(AFP) - Malaysia will ask the United States to retract a warning to Americans against visiting resort islands off the eastern state of Sabah, Tourism Minister Abdul Kadir Sheikh Fazdir said today.

Abdul Kadir said he would soon contact US ambassador Lynn Pascoe to explain that the islands are safe.

"I'll also invite him to visit Sabah to see for himself the situation here, with all expenses paid by the Malaysian government," he told reporters in the Sabah state capital Kota Kinabalu.

"Actually, Sabah is a safe destination for tourists," Bernama news agency quoted the minister as saying.

Abu Sayyaf kidnappers from the southern Philippines grabbed foreign and Malaysian hostages last year in raids on Sipadan and Pandanan islands.

Last week the US State Department warned its citizens to take "extreme caution" when visiting the islands and nearby areas on the mainland.

It said the Abu Sayyaf "remains a security threat" to parts of Sabah.

While Malaysia had troops and police on the islands, the region was remote and security assistance may not be readily available, the advisory said.

Islands secure

Defence Minister Najib Razak said last week the advisory was misleading.

"There is no truth to it. The islands off Sabah are secure. We have placed a lot of security personnel on these islands," he said.

The number of tourists visiting Sabah, including Sipadan island, had increased despite last year's abductions, Najib added.

Apart from Filipino Roland Ullah, all the hostages seized in Malaysia have been freed - often after large ransom payments.

Last week, Philippine troops raided an Abu Sayyaf hideout and rescued American Jeffrey Schilling, who was seized after visiting the bandits' camp.

On Sunday, the Philippine National Security Adviser Roilo Golez said Malaysian authorities had been warned that Schilling's captors could take refuge there.