The government today pledged to extend support to capture fugitives from justice in Thailand suspected of having evaded arrest by slipping across the border.

"We have always been in full cooperation with the Thai side and we will continue with the exchange of information and other assistance," a spokesman for Deputy Prime Minister Abduallah Ahmad Badawi told AFP .

"If they need our help, we give our assistance, and like wise for us," the spokesman said Friday.

Abdullah was quoted by local papers as saying Malaysian police would cooperate with their Thai counterparts in investigations leading to the arrest of at least 10 people wanted for carrying out a series of deadly attacks in southern Thailand since March.

"Let them (Thai authorities) get in touch with our police. We have very good cooperation with the Thai police," Abdullah was quoted as saying by the Star daily.

"If they need our help, they can always get in touch with our police with details of those who need to be arrested."

Abdullah stressed Malaysians could not hold two citizenships, adding the fugitives' citizenship would be revoked upon arrest.

Cutting down violence

During a three-day official visit to Thailand which ended Sunday, Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and his Thai counterpart Thaksin Shinawatra agreed that dual citizenship should be scrapped as a means of cutting down on violence in southern Thailand.

Thailand's five southernmost predominantly Muslim provinces have been rocked by a spate of shooting attacks that have left 12 policemen dead.

Thaksin has blamed the ability of the suspects, who apparently hold dual citizenship, to slip easily into Malaysia as a reason for no arrests being made over the shootings. AFP