The government today protested that new visa restrictions imposed on its citizens by Canada suggest that Ottawa views the mainly Muslim Southeast Asian country as a terrorist centre.

Defence Minister Najib Tun Razak said it was inappropriate for Canada to impose the visa rule since Malaysia had taken measures to fight terror and had arrested dozens of suspected Islamic militants.

"It is unfair that we are targeted as a terrorists hub. It is an unfair perception of Malaysia which has already taken tough steps to combat acts of terrorism," he was quoted as saying by the official Bernama news agency.

'Vulnerable to abuse'

Malaysians had been exempt from the visa requirement because both countries belong to the Commonwealth.

The Canadian government said Monday that Malaysians seeking to enter the country would now require a "temporary resident visa" because the Malaysian passport system was "vulnerable to abuse".

Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar has urged Canada to review the ruling, saying that it appeared to be targeted at Islamic countries and warning that it could hurt Ottawa's ties with its top trading partner in Southeast Asia.