Defence Minister Najib Tun Abdul Razak said Malaysia has yet to receive a signal from the Philippines government on when it wanted Moro rebel Nur Misuari deported back.

"So far, I have not heard of anything. But for us, the sooner (we deport him) the better," he told reporters after officiating a colloquium on 'Understanding Islam and Global Views: The Role of the Media' at the Asia and Pacific Development Centre in Kuala Lumpur this morning.

Najib added that Malaysia has sufficient troops and people deployed to Sabah and Sarawak to face any eventualities due to the unstable situation in southern Philippines.

"We have identified three consequences of that instability. One, there will be a flood of refugees; two, the Abu Sayaff group may try to take Malaysians as hostages; and three, they could try to run and seek shelter in Malaysia.

"I am not saying that all these will happen, but it is better for us to be prepared than for us to allow things to take us by surprise," said Najib.

He said there were already two battalions on high guard in Sabah and Sarawak. The special forces, navy, patrol craft including 11 combat boats, air force and police have been deployed in 56 locations to face any security problems.

Not under pressure

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi told reporters this morning that Malaysia was ready to deport Misuari.

"We are not under any pressure from anyone. I have not been told by the Organisation of Islamic Conference on anything," he said when asked if Malaysia may be under pressure by the OIC to grant Misuari access to a third country.

Abdullah also refused to disclose Misuari's whereabouts, adding that "all we can say is that he is in Malaysia".

A former Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao governor, Misuari, 60, has been under Malaysian police custody for illegal entry since Nov 24.

He had fled Jampiras, off Sabah, following a fresh rebellion by some 300 of his Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) loyalists who attacked a military base in Jolo island on Nov 19, which left at least 113 people dead.

Malaysian authorities have refused to disclose Misuari's whereabouts for security reasons and have denied allegations that he was being kept in a palace in Sabah.

The Star reported today that a Philippine newspaper quoted several sources as saying that Misuari was being given special treatment, including being kept in a Sabah palace.