MALAYSIA NOT BREEDING GROUND FOR TERRORISTS, SAYS DPM

From R. Ravichandran

PERTH, Aug 10 (Bernama) -- Malaysia should neither be branded nor perceived as a breeding ground for terrorists, just because of the involvement of one or two people in terrorism, Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said Sunday.

Commenting on Jemaah Islamiah (JI) splinter group leader Noordin Mat Top,
who is believed to have been shot dead in Temanggung, Central Java Friday,
he said Malaysia was a democratic and peacefull country for a long time.

"(Everywhere) there are good and bad people. Just because one or two... it
is not fair to brand us as a breeding ground for terrorists.

"Terrorism is also happening in the United States and Europe. Is that (does
that mean these places are) a breeding ground (for terrorists)?," he asked
reporters at the end of his five-day working visit to Perth, Australia.

He said records would show that Malaysia was never a breeding ground for
terrorists.

"We have been very effective in taking preventive measures," added the
deputy prime minister.

Muhyiddin said Kuala Lumpur had always worked closely with Jakarta in
tackling the terrorism menance.

On concerns by Canberra that Malaysia was being used as a transit point to
smuggle people from other countries into Australia, Muhyiddin said the problem
was being addressed.

"We are (also) concerned. We don't want to be labelled as a transit point.
We will take stern measures to manage the situation," he said.
-- BERNAMA