Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad arrived in Kuala Lumpur today on a visit to seek Malaysia's support for his country's controversial nuclear programme, analysts and diplomats said.

The three-day trip, during which he will brief Malaysia's leaders on Iran's nuclear capabilities, comes amid feverish efforts to avoid having the issue referred to the United Nations Security Council.

Ahmedinejad will be accompanied by Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki who is on a global tour to explain Tehran's position and drum up support ahead of a March 6 meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

The 35 member states on the UN nuclear watchdog's board of governors will discuss a recent report which found question marks over Iran's program, and could refer Iran to the Security Council for potential economic sanctions.

Malaysian officials insist the visit was scheduled well before the nuclear issue flared, but observers say it will undoubtedly dominate the president's time in Malaysia.

To get Malaysian support

Malaysia is the current leader of both the 57-member Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC), the world's biggest grouping of Muslim nations, and the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), a bloc of more than 100 mainly developing nations.

"He is coming to Malaysia to get Malaysia's support. Malaysia is an important country as it is the chairman of OIC and NAM," said Abdul Razak Baginda, director of the Malaysian Strategic Research Centre.

"He is hoping Malaysia will understand its nuclear program."

Key NAM states such as Malaysia and South Africa have been reluctant to take a hard line against Iran, agreeing with its assertion that it has a right to nuclear power for peaceful purposes.

The West, however, argues that Iran's nuclear programme risks being diverted to military purposes.

Malaysia has voiced support for Iran's nuclear programme to meet its energy needs and Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar said last year that the world should not put Iran "to the wall" over the issue.

A Western diplomat based in Kuala Lumpur said Malaysia would toe a fine line between pushing for the interests of developing countries, while not taking on the role of mediator between Iran and its critics.

"NAM and Malaysia find themselves stuck in a difficult position. They might be suspicious of Iran's motives and its nuclear program, but they are tied to defending its right to a civil nuclear program," he said.

"Malaysia's also quite keen to be seen as a bridge, but not as a mediator because that carries too many risks."

Ahmadinejad will use the trip to Malaysia -- a majority Muslim nation but not an Islamic state -- to show himself as willing to engage over the nuclear issue, he said.

"The president is trying to gain legitimacy by being seen in a country which holds international leadership status, which is developed and moderate and has relations with the West."

Caused a furore

Ahmadinejad is scheduled to arrive Wednesday evening and on Thursday will be accorded a red carpet welcome at Parliament Square.

He will hold talks with Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, have an audience with King Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin and deliver a lecture on "International Issues and Role of the Muslim World".

The visit is Ahmadinejad's first to Malaysia since he took office in August 2005 after scoring a shock election win in the face of more moderate forces.

Since coming to power he has caused a furore by branding the Jewish state a "tumour" that should be "wiped off the map" or moved as far away as Alaska, and dismissing the Holocaust as a myth.

Such fiery rhetoric will have little popular appeal in Malaysia, which is home to large ethnic Chinese and Indian communities, and where the government promotes a moderate form of Islam focused on economic and scientific development.