(AFP) Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri will seek Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad's ideas on ways to spur economic recovery during her two-day visit to Malaysia, an official said today.

Megawati, would arrive here tommorow, accompanied by her husband Taufiq Kiemas, Foreign Minister Noer Hassan Wirajuda and a 60-member delegation.

"She will seek ideas from Mahathir on ways to boost economic recovery. We consider Mahathir as the senior leader (of Asean)," Wisnu Gunardi, counsellor at the Indonesian embassy told AFP .

Megawati in early August said her new cabinet's main task was to rescue the economy by ensuring currency stability, reviving the banking system and promoting new investment.

Megawati was sworn in last month as Indonesia's fifth president after her predecessor Abdurrahman Wahid was ousted by an impeachment vote in parliament.

Six months

Powerful Indonesian politician Amien Rais last week gave Megawati six months to improve the economy.

"I give three to six months for Mega to work. If within that period there is no improvement (in the economy), then I will start criticising," Rais said.

Gunardi described ties between Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur as "very close" since the majority of Indonesians and Malaysians are Muslims.

Megawati would use the opportunity to introduce herself and share views on regional matters, he said.

Asked if the issue of labour force would be discussed, Gunardi said Malaysia was an important country for Indonesians in search of employment.

"Due to the geographical proximity, many Indonesians come in search of jobs," he said.

Political instability

P Ramasamy, political science lecturer at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM)said that while Malaysia's ties with Jakarta are good, there is concern over political instability in the country.

"Last year's bomb blast at the Malaysian embassy and the pressence of large numbers of Indonesian illegals calls for concern," he told AFP .

Illegal immigrants have not only contributed to a growth in crime and other social problems in Malaysia but also to the spread of diseases and squatter colonies, claims the government.

Malaysia has proposed new legislation providing for caning of illegal immigrants but the plan has been attacked as "inhuman and barbaric" by labour and rights groups.

There are about 600,000 illegal immigrants in Malaysia, mainly from neighbouring countries such as Indonesia and the Philippines.

Malaysia is home to some 700,000 legal foreign workers, but a weakened economy has led to job cuts and calls for curbs on immigration.

Malaysia is the final country in Megawati's whirlwind tour. She has visited all other members of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) during her week-long tour, her first foreign trip since taking office.

Asean's other members are Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam.