Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said today he knew nothing about a reported request by the United States to interrogate a detained Malaysian terror suspect over his alleged links to the Sept 11 attacks.

The Asian Wall Street Journal reported that the US was seeking permission to interview Yazid Sufaat in an apparent bid to strengthen its case against the so-called "20th hijacker", Zacarias Moussaoui, who is on trial in the US.

Yazid, who has been in detention here since last December, is alleged to have hosted Moussaoui during a visit to Malaysia a year before the attacks and to have provided him with a letter purportedly appointing him as US marketing agent for a Malaysian computer software company.

His apartment was also allegedly used in early 2000 by two men, Khalid al-Midhar and Nawaf al-Hazmi, who were aboard the hijacked plane which crashed into the Pentagon.

No evidence against Yazid has been presented in court as he is being held under the Internal Security Act which allows for indefinite detention without trial.

Asked about the reported request from the US government to interrogate Yazid, Mahathir said: "I know nothing about that. Whatever they do must be in accordance with the laws of our country."

Pressed on whether the US would be granted permission if indeed they asked for it, Mahathir said: "We have to have to go through the usual process of extradition."