JAKARTA - Terror suspect in detention in Malaysia and Singapore are to give evidence in the trial of Indonesian terror suspect Abu Bakar Bashir through a televised link, police said.

Police in Malaysia and Singapore, where the witnesses are being held on charges of engaging in terrorist activities, have agreed to such a method, national police spokesman Zainuri Lubis said.

"The Malaysian police force has promised to allow the witnesses to testify using the teleconference method," Zainuri told AFP .

Bashir, 64, was arrested on Oct 20 on suspicion of engaging in a series of church bombings on Christmas Eve 2000 and in a plot to assassinate Megawati Sukarnoputri before she became president.

A date for his trial has not been determined and police are preparing files to be submitted to prosecutors.

No number on witnesses

Malaysia and Singapore say Bashir is spiritual leader of the regional militant network Jemaah Islamiah (JI), widely suspected of being behind the October 12 Bali bombings that killed more than 190 people.

Bashir has denied links to terrorism.

Malaysia has detained more than 70 suspected Islamic militants in the past 18 months, many of whom are said to be members of JI.

Singapore has also rounded up 31 alleged JI members.

The police spokesman did not say how many of the witnesses in Malaysia and Singapore will give evidence in Bashir's trial. AFP