The government has yet to be asked by the United States to extradite alleged al-Qaeda terrorist network operative Yazid Sufaat to the country, said Minister in Prime Ministers Department Dr Rais Yatim.

We have not received any formal request yet, he told the press after officiating a function at the Prime Ministers office in Putrajaya this morning.

He also said he was not aware of any informal negotiation between the two governments concerned to extradite Yazid to the US as reported in New York Times last week.

The 37-year-old Yazid was one of the 23 alleged members of the so-called Malaysian Mujahidin Group (KMM) detained by police under the Internal Security Act last month. He has been placed under a two-year detention in Kamunting since last Thursday.

Rais said today if there is such a request from the US, the foreign affairs ministry will be in a better position to decide on it, adding that it is important to study the request based on facts.

We are not in any way harbouring a terrorist. But before we regard a guy as a terrorist, we must be satisfied that [he meets the definitions] of a terrorist at least before we allow him to be taken away, he said.

Asked if there is a provision to extradite a criminal to a different country, Rais said, We have... But we have to study the case at hand before acquiescing to the demand by them.

I dont think it will be a problem if the case is meted out in a manner that is objective and for the good of the international community, he added.

He said Malaysia has not extradited any suspect to the US since the Sept 11 attacks last year although extraditions based on other reasons have been done on numerous occasions previously.

However, at another function this afternoon, Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said Yazid will not be handed over to the US to faces charges there.

Abdullah who is also Home Affairs minister said this was because Yazid had attempted to overthrow the government here via militant force.

To us his actions are a serious offence and we must take actions against him according to the laws in our country, Adullah was quoted as saying by New Straits Times after chairing a Barisan Nasional meeting in Kuala Lumpur.

Suing Newsweek

Meanwhile, Rais said Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail is studying the controversial article in Newsweek magazine to decide whether the matter will be pursued through civil action or the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984.

Last week, the minister had said the government may take Newsweek to court over its Feb 4 report which among others, labelled Malaysia as the primary launchpad for Sept 11 attacks.

The article also reported that Yazid had hosted two terrorist suspects in Kuala Lumpur in late 2000; purchased four tons of explosives; and appointed Zacarias Moussaoui, charged recently in the US for conspiring with al-Qaeda, as his companys marketing representative.

Rais said though many quarters claimed that suing Newsweek is not an easy task, Malaysia is determined to act to uphold the sovereignty of the country.

We will [defend] Malaysias rights as a country. People cannot simply make allegations without proof, he said.