The United States today expressed regret for any "inappropriate treatment" of Malaysian leaders after it was revealed that the deputy prime minister had to remove his shoes for a security check on arrival in Los Angeles.

"The US embassy sincerely regrets any inconveniences or inappropriate treatment that senior Malaysian government officials may have experienced during their visits to the US," the Kuala Lumpur embassy said in a statement.

The use of the plural "officials" is understood to include a complaint by Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad about the "rough" attitude of a security agent who boarded his aircraft on arrival in New York.

"When I arrived in New York on the way to Washington, an officer who boarded the jet said in a rough manner that nobody should move until we were all checked," Mahathir told reporters Tuesday.

"There was no need to be so rough," the 76-year-old veteran leader said, without giving details of whether the incident occurred during his official visit for talks with President George W Bush in May, or whether he was on commercial flight or a Malaysian government aircraft.