Malaysia ordered a freeze on all funds of suspected terrorists in the country’s financial institutions, officials said Wednesday. The Home Ministry ordered banks in the predominantly Islamic South-East Asian country to cross-check their databases with the UN lists of names and groups involved in terrorist activities.
“If there is a match to the name of an individual or group, the reporting institution shall immediately freeze the assets owned by individual or group and to report to the regulatory authority,” the Ministry said.
It said any financial institution found violating the order can face a fine of up to 1 million ringgit (308,000 dollars).
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Nearly 100 Malaysians have joined with various jihadi groups, including the Islamic State militants, fighting in Iraq and Syria, according to a police source.
Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said over the weekend that police were searching for man who received 34,000 dollars worth of funds from an Australia-based money transfer firm suspected to have links with terrorist groups.