About 200 members of the regional terror network Jemaah Islamiah (JI) are being held in Malaysia, said Inspector-General of Police Norian Mai today.

However, the police chief did not specify how many of them are being held under the Internal Security Act , which provides for detention without trial.

A National Economic Action Council report last June said only 99 ISA detainees were alleged members of militant groups operating in the country and this included those from the Malaysian Mujahiddin Group (KMM) as well.

Norian also said he did not know how many JI members were detained in Indonesia or other countries.

"This can only be established through the intelligence agencies of the countries concerned," he was quoted as saying in a report by news agency Bernama .

Question Hambali

On JI operations chief Hambali's Malaysian wife, Noralwizah Lee Abdullah, Norian said no country had made a request to question her.

On the other hand, he said Malaysia might want to get information from Hambali himself once the United States had completed interrogating him.

Hambali, who is an Indonesian, and Noralwizah were arrested by Thai and US authorities in Ayutthaya, north of Bangkok, last Monday.

Hambali, 36, whose real name is Ridzuan Isamudin, has since been handed over to the US while Noralwizah is now in the custody of Malaysian police.

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said the police will decide on the manner of detention for Noralwizah.

"If there is a need for the ISA, then the police will forward certain recommendations to me," he added.

JI has been blamed for the deadly Bali blasts in October last year and the recent J W Marriott Hotel explosion in Jakarta.

The movement is also said to be linked to al-Qaeda, the terrorist movement blamed for the Sept 11 attacks on the United States.