Malaysia’s Prime Minister Najib Razak arrives for a news conference at a mosque outside Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in this July 5, 2015 file photo. REUTERS/Olivia Harris/Files

Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi today revealed in Parliament that there have been several plots by the ISIS militant group to abduct top political figures in the country, including Prime Minister Najib Razak, Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein, and Zahid himself.

However, Malaysian police foiled the ISIS plot to kidnap Razak and other senior ministers last year, the country’s deputy premier said on Tuesday.

“There were four attack plots in Malaysia that had been identified and foiled,”

In response to a question about the government’s efforts to tackle the threat posed by ISIS, Zahid said: “On Jan 30, 2015, there were plans by the ISIS to kidnap national leaders, including the Prime Minister, Home Minister and the Defense Minister.”

Zahid said between Sept 2014 and May 2015, ISIS militants had planned four major attacks across the country, including in the capital Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, and the state of Kedah.

“There was also a plan to carry out an attack in Putrajaya. To this end, the group had prepared and tested explosives,” Zahid said.

“Although there is no proper Daesh (ISIS) establishment in the country, those here (in Malaysia) were being influenced and have been receiving orders from the IS network in Syria,” he added.

Muslim-majority Malaysia has not witnessed any significant attacks, but it has arrested at least 160 people since January 2015 suspected of being involved in militant activities, including seven believed to have been involved in an ISIS cell.

The country has been on high alert since ISIS-linked militants carried out an armed attack in Jakarta, Indonesia on Jan 14.

The plans of the thwarted attacks of last year had included stealing weapons from military camps, the making of bombs and explosives, stealing cash for funding attacks and kidnapping state leaders for ransom, Zahid said.

The targets for attacks included entertainment centers and religious buildings including a Shiite mosque, a Buddhist temple and a Freemasons’ lodge.

Australia still fears that terrorists may be planning attacks in Kuala Lumpur, thus it warned citizens against travelling to Malaysia.

DFAT has not raised the overall threat level for the country, but has maintained its recommendation that people reconsider travelling to the coastal region of eastern Sabah and nearby islands, because of the risk of kidnap from extremists based in the Philippines.