The government today criticised Australian Prime Minister John Howard's threat to launch strikes in neighbouring countries to prevent terrorist attacks, saying it threatened regional security.

"We think the statement is uncalled for. It does not assist in creating peace and stability in the world," Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar told reporters.

Describing Howard's remark as a "dangerous tendency on Australia's part," he said it could frustrate international cooperation against terror.

"It will break the spirit of cooperation among countries," he said.

"Australia is thinking as a big power and is talking the language of a big power."

Syed Hamid urged Howard to withdraw his statement and to respect international norms.

Effectless statement

Earlier Defence Minister Najib Razak said in remarks published Monday that Malaysia would not allow foreign intervention in its fight against terrorism.

"We are not going to give any approval to any country to launch any form of counter-terrorism activities in Malaysia. That's very clear," Najib told the official Bernama news agency.

"So if Australia makes any statement, it is of no effect," he said.

Najib also voiced strong disapproval of Howard's proposal to amend the United Nations charter to allow countries to conduct pre-emptive strikes against terrorists in other states.

"There is no way we will agree to that because it will infringe on our sovereignty," he said.

Malaysia has detained more than 70 alleged Islamic militants since mid-2001, many of them members of the Jemaah Islamiah group suspected of involvement in last month's Bali bomb attack in which almost half of the more than 190 victims were Australian.

Howard's comments in a televised interview on Sunday also drew immediate condemnation from other Southeast Asian nations. AFP