Malaysia's chairmanship of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) will be extended until 2007, said Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar.

Syed Hamid said Senegal, which was due to take over at the next summit in 2006, decided to defer taking up the chairmanship after it was announced that a special summit of OIC leaders to discuss problems facing the world's Muslims would be held in Mecca.

"When Senegal heard of the special summit next year, it realised that it would not have to host the OIC summit for 2006," he was quoted as saying by Bernama news agency.

"Senegal said that it will not assume the chairmanship next year and will only do so in 2007. This means that Malaysia will have to continue as chairman."

Malaysia took over the chairmanship of the 57-member organisation, the world's biggest grouping of Islamic nations, at a summit here in 2003.

Syed Hamid said the restructuring of the OIC secretariat would be discussed at an OIC Foreign Ministers' Conference in Yemen, from June 28-30.