Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak on Tuesday said he was confident a lasting peace settlement would soon be found to end the decades-old Muslim conflict in the southern Philippines.

Najib arrived in the southern city of Cotabato city under tight security, accompanied by Malaysian diplomats and top Filipino security officials.

He met members of a Malaysian-led mission dispatched by his government to help prevent truce violations between the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the military in the main southern island of Mindanao.

The MILF has been waging a separatist rebellion since 1978, but has agreed to open formal peace talks with Manila to be hosted by Malaysia. The next round of talks are likely to resume this month.

"This is what we hope - that the final agreement can proceed forthwith, and God willing, we can achieve that dream," Najib said told peace brokers from both sides.

"We are confident that this is the beginning of the new dawn in the southern Philippines," he told an audience that included Philippine Vice-President Noli de Castro and MILF vice-chairman Ghadzali Jaafar.

"Malaysia is committed to support both of you because Malaysia believes the fruit of this process will be your own people," he told the officials from both sides.

He was referring to the Malaysian-fostered peace process between the government and the MILF which started in earnest two years ago when both sides signed a ceasefire.

Resuming talks

The Philippine government and the MILF are tentatively scheduled to resume formal peace talks in Kuala Lumpur after the just-concluded Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Najib, who is also defense minister of Malaysia, would not specify when the peace talks would resume.

Government chief negotiator Teresita Deles said "we are waiting for the preparation of schedule for the resumption of the formal peace talks."

Najib also met separately with the Philippine and MILF officials as well as with members of the 50-member Malaysian team monitoring the ceasefire between the two sides.

"We all know and realize the futility of the conflict," he said, urging the Muslim rebels to take a more active role and telling them "you cannot clap with one hand alone."

About a thousand MILF supporters lined part of the road, waving flags to greet the Malaysian deputy leader.

The nearly 12,000-strong MILF has been fighting for decades to set up an Islamic state in the southern third of this largely Christian nation.

Despite the signing of the ceasefire, sporadic clashes and military allegations that rebel commanders are sheltering members of the Jemaah Islamiyah terror network have strained the peace process.