Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar on Tuesday urged Jakarta to ensure the security of its citizens in neighbouring Indonesia following an anti-Malaysian protest.

"We hope the Indonesian government can take measures to prevent the situation ... don't let the people worsen the situation," he was quoted as saying by the official Bernama news agency.

"We should not be guided by emotions in dealing with international relations."

Syed Hamid said Monday's burning of the Malaysian flag by Indonesian demonstrators was not the way to conduct international relations, and warned that such actions would harm longstanding bilateral ties.

Malaysians have been advised to avoid travelling to Indonesia because of anger there over Malaysia's treatment of illegal immigrants.