Malaysia will soon send a team to assess the Muslim separatist rebellion in Mindanao in the southern Philippines before deciding whether to deploy ceasefire monitors there, a minister said today.

Defence Minister Najib Razak said the reconnaissance team would be sent after the Muslim festival of Aidil Fitri, which is likely to be celebrated in Malaysia on Nov 25, depending on the sighting of the new moon.

"The prime minister and certain members of the cabinet are aware that there has been a formal request by the Philippines for us to participate as a monitoring team. In principle, we have to assess the situation on the ground," Najib was quoted as saying by the Bernama news agency.

The government would only decide on sending monitors after the reconnaissance team reported, he said, adding that the decision was also subject to the progress of talks between the Philippines government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

The 12,500-member MILF has been waging a 25-year armed campaign to set up an Islamic state on the southern third of the largely Roman Catholic Philippines.

Manila has been under pressure to settle the rebellion by political means to deny foreign Islamic militants, particularly the Jemaah Islamiah terrorist network, an operational base in their bid to set up an Islamic caliphate in Southeast Asia.

Malaysia has played an active role in peace talks between the rebels and President Gloria Arroyo's government, with "last exploratory talks" due to be held in Kuala Lumpur sometime this month, officials said. - AFP