The government will not be stopping Malaysian students from furthering their studies in Pakistan, a country were a number of students were reported to have been recruited by the Taliban, said Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

"We cannot stop them from going to Pakistan but we are also not able to keep tabs on all of them," Abdullah told reporters today after officiating the World Habitat Day.

However, he urged parents to exercise caution in choosing the schools for their children, adding that not all schools are influenced by the Taliban, the ruling Islamic party in neighbouring Afghanistan.

"When choosing schools there, parents should ask questions and choose carefully. They are ultimately responsible," he said.

The Afghan representative to Malaysia Abdul Sattar Murad revealed in press reports yesterday that most Malaysians and Muslim nationals trained by the Taliban were students who went to Pakistan for further studies.

Abdul Sattar, who represents the Northern Alliance government, added that the Malaysians had undergone training during the war with the then Soviet Union and when the Taliban came to power in 1996.

Sattar's Northern Alliance coalition supports the ousted government of President Burhanuddin Rabbani, and has control over 10 percent of the territory in Afghanistan.

The Alliance is currently waging war to remove the ruling Taliban from power.

Yesterday, Inspector-General of Police Norian Mai said that the police would be keeping tabs on students who were suspected of being involved in militant activities.

Attempt to overthrow government

Some former Malaysian students in Pakistan have been blamed for seeking to overthrow the government by force, and a number of them have since been detained under the controversial Internal Security Act, which allows indefinite detention without trial.

The police has accused them of being responsible for a spate of bank robberies, the bombing of a church and a temple, and the murder of a Barisan Nasional state assembly representative.

Nine of them, alleged to be members of the Malaysian Mujahideen Group (KMM), were sent to the Kamunting Detention Centre in Perak last Tuesday, while one was placed under the Restricted Residence Act and confined to the state of Johor.

Abdullah, who is also home minister, also urged students to be careful in choosing universities.

"The Education Ministry identifies institutions of higher learning that are recognised and which are not, so as to simplify things for students who wish to return to Malaysia," Abdullah said.

Earlier, Abdullah officiated the World Habitat Day in Subang today together with Housing and Local Government Minister Ong Ka Ting, his deputy M Kayveas and Selangor Mentri Besar Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo.