Malaysia offers to help Thai Muslims in restive south

Malaysia has offered to work with Thailand's new government to aid Muslims in the restive south, which has been wracked by an insurgency for more than four years, state media reported Sunday.

Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said he looked forward to meeting his new Thai counterpart Samak Sundaravej to discuss how to help locals and restore peace to the area, which he said would benefit both countries.

"We have expressed our willingness to cooperate with Thailand to help the Muslims in the south," along the border with Malaysia, Abdullah was quoted as saying by Bernama news agency.

"I want to discuss this with the new Thai prime minister. I think it is a good thing that we give attention to the situation in southern Thailand."

More than 2,900 people have been killed since the unrest broke out in January 2004 in the south, which was an autonomous Malay Muslim sultanate until mainly Buddhist Thailand annexed it in 1902, provoking decades of tension.

Samak, an ally of ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra, officially became Thailand's new prime minister on January 29, after the nation's king endorsed his election by parliament.

Malaysia's defence ministry said Sunday it had stepped up security along its border with Thailand, with a 3,600-strong regiment upgraded to full-time status to patrol the more than 500-kilometre (300-mile) frontier.

Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Najib Razak said Malaysia's rapidly growing economy was becoming increasingly attractive to illegal immigrants and smugglers.

Agence France-Presse - 2/10/2008 11:56 AM