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Malaysian police will start holding talks in schools this year to warn students about the dangers of the Islamic State (ISIS), according to the Malaysian press.
Malaysian deputy education minister Chong Sin Woon told local journalists that the police and other security agencies will hold briefings for school children this year to "create awareness among students on the dangers of Islamic State terrorists."
This appears to be the first such collaboration between the education ministry and the police, and Chong did not elaborate on the format that the briefings will take.
The effort comes amid increasing sympathy for ISIS in the majority Muslim nation. While Malaysia has built itself a reputation as a moderate Muslim state, there have been a number of ISIS-related arrests in the country in recent years.
According to government data given to Foreign Policy, some 112 people have been arrested since 2013 for being involved with ISIS in some way. Some join as fighters, and some are women who are offering themselves as "comfort women" for militants.
The Pew Research Center found in a November 2015 poll that about 67% of Muslims in Malaysia were opposed to ISIS — 21% were undecided.
Outside of ISIS, there are allegiances to other militant groups. Last week on New Year's Eve, Malaysia's high court charged its first person for joining an al-Qaeda group.
In September, Malaysia joined the U.S.-led Global Coalition to Counter ISIL.
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