“We have strengthened our legislation and intensified the operations of law enforcement bodies, intelligence agencies and security forces,” he said.

He said the nation had also expanded international cooperation and must now enhance these with effective deradicalisation and rehabilitation programmes.

Dr Ahmad Zahid was giving a speech during the opening of the International Conference on Deradicalisation and Countering Violent Extremism yesterday.

He described rehabilitating terrorists and extremists as a dynamic process, which meant that the methods and approaches used must be constantly reviewed and improved.

In a statement later, he said Malaysia was engaged in a comprehensive rehabilitation programme targeting militancy.

He said people detained under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (Pota) would be subjected to regular sessions with religious clerics, as well as rehabilitated terrorists who have a better chance of persuading them to abandon their misconceived beliefs.

Clerics had better influence and were more authoritative on jihad (struggle) and its meaning, from a religious perspective, he said.

“Ex-terrorists would be able to point out with more credibility any factual misrepresentations and misconceptions linked to radicalism, having previously been extremists themselves,” he said.

According to him, the module covers a range of aspects that serve as a guideline for rehabilitation officers, including chapters on developing social skills, self-management, patriotism, better financial management and psychology.

Copies of the Pota Detainees Integrated Rehabilitation Module 2015 were handed out to delegates and officials at the two-day conference.

Dr Ahmad Zahid also said the module calls for engagement sessions involving family members deemed closest to the affected person.

They could be very effective, psychologically and spiritually, in persuading terrorists to leave their misguided struggle and rejoin society, he said.

He said the Government was constantly engaging with non-governmental organisations to increase public awareness on the negative consequences of violent extremism.

The Government was also aware of the risk of radicalisation during detention, he said.

To that end, an independent board of experts would assess and evaluate each detainee to determine length of detention, suitability for release and the need for monitoring after release, he said.

Dr Ahmad Zahid said reintegration into society was also crucial in the rehabilitation process because the person might still be ideologically and psychologically vulnerable.

To cater to this, the programme would teach them skills so that they could earn an honest living, as well as help them adapt, he added.