The government should come clean on its efforts in combating terrorism and rooting out leaders of terror group Jemaah Islamiah, said DAP leader Lim Kit Siang today.

He added that this could be done by presenting a white paper at the next parliament session which begins on Sept 2.

"The government should present the white paper to present its case to Malaysians and the world that it is doing well in combating terrorism," he said in a statement.

He added that the white paper should also include an update report on Jemaah Islamiah - a regional terror network with aims to set up Islamic governments in the region - as well as on the emerging militancy threat from al-Qaeda.

New generation

The veteran politician said that recently, terrorism experts had expressed concerns on the emergence of al-Qaeda's "third generation" of terrorists who want to emulate and surpass what have been achieved by their predecessors.

Lim said that these new generation of terrorists need not necessarily been to Afghanistan for training purposes as those before them had done.

"The experts point out that JI and al-Qaeda have the ability to regenerate itself ... with unknown characters and personalities which will make it harder to detect activity and predict behaviour."

Lim said that these were the issues and challenges that the government should address in its white paper.

Lim was reacting to a statement by Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi yesterday that dispelled growing perception that Malaysia was harbouring terrorists and that it was a base for the al-Qaeda network.

Inspired by Indonesians

Abdullah, also the home minister, then went on to blame the Indonesians for inspiring Islamic militancy in this country.

He added that it was the Indonesians staying in Malaysia who nurtured local Muslim militants and established terror groups in the country.

"I noticed that their activities have been very much inspired by the Indonesians who are here on permanent stay permits. They are the ones who started all this," he said.

Alleged JI chief Abu Bakar Bashir, who is on trial for treason in Jakarta, and JI operations chief Hambali, who was captured in Thailand last week and taken into US custody, lived in exile in Malaysia during the rule of ex-Indonesian dictator Suharto.

In recent days, media reports from Jakarta also said that two Malaysians - Dr Azahari Husin and Noordin Mohammad Top - played major roles in bomb attacks in Indonesia. Two other Malaysians linked to the al-Qaeda were also believed be in US custody at a secret location.

New leaders

Abdullah also said that the government had taken various steps to ensure that terrorists would not destablise or threaten the security of the country. These include the arrest of more than 200 Kumpulan Mujahidin Malaysia (KMM) and JI members, including about 90 detained under the Internal Security Act, since December 2000. According to the police KMM is a national chapter of the JI.

However Lim said that Abdullah's assurance does not reflect the international perception on Malaysia's role in combating terrorism, especially in cases where Malaysians are subjected to intensive searches and long questions by immigration authorities in the west, particularly in the United States of America and the United Kingdom.

"Although Abdullah blamed certain Indonesians in Malaysia for having inspired the involvement of Malaysians in al-Qaeda and JI, this seems rather simplistic.

He added that Malaysia's problem in countering the international perception on the Malaysian connection with the terror network was further compounded by the fact that two Malaysians - Dr Azahari and Noordin - are believed to be the likely candidates to assume the leadership of Jemaah Islamiah.