Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi today congratulated US President George W Bush on his re-election but called for a deeper commitment to resolve the Iraq and Middle East crisis.

"I congratulate President Bush who has been re-elected for a second term," said Abdullah, who chairs the 57-member Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) and the 117-nation Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) of developing states.

"If there are new policies to be taken regarding Israel and Palestine for example, I hope the views of world leaders, world bodies and organisations like OIC and NAM will be taken into account by President Bush."

Abdullah, who met Bush on his first visit to Washington in July after succeeding Dr Mahathir Mohamad last year, urged Bush to keep his promise to support the peace process in the Middle East.

"He must give his whole attention to it in order to resolve the Palestinian problem quickly because according to the road map, Palestine must be a sovereign and independent country by 2005 and that's not too far away," he told a press conference.

Plans for Iraq

Abdullah also expressed the hope that plans for Iraq to hold its first elections since the fall of Saddam Hussein would go ahead in January.

Malaysia has been strongly critical of the US-led invasion of Iraq and is a fervent supporter of the Palestinians in their conflict with Israel.

Asked what Bush's victory meant for the US-led anti-terror war, Abdullah said: "He has always pledged he will continue his war on terrorism. I believe that is what he will do. I do not know if he is going to change his mind or have other plans. We have to wait and see."

Malaysia is holding more than 80 alleged Islamic militants. Many are allegedly members of the al-Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiah regional organisation responsible for a series of bombings in neighbouring Indonesia.