Unrest in RI, RP not to spread: KL

Unrest in RI, RP not to spread: KL

KUALA LUMPUR (AP): Malaysia's defense minister said on Thursday he was not worried that political instability in neighboring Indonesia and the Philippines could spill over into Malaysia.

Minister Najib Tun Razak said that unrest in Malaysia's two Southeast Asian neighbors were internal problems, and there was no indication that the trouble would cross borders.

He said Malaysian security forces, especially those stationed along the country's borders and in its territorial waters, were always on the alert.

In neighboring Indonesia, President Abdurrahman Wahid's ongoing battle for political survival has raised the specter of fresh civil unrest and bogged down the crisis-ridden economy.

In the Philippines, supporters of ousted leader Joseph Estrada tried to attack the presidential palace Tuesday, sparking clashes with security forces which killed at least six and wounded more than 100 people.