A top United States military commander is visiting Sabah this week in the wake of reports that the world's sole remaining superpower is considering to build new bases in Malaysia, Singapore and Australia.

Commander of US military forces in the Asia-Pacific region Admiral Thomas B Fargo will be visiting military bases in Sabah on June 2-4 and hold talks with Malaysia's chief of defence forces Mohd Zahidi Zainuddin.

"The consultations will focus on our close, combined US-Malaysian cooperation in defeating terrorism, briefings on Malaysian armed forces security posture in Sabah, and ways to enhance the military-to-military relationship in areas of mutual interest," said a statement from the US embassy.

This will be Fargo's second visit to Malaysia since his appointment as US Asia-Pacific military chief in May 2002.

According to the US embassy, both countries have on-going military ties which includes "exercises, port visits, officer exchanges, conferences and security assistance".

However, this does not include US military bases in Malaysia, which Defence Minister Najib Razak (left) was quick to dismiss last Friday.

He said that while Malaysia would not allow US bases in the country, the country is prepared to have other forms of military cooperation with Washington.

Najib was commenting on a Los Angeles Times report that the Pentagon was planning a realignment of troops in Asia.

The newspaper reported last Thursday that the Pentagon was planning to move some of its troops from its bases in Okinawa, Japan to new bases in Malaysia, Singapore and Australia.

Full disclosure

The issue of US military presence in Muslim-majority Malaysia is a hot potato for the ruling Barisan Nasional government.

On Saturday, opposition parties Keadilan and PRM issued a joint statement welcoming Najib's rejection of US military bases in the country.

However, the two parties raised concern over the Kuala Lumpur-based Anti-Terrorism Centre, mooted by the US following the Sept 11 terror attacks.

"We support the fight against terrorism, but we resent the idea of it (the center) being used as an excuse by any government to suppress genuine democratic dissent or opposition," they warned.

The opposition parties also called for transparency in the 1984 defence agreement signed between Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and then US defence secretary Casper Weinberger.

They said that it was incumbent upon Najib to provide full disclosure on the agreement.

"The defence minister has always been shying away from disclosing the full contents of this agreement although he has been asked several times about it before, through the media and in Parliament."

According to the opposition, the agreement allows for regular military exercises, presence of US military personnel in the country, docking and servicing of US naval vessels in Malaysian ports, including those carrying nuclear weapons.

"We wish to know, does it also provide for the possibility of establishing US military bases in any part of the country?"