The American Peace Corps will be a topic of discussion between Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton in Washington on Friday.

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak had proposed that the Peace Corps programme, popular in the 1960s, be reintroduced when he and other Asean leaders met US President Barack Obama during the United Nations General Assembly in New York last September.

Muhyiddin, who is on a visit to the United States, said he would obtain input on when the programme could be reintroduced, particularly to help the Asean community enhance their fluency in the English language.

"The response to the programme so far is good and this is a good opportunity for us to follow up on when the programme can be reintroduced," he told Malaysian journalists Tuesday.

Muhyiddin, who is accompanied by his wife Norainee Abdul Rahman, is on a six-day visit to Boston and Washington.

The mission of the Peace Corps includes three goals: providing technical assistance, helping people outside the United States to understand US culture, and helping Americans understand the cultures of other countries.

Muhyiddin said that at his meeting with Clinton, he would also touch on many other matters including enhancing Malaysia-US ties and cooperation in various fields, one of which was stepping up bilateral trade and investment.

He also said that their talks would cover cooperation in international relations, including obtaining the latest information on the problems in Palestine and steps taken by the United States in Afghanistan.

Muhyiddin, who is also Education Minister, said he would also discuss cooperation in education and defence.

"I hope many matters which benefit both countries can be discussed and help foster closer relations between Malaysia and the United States," he said.

In November last year, Clinton made a three-day visit to Malaysia and held fruitful talks with Muhyiddin and Foreign Minister Anifah Aman.

Muhyiddin is also scheduled to have discussions with US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan in Washington on Friday.

The deputy prime minister is expected to return to Malaysia via London on Saturday.

- Bernama