17 February 2004	Tuesday	25 Zilhaj 1424

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 16: Malaysia will write to the US embassy here to protest allegations by US President George Bush that it was involved in black market nuclear proliferation.

Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar was quoted by the Sunday Star as saying that Malaysia was being unfairly targeted because it was a Muslim country. "Malaysia is not even in that league of countries which have nuclear proliferation capabilities. It is totally uncalled for," he said.

Syed Hamid said Mr Bush had ignored Malaysia's cooperation with the United States on issues such as the international "fight against terrorism" and the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons.

"We are very disappointed," he said. "What he (Bush) said was very misleading. We will write to the embassy soon to communicate our displeasure and our unhappiness."

In a speech at the National Defense University in Washington on Wednesday, Mr Bush repeated charges that centrifuge parts for Libya's nuclear weapons uranium-enrichment programme were manufactured in Malaysia.

He was seeking global support for tighter curbs on nuclear know-how, taking aim at North Korea, Iran and Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan. The company involved, Scomi Precision Engineering (SCOPE), has admitted making parts found on a ship heading for Libya, but said it did not know their final destination and believed they were for the oil and gas industries.

The company is controlled by Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's son, Kamaluddin. Mr Abdullah has ordered a police investigation into the case and police said later initial investigations had revealed that the company did not commit any criminal offence. -AFP