Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak today clarified that the foreign jets reported to be flying over Johor are involved in the Five-Power Defence Arrangement (FDPA) training exercise also participated by Malaysia.

Najib, who is also the defence minister, said Malaysia had given permission to the aircraft involved, including from Singapore, to use the country's airspace.

The five nations participating in the Integrated Joint Exercise are the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and Malaysia.

"They are part of the integrated exercise codenamed `Bersama Padu' by the FDPA member nations involving 23 ships, 86 aircraft and submarines.

"We gave permission to the aircraft from Singapore, Australia, New Zealand and UK to take part...they have been permitted (to use the airspace), we have to carry out the exercise in our area and Singapore," he was quoted as saying by Bernama .

He was commenting on press reports on the fear expressed by the people of Johor concerning the low-level flying over Malaysian airspace by aircraft from a neighbouring country.

Unifil deployment

On the deployment of Malaysian troops to participate in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), he said the government was still waiting for such approval in `black and white'.

"(We) don't know yet (when to despatch them), we are waiting for approval, there's still nothing in black and white (from the United Nations)," he said.

He said 360 soldiers had already been selected comprising 160 commandos and 200 soldiers for administrative and logistic purposes.

"(The troops concerned) have been selected, basically (they are) from the Batu 10 Camp, 4th Brigade in Kuantan and from various other units, commandos, Paskal (navy commandos), Paskau (air force special unit) and from the other camps," he said.