KUALA LUMPUR - Thousands of police, some armed with M-16 rifles, have been deployed in the Malaysian capital as part of a massive security plan ahead of the upcoming Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit, top

police officials said.

Kuala Lumpur police chief Dell Akhbar Khan told AFP late Saturday that the deployment of some 8,500 armed security personnel, including anti-terror units, was the largest ever mobilisation by the police for an international meeting.

"It is normal that we consider the international environment and not just internal factors when we plan for the security," he said when asked whether police took into consideration the threat of regional terror group Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) and the al-Qaeda terrorist network.

"I think in the past, even with the JI threat, we have been very cautious. We must ensure the safety of our guests."

JI is suspected of being responsible for the deadly Bali bombing which killed more than 190 people last October.