safety and peace within the country, will not do.

"The duties and responsibilities of preserving safety does not lie on the shoulders of the police, military and security personnel alone," he explained.

The country's security forces are already making great efforts and sacrifices to maintain the country's security, he said.

The police, the Royal Malaysian Armed Forces and many other security agencies in Malaysia, he said, have already taken various proactive measures to prevent untoward incidents.

"A lot of the work they do is behind the scenes and not common knowledge, but certainly it is to ensure we are all safe and protected from the threat of terrorism.

"We also pray that Allah will protect our security forces while they are performing their duties," he added.

Heightened Anxiety

Public anxiety and fear has been heightened in the region since last Thursday's terror attack in Jakarta.

This is especially so, after Federal Territories Minister Tengku Adnan Mansor named several potential terror hotspots in the city.

However, police denied ever releasing a list of locations which could be targets of terrorist attacks, asking all quarters to stop such speculations.

Over the weekend, the bomb squad was called out twice, once to Pavilion mall in Bukit Bintang – one of the areas named by Tengku Adnan - over bags of clothes left by South Korean tourists under a bench.

The bomb scare occurred on Tuesday at Jalan Kuching, Kuala Lumpur, though what was feared to be an explosive device turned out to be a "bag of rubbish" .

On the same day, Singaporean police were called in over a bag belonging to a Malaysian, who used it to hold his spot in a queue.