Banks told to freeze assets of Malaysian suspects in UN terror list

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Deputy Home Minister Datuk Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafarr said the government will soon reveal the names of 23 illegal organisations believed to be involved in criminal activities, on top of the 49 groups it named last year, The Star reported.

Picture by Mohd Yusof Mat IsaKUALA LUMPUR, Sept 24 — Terror suspects will have their assets frozen by local financial institutions, which are now required under a new initiative to cross-check their clients’ names against the United Nations Security Council’s (UNSC) terror database, the Home Ministry said.                                 

        The Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorism Financing (Security Council Resolution) (Al-Qaeda and Taliban), which came into effect on September 10, will target individuals and groups believed to be involved in terrorism, particularly in terror networks like the al-Qaeda and Taliban, The Star daily reported today.       

“Banks and investment institutions are required to check and compare the names of individuals and groups in their databases with the list issued by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC),” the English-language daily quoted the ministry as saying in a statement.       

“If there is a match with the UNSC database, then the reporting institutions are required to freeze their assets and report the matter to the respective authorities.       

“The reporting institutions are also required to report any suspicious transactions to Bank Negara Malaysia’s Financial Intelligence Unit,” the ministry added.       

Failure to adhere to the order will result in a fine of up to RM100 million, or imprisonment for a year or both, the ministry reportedly said.                                                                                 


        The UNSC’s database can be accessed via this link and this link.        In Penang yesterday, Deputy Home Minister Datuk Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafarr said the government will soon reveal the names of 23 illegal organisations believed to be involved in criminal activities, on top of the 49 groups it named last year, The Star reported.       

“We will not simply label any organisation illegal. If the police provide me with names, I will ask for evidence of their illegal activities,” he was quoted saying.        Last month, Malaysian police intelligence warned that citizens who joined the Islamic State (IS) militant movement to launch strikes in Iraq and Syria, are now targeting their sights on their home government and several other buildings in the country.       

The police said 19 suspected local militants have been arrested between April and June this year while they were on their way to Turkey and Syria for training and support from IS under the guise of “humanitarian work”.       

The group was planning to establish a hardline Southeast Asian Islamic caliphate which would include Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines and Singapore. - See more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.co ... thash.Zvqtpfqu.dpuf