MANILA - Muslim separatists have told Malaysia they would send their leader Salamat Hashim to lead peace talks with the Philippines government, an aide to President Gloria Arroyo said today.

Kuala Lumpur, which has offered to host the proposed negotiations, announced through its envoy here last week that the talks between Manila and Hashim's Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) would start in the next few days.

"The MILF has given the names of their five negotiators to the Malaysian government for the formal peace talks. Among the five are Hashim Salamat," presidential spokesman Ignacio Bunye said over government radio.