Malaysia has moved swiftly to limit the fallout from charges that a local charity donated money to Islamic rebels in Thailand, saying it does not support the separatist movement.

Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar said in remarks published today that any donation of money to the rebels was done without the government's knowledge and action would be taken if laws had been broken.

"The government does not know of any group in Malaysia that is giving money. If there is information about it and there is evidence of unlawful activity, then we will take the proper action," he was quoted as saying by the official Bernama news agency.

"We hope this matter will not create any misgiving (in Thailand) or problems, because our stand is very clear," he said.

A lawmaker has charged that the outlawed Pattani United Liberation Organisation, which is fighting for a separate Islamic state in southern Thailand, had been given RM120,000 by the Kelantan state branch of the Malaysian Islamic Welfare Organisation.

Kelantan is the only one of Malaysia's 13 states which is ruled by the opposition Islamic party PAS, and shares a border with southern Thailand where more than 550 people have been killed since January in separatist-inspired violence in the mainly Buddhist kingdom.

Seeking shelter

The charge was made by Annuar Musa, the Kelantan state chief of Umno, which heads the federal government of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

The money represented 10 percent of RM1.2 million which the charity had received from a timber concession along the border, Annuar said.

The Thai government has in the past expressed concern that some Muslim activists seek shelter in Malaysia, but Abdullah has repeatedly pledged his country's full support against the insurgency.

Syed Hamid said the government was always prepared to assist Thailand if it provided concrete information on militant groups operating out of Malaysia.

"If there is clear evidence that there is a person involved with militant activities in Malaysia, then we will help the Thais, but just providing names is not enough," he said, referring to a list of 30 suspects released by Bangkok.