Malaysia will not adopt the stringent measures similar to those in Singapore to contain the Severe Acute Respiratory System (Sars) outbreak, said Acting Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi today.

"They are in a worse situation... We are not in that kind of situation," he said when asked to comment o­n whether Malaysia would follow the republic's footsteps in tackling the disease.

The government has introduced sufficient measures to deal with the present situation and will review them from time to time, he told reporters at a function in Kuala Lumpur.

Singapore currently has the harshest measures to counter the Sars spread in the region, which include monitoring those quarantined at home with a camera, jailing or fining those who break quarantine, and amending laws so that offenders can be punished without being tried.

The island state also closed schools, introduced outreach programmes to the community and business sector, and installed thermal imaging scanners at the Changi International Airport to detect feverish travellers.

Special session

Meanwhile, Abdullah said Asean countries will have a special session with China o­n Sars when the regional leaders meet at a summit to discuss the crisis in Bangkok o­n April 29.

"It will be an opportunity to exchange information with them o­n the exact situation in China and find out more about their Sars cases at the moment," he said.

When asked, he dismissed the notion of Asean countries sending a letter of protest to China regarding its handling of the outbreak.

"No, we are not considering any protest. We look forward to the meeting with them, that will give us some kind of understanding o­n how to deal with Sars," he said.

On Monday, Singaporean Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong in an interview told Straits Times that "all of us would be much happier now" if China had started taking the problem more seriously months ago.

He called the Chinese cover-up that was motivated by concerns over tourism and livelihood, a "wrong tactic".

Singapore yesterday reported a total of 189 Sars cases, 15 of which resulted in death, while Malaysia has recorded 252 notification cases and two deaths.

Asean health ministers will gather in Kuala Lumpur o­n Friday for a two-day meeting to prevent the spread of the disease, four days before the regional leaders' summit o­n the same issue.