Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is happy with the visit by Dr Mahathir Mohamad's forthcoming visit to Thailand, a Bernama report from Busan said today.

"I consider the trip to be good and an opportunity for Dr Mahathir to meet certain leaders and possibly reach an understanding towards resolving the southern Thailand issue," he said.

This matter was stated by former Thai Prime Minister Anand Panyarachun during one of his meetings in Kuala Lumpur recently and who wanted to seek his (Abdullah's) views on Dr Mahathir's visit, Pak Lah told a press conference in Busan.

"I had stated (to the former Thai prime minister) that I was very happy if the visit could be made," Abdullah said when commenting on the report from Bangkok that the uprising in southern Thailand was expected to be the focus of discussion during Mahathir's two-day visit to the Thai capital next week.

Dr Mahathir, who last went to Bangkok to attend the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) Summit Meeting in October 2003 before retiring several days later, is scheduled to meet with Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

No public functions

According to Malaysian and Thai officials, there were no public functions or specific agenda drawn up because Mahathir's visit to Thailand is as a personal guest of Anand.

Anand, who is chairperson of the National Peace Committee which plays a major role in searching for a solution to the chaotic situation in the southern provinces, had invited Dr Mahathir during their meeting in Kuala Lumpur last month.

During his visit to Kuala Lumpur, Anand had also held a meeting with Abdullah and they had discussed the violence in the southern Thai provinces and the fate of the 131 Thai Muslims who had fled to Kelantan in August.

In Busan, Abdullah said he and Thaksin had also held a meeting to discuss the issue in Southern Thailand as well as the issue over the 131 Thai nationals staying in Malaysia.