Malaysia today ruled out an extradition treaty with neighbouring Thailand, saying there was sufficient cooperation between the two countries.

"There is no need for a treaty as we have good political understanding ... that is sufficient," Malaysia's Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak was quoted as saying by Bernama news agency during a visit to Bangkok.

Mainly Muslim Malaysia has denied that its territory is being used as a base for Thai insurgents to launch attacks across the border as part of separatist unrest in Thailand that has killed more than 1,300 people since January 2004.

Thailand's interior minister Kongsak Vantana hinted last month at "outside" involvement in a series of bomb blasts in Thailand's mainly Muslim south.

Najib, also Malaysia's defence minister, said the country had cooperated with Thailand, citing the extradition of a Thai Muslim in December wanted in connection with the insurgency.

The man was one of a group of 131 Thai Muslims from the south who fled to Kelantan last year, saying they feared for their lives due to the fighting.

They are free to go

Thai authorities have been trying to convince them to return, and Najib said they had not requested asylum nor asked for Malaysian citizenship.

"Our position remains the same. The refugees are accessible to the Thai authorities to be convinced to go back voluntarily and we will facilitate their visit," he said.

"Maybe they want to go back because their homes and relatives are there but we have not set any time frame to solve this," he added.

Malaysia has an uneasy relationship with Thailand over its troubled south, which shares close ethnic and cultural ties with Malaysia's northern states.

In April, Malaysia was furious after the Thai media reported that it was hosting training camps for Thai separatists, labelling the claims preposterous.