The Royal Malaysia Police said on Monday they had arrested four people, among them three foreigners, with links Daish-cell based out of the southern Philippines.

The cell, operating out of the province of Mindanao, was led by a former university lecturer, Mahmud Ahmad, who is known to be a Malaysian member of Daish, Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar said in a statement.

The cell had planned to use the east Malaysian state of Sabah as a transit point for South Asian and Southeast Asian militant recruits looking to join Daish in the Philippines, Khalid said.

He said one of the arrested suspects, a Philippine man, had been instructed to recruit new followers from Bangladesh, Malaysia and Indonesia, as well as Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar, and arrange for their travel to Mindanao.

"They were arrested for allegedly committed offences under 6A Terrorism-Related Offence of the Penal Code (Act 574) and will be investigated under the Security Offences (Special Measures) 2012 (Act 747)," said the statement.

The suspect, a watch-seller, was arrested in Sabah along with a Malaysian woman who was planning to marry and travel with him to the Philippines, said Khalid.

Police also arrested two Bangladeshi men in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, who had allegedly been recruited by the Philippine suspect.

"The two are suspected of having links with Daish groups in Bangladesh," Khalid said.

Khalid said Mahmud's cell had joined up with the Philippine militant group, Abu Sayyaf, and pledged its allegiance to the group's leader and the country's most-wanted man, Isnilon Hapilon.

Malaysia has arrested more than 250 people between 2013 and 2016 over militant activities linked to Daish.

Muslim-majority Malaysia has been on high alert since an attack last January by Daish-linked militants in Jakarta, the capital of neighbouring Indonesia.