Australian Prime Minister John Howard today brushed aside criticism from his Malaysian counterpart on the eve of his official visit to Australia, the first by a Malaysian premier in over 20 years.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who is due in Australia on Wednesday, complained in an interview with Australian television that Howard's government was too focused on its alliance with the United States to fit fully into Asia.

The comment from Abdullah echoed the sentiments of his predecessor, Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who was a trenchant critic of Australia and under whom bilateral relations suffered.

But Howard said Monday that he still believed ties between the two governments would be better under Abdullah than they had been under Mahatir.

"I think the relationship will be better at a political level," Howard told ABC radio.

"It was always very good underneath. The people-to-people links and the business links were always very strong."

Upsetting statement

In the television interview broadcast on Sunday, Abdullah said "we are inclined to believe that Australia is not really centering on Asia or East Asia but has more concern with reflecting the views as expressed by United States."

He also criticised Howard for raising the prospect of Australia taking unilateral action against terror bases in the region without consulting all relevant governments.

"Prime minister Howard is perhaps changing some things, but sometimes he does make some statement which is a little bit upsetting," he said. "This kind of pre-emptive action - to me he shouldn't say those things."

Howard played down the Malaysian leaders comments.

"I think you have to expect it," Howard said. "You don't agree with each other about everything."

"But we have an enormous amount in common, Malaysia and Australia.

"There's no nation in the world that we agree with on everything.

"What you have to try and do sensibly - and Abdullah Badawi is a sensible, gracious man - is find many areas of agreement."

New era in relations

Abdullah's visit, the first official stop by a Malaysian prime minister for more than 20 years, has been seen as a new era in relations between the two countries after the tensions of the Mahathir years.

But Abdullah's government has also joined in opposition to Australian attempts to join an East Asia Summit to be hosted by Malaysia in December.

The meeting is aimed at building cooperation between the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations and Japan, South Korea and China as part of a move towards an East Asian Community.

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, on a visit to Canberra on Monday, came out strongly in support of Australia attending the summit.