Acting premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi arrived in Bangkok today to attend the special Asean leaders meeting o­n the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (Sars) outbreak.

He was accompanied by Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar, Transport Minister Dr Ling Liong Sik and Health Minister Chua Jui Meng.

According to Bernama, the emergency summit o­n how Asean can tackle the killer disease will be held at the Thai Foreign Ministry later this afternoon.

Following this, the leaders will meet Chinese Premier Wen Jiaboa, whose government has come under intense criticism for its late response to the outbreak which is believed to have originated there.

Anti-Sars measures

The leaders are expected to endorse anti-Sars measures that include tighter screening of air passengers agreed to by Asean health ministers and their counterparts from China, Japan and South Korea in Kuala Lumpur last week.

Hong Kong's Chief Executive Tung Chee Hwa will also be present at the meeting. Hong Kong is the second worst hit country and its leadership has also been taken to task for its alleged slow measures.

Abdullah is also scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo later today. He will fly back to Kuala Lumpur tonight.

The disease, caused by a mutated strain of the coronavirus, has killed more than 321 people worldwide.

The World Health Organisation has warned that if authorities fail to contain its spread, it will lead to a global pandemic.