950806

Malaysia awaits

UN nod for

more troops

to Bosnia

KUALA LUMPUR: The government here has made a fresh appeal for United Nations permission to send more Malaysian troops to Bosnia as UN peacekeepers and upgrade the firepower of its soldiers, reports said on Sunday.

"We are now waiting for the UN's approval to send the 450 men to Bosnia," defence minister Syed Hamid Albar was quoted saying.

Malaysia currently has some 1,500 Malaysian Batallion troops serving under the UN banner in Bosnia-Herzegovina. A previous request to increase their number and firepower was rejected by the UN.

Syed Hamid said more weapons were also needed for Malaysian troops.

"That is what we are planning, to make sure that our men have the ability to keep and enforce peace," he said.

Malaysia has threatened to defy the arms embargo on Bosnia - which Muslim nations have declared invalid - but said it will only act in unison with the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC).

Syed Hamid said the govenment was also seeking the support of France, Germany and the United States to end the 40-month-old Balkans conflict.-AFP