Malaysia said it has not found any evidence that its territory is being used as a base for Thai insurgents to launch operations in the neighbouring kingdom's restive south.

"We are monitoring the area around the border so that there will not arise any suspicions that they are using our territory to launch any operations or to use our territory as a military training base," Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak said yesterday.

Najib, who is also defence minister, was speaking after meeting Thai army commander Sonthi Boonyaratglin.

A spate of more than 70 bomb blasts in Thailand's mainly Muslim southern region since last Thursday has claimed two lives and wounded 30 people. The separatist unrest has killed more than 1,300 people since January 2004.

Although Thailand said Monday that there was no evidence linking Malaysia to the bombing incidents, its interior minister Kongsak Vantana hinted again at "outside" involvement in making the bombs.

Asked to respond to the suggestions that Malaysia is being used as a base for bomb-making, Najib said: "We don't respond to those allegations".

He said Malaysia will offer its cooperation to Thailand to ensure peace on both sides of the border but "we cannot get involved because these are internal affairs of their country."

Pointing fingers

Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi criticized Kongsak's comments.

"Thailand when something happens quickly points fingers at Malaysia, that something is the work of Malaysians," he told a press conference in Jakarta where he was attending a conference of Islamic scholars.

"Malaysia is never involved. Our country is peaceful and orderly. Why should Malaysian citizens create trouble in another country? There's no use in doing that," he said.

He said Malaysia would prefer to see peace prevail in neighboring countries because any trouble could also affect his country.

The uprising in Thailand's south has become a major irritant to bilateral relations, triggering several spats between the two governments.

Kongsak's suggestions of Malaysian involvement triggered an angry response from Malaysia last week.

Foreign Minister Syed Hamid fired back at Bangkok and said that "finding a scapegoat to justify what has happened will not help in any way to ease the tension in the restive south."