United States President George W Bush has sent a congratulatory message to Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi upon his appointment last Friday.

In a statement issued via the US embassy in Kuala Lumpur yesterday, Bush said he looked forward to working with Abdullah on issues of mutual interest between the two countries.

"As a moderate Muslim state, Malaysia sets an important example for the region and the world.

"I agree completely with many of the important themes you raised in your inaugural speech to Parliament, particularly the need to defeat terror, reject extremism, fight corruption, promote religious tolerance, and protect the rights and dignity of every individual," he said.

Bush also said he looked forward to strengthening bilateral relationship between Malaysia and the US in the coming months.

'Offensive' remarks

The message by the US president is expected to pave the way for a mending of ties between the two countries which have been increasingly strained over the past year.

Although former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad had met with Bush during an official visit to the US last year, relations deteriorated subsequently when he made repeated comments which were deemed offensive and racialist by the US.

On one of these occasions, Mahathir had described the victims of the Sept 11, 2001 terrorist attack in the US as "collateral damage" in his opening address at the Non-Aligned Movement summit in February this year.

Last month, he also evoked strong objections from the US for saying that Jews ruled the world by proxy at the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) meet here.

Washington had also made known its preference for the more subdued approach of Abdullah as compared to the outspoken Mahathir via its ambassador to Malaysia Marie T Huhtala.

Huhtala had said in a speech to the in Kuala Lumpur last May that the US appreciated Abdullah's public statement at the outset of war in Iraq that no harm should come to US property and citizens in Malaysia.