style="text-transform: uppercase;">Kota Kinabalu: Mystery surrounds the identity of the man from Sabah arrested in Johor over alleged connections to the Islamic State (IS) terror group.There is speculation that the 31-year-old assistant manager of the housekeeping unit of a hotel in Nusajaya, may not be a Sabahan, but a migrant from a neighbouring country, who could have illegally obtained a Malaysian identity card.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman, who chaired the State Security Council meeting Monday, said he had asked the authorities, particularly the police, to check on the background of the suspect.

"We want to know who he is, which part of Sabah he is from, or is he really a Sabahan,' he said.

The 31-year-old Sabahan was believed to be a cell leader of the suspects who had been arrested separately in various locations. The arrests followed the detention of a suspect at an LRT Station in Ampang on Jan 15 for planning a terror attack in several strategic locations across Malaysia.

Musa said Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Abdul Rashid Harun was investigating the background of the suspect who was among seven members of the terror group arrested during an operation in five states in the peninsula.

Many Indonesian and Filipinos have illegally obtained Malaysian identity cards from syndicates and made their way to the peninsula for employment.

On the security situation in the state, Musa said it was "good and under control" but hoped that people would play a more proactive role in informing the authorities about suspicious movements or activities in their respective areas.

"They should be the eyes and ears for the authorities. This is very important to enable immediate steps to be taken to handle any situations that might threaten the security of the state,' he added.

"Security agencies have been directed to take immediate steps to closely monitor any signs or possible threats, and take immediate preventive actions," he said, adding that the Government would not compromise in ensuring that the security of the state remains at a high level.

He also said the state security council had studied the newly passed National Security Council Act and acknowledged that it would provide the platform for security agencies to act effectively in handling threats and managing any situations that affect national security.