Malaysian police Thursday said an Indonesian militant fighting for an independent Aceh has been arrested under the country's tough internal security laws.

Deputy police chief Hussin Ismail said Taufiq Marzuki, also known as Sulaiman Tarmizi, 29, a member of the Islamist Kumpulan Mujahiddin Aceh (KMA), was arrested on September 29 after fleeing Indonesia following a police raid earlier this year.

"Taufiq had fled to Malaysia on March 12 when the group's ideological and military training camp in Bireuen, Aceh, was raided by Indonesian police," Hussin said in a statement.

He said Taufiq's arrest under the Internal Security Act (ISA), which allows for indefinite detention without trial, was to help facilitate investigations into whether he posed a threat to Malaysia's national security.

"The investigation was aimed at uncovering and curbing foreign militant networks (stopping them) from making Malaysia their safe haven," he said, noting that cooperation between the intelligence organisations of both countries led to the arrest.

The ISA, which dates back to the British colonial era, when it was used against communist insurgents, has been used against suspected terrorists as well as government opponents.

Rights groups say there are currently 16 individuals being held under the ISA in Malaysia.

Islamist militants, some with links to global networks including Al-Qaeda, have struck mainly Muslim Indonesia repeatedly since 2000, notably the 2002 bombings on the resort island of Bali, which killed 202 people, mostly Western tourists.