The demand for anti-terrorism equipment by security forces worldwide has risen sharply since the attacks on the United States, defence officials said at a major international arms show here today.

Arms manufacturers from the US, Britain, South Africa and France are showcasing their state-of-the-art equipment, from spy planes and surveillance cameras to battle tanks, at the biennial Defence Services Asia exhibition.

Malaysia's special forces commander Ahmad Rodi Zakaria told AFP many countries, including Malaysia, now treated counterterrorism as a priority and were equiping their security forces with surveillance and intelligence-gathering gadgets.

"Terrorists are becoming more sophisticated in how they attack and have an arsenal of weapons to use," he said. "We have to be prepared. If we are not, then what happened in the United States can happen here."

While fighting a conventional war remained the army's top concern, security forces in the region would have to be prepared to fight terrorists through training and acquiring modern equipment, Ahmad Rodi said

Malaysia had been acquiring technology related to intelligence gathering, he said, but declined to elaborate.

Easier job

Ahmad Rodi pointed to a recent terror attack in neighbouring Thailand and the Bali bombings in Indonesia in October 2002 by the Al-Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiah group as proof that "the threat of terror in Southeast Asia is real."

Raymond Hoekstra, managing director of SafetyXpress Stromberg, a South African company that produces security related equipment, said demand for the company's products had surged in the Middle East and Africa.

"The September 11 attack has made my job easier," he told AFP .

Stromberg produces a range of equipment for the police and army to mount effective checkpoints against terrorists or criminals activities, including the simple nail-based tyre deflator.

"It can stop a potential car bomber from hitting a target. Around the world there is a rise in demand for counterterrorism equipment not related to firepower," he said.

Hoekstra, who is in Malaysia for the first time, said the Malaysian police had shown interest in the company's products and it was looking for a Malaysian partner.

Foreign partners

Chris Lewis, technical director of UK-based defence manufacturer Television Installation Services (TIS) said that in the UK there has been a sharp rise in demand for surveillance equipment.

"An important element in enforcing security is having an effective closed circuit television," he said.

Earlier, Malaysia's DRB-HICOM Defence Technologies Sdn Bhd inked an agreement with three foreign partners from Saudi Arabia, Brunei and Thailand to market its wide range of infantry vehicles.

Similarly, Daewoo Heavy Industries Wednesday tied-up with Malaysia's PSC Naval Dockyard to assemble and market armoured personnel carriers and fighting vehicles.

"We hope through Muslim Malaysia we can penetrate the Middle East countries to export our defence products," Daewoo's executive managing director In Ahn told reporters.

Defence Minister Najib Razak on Monday announced top Austrian arms producer, Steyr Mannlicher, will shift production of its Steyr assault rifles and pistols to Malaysia. - AFP