Malaysia will deploy 8,000 police, seal key routes and provide bullet proof cars for visiting leaders during the 114-nation Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit, Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar said today.

The unprecedented security arrangements for the Feb 24-25 summit here were planned in the light of terror attacks worldwide, Syed Hamid told reporters.

"This time, the security is going to be very, very tight. We want to make sure when leaders come here they feel safe."

Syed Hamid said there had been lots of speculation about the security situation in Malaysia, hence "we are not leaving anything to chance.

"Security is given the top consideration."

Malaysia has detained more than 70 alleged Islamic militants since the middle of last year, many of them linked to the Jemaah Islamiah group blamed for the Oct 12 Bali bomb massacre that killed more than 190 people in neighbouring Indonesia.

Regional leaders to attend

A security official told AFP that the number of security personnel for the NAM meeting was the largest ever deployed by Malaysian police for any international event.

Syed Hamid said Malaysia expects up to 50 heads of states to attend the summit, adding that all 10 Southeast Asian heads would be present.

He said the summit would focus on terrorism, the situation in the Middle East and Iraq as well as global trade and economic issues.

Iraq is a member of NAM, along with several Middle Eastern countries, the Palestine Liberation Organisation of Yasser Arafat and developing countries throughout the world.

The movement, which was formed as an alternative to the Western and Soviet blocs during the Cold War, held its first summit in 1961.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union NAM was seen as becoming increasing irrelevant, but Syed Hamid has indicated that he believes the war on terrorism could revive the movement's fortunes. AFP