The Higher Education Ministry is to hold a meeting this month with the Home Ministry and tertiary institutions to come up with a system of rules to check militancy among students, especially foreigners.

Minister Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh said the rules would enable the ministry to undertake effective monitoring of the students' activities.

Militant activities have grown more serious and should be checked immediately before they influence tertiary students, he told reporters at the Aidilfitri reception for the Besut parliamentary constituency attended by about 8,000 people at the Besut District Council Hall here.

Idris said monitoring of students was ongoing but it was hoped that the new system of rules would make it more effective.

Idris, who is the MP for Besut, was asked to comment on the statement by Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar last Monday confirming that two foreigners studying at Monash University in Sunway were in the Dhaka restaurant in Bangladesh that came under attack last Saturday.

Khalid had said it had yet to be determined if the students were among the attackers or hostages.