PETALING JAYA: Malaysia and China will work closely to prevent Islamic State (IS) militants from establishing a stronghold in the region, said Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein. The Defence Minister said if IS succeeds in building a base in South-East Asia, it will not only threaten the security and stability in the Asean region, but it will also pose a threat to neighbouring countries, such as China. "The incident in Marawi, South Philippines proves that IS militants are indeed aiming to create a regional government in South-East Asia," he said. Hishamuddin said that regional security issues, IS militant movements, and military cooperation between the two countries will take centre stage during his three-day official visit to China which begins on Saturday. "This demonstrates the close collaboration between both countries which will continue to be strengthened in areas of security, investment, trade, education and tourism," he added.

Source: The Star September 23, 2017 11:03 UTC