Malaysian police will allow the United States to question a detained Malaysian terror suspect over his alleged links to the Sept 11 attacks but ruled out extradition, a report said today.

Police chief Norian Mai was quoted by the Berita Harian newspaper as saying the United States had made an application to interrogate Yazid Sufaat.

"The US application was made through our foreign ministry and the police are aware of it," Norian was quoted as saying.

He said US officials would be allowed to interview Yazid, an ex-army captain, but he would not be extradited to the United States.

No evidence against Yazid has been presented in court as he continues to be held under Malaysia's Internal Security Act, which allows for indefinite detention without trial.

The US reportedly sought permission to interview Yazid in an apparent bid to strengthen its case against the so-called "20th hijacker", Zacarias Moussaoui, who is on trial in the US.

No request for extradition

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.

In March, police chief Norian told reporters that US Federal Bureau of Investigation head Robert S Mueller had indicated his interest in questioning Yazid but that there was no official request for extradition.

The FBI chief, who was in Malaysia as part of a tour of Asia-Pacific countries, praised Malaysian police efforts in providing intelligence in the fight against terrorism.

"Malaysian police have worked cooperatively with us in providing helpful information about terrorists and their potential acts," Mueller said.

Yazid is one of 62 suspected Islamic militants detained by Malaysia over the past year on allegations of plotting the overthrow of the government. — AFP