(AFP) A top security alert is in force in Sabah as supporters of imprisoned renegade Muslim leader Nur Misuari clash nearby with Philippine troops, police said.

"Even before there was high security along the coasts and on the islands, but now we have tightened security further," a police spokesman told AFP from the state capital Kota Kinabalu.

Misuari, who was arrested on Saturday for illegal entry together with six of his followers, is being detained in Sabah on Borneo island but his exact location is being kept a tight secret, the official said.

"It is for security that we don't disclose," he said.

The official said the latest round of clashes by Misuari's followers had put Sabah's military and police forces on high alert.

'Famous man'

"He is a 'famous' man in Sabah and the Philippines so we have to be extra careful, everyone knows he is here," he said.

Twenty-seven people were killed when gunmen backing Misuari clashed yesterday with the military and took about 50 mostly Christian hostages in the nearby Philippine city of Zamboanga.

Misuari fled the area last week after leading a bloody revolt that left more than 100 people dead.

He staged the revolt after President Gloria Arroyo backed a rival faction within his Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in polls for the governor of the Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) - a post he had held since signing a peace deal in 1996.

A spokesman for Malaysia's foreign ministry said Misuari was in police custody pending a decision by the two governments on his fate.

"There have been phone conversations between leaders of both countries, but we are still studying the matter," he said.

Malaysia is preparing to deport Misuari, who is wanted back home on charges of rebellion, but is studying a request by Manila that it detain the rebel leader for a while longer.

No sympathy

Malaysia, which has a Muslim majority and supported Misuari in the 1970s, has offered no sympathy for the captured Philippine rebel, with Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad saying he would not be granted asylum.

Ahmad Azam Abdul Rahman, president of the Muslim Youth Movement of Malaysia (ABIM), said yesterday it was saddened by the rebellion.

"We regret that after having sacrificed a great deal for the benefit of his compatriots, Misuari was lured by circumstances to take the unconventional step in the wrong direction," he said in a statement.

Ahmad appealed to Misuari's supporters to end their rebellion and rebuild Muslim Mindanao.

Hishammuddin Hussein, youth chief of Mahathir's ruling United Malays National Organisation said Misuari was his friend but he did not support his action.

"Although I know Misuari personally, we cannot let individuals smear the name of Islam. We cannot let individuals equate the name of Islam with violence," he was quoted as saying by the New Straits Times newspaper.

"Regional and national security must take precedence," Hishammuddin added.