Dozens of activists today called for an end to negotiations between the United States and Malaysia on a free trade agreement, at a peaceful protest outside the US embassy in Kuala Lumpur.

Flanked by security guards and police in riot gear, some 50 protestors chanted "Down with FTA" and "No FTA with USA" and held placards depicting Malaysians being run over by steamrollers driven by US symbol Uncle Sam.

The two countries are currently in their fifth and most crucial round of negotiations on the free trade deal in eastern Malaysia, and activists cited concerns such as competition from cheaper US agricultural goods.

"South Korea is now going to an FTA and they estimate 100,000 jobs will go. Who are we, we're not so special, we'll definitely lose something," said Y Kohila from Jerit, a workers' rights group.

In past FTA talks, Washington has also taken a hard line on medical patents, and HIV/Aids activists say they are also concerned about the deal's impact on access to cheap, generic drugs.

The protestors, including members of student and workers groups, tried to present a memorandum to a US embassy official, calling for a halt to the talks.

The memo also slammed comments by Deputy US Trade Representative Karan Bhatia, who last week said Malaysia would stood to lose investment if the free trade talks failed.

"This is an intimidation and harassment by the United States to colonise Malaysia through economic domination," it read.

The current talks are a last-ditch attempt to strike a deal before a March deadline, when the agreement has to be presented to the US Congress for consideration.

Malaysia last week said it was ready to suspend the talks after senior US lawmaker Tom Lantos called for a halt over a 16-billion-dollar deal between the state-owned National Iranian Oil Company and Malaysia's SKS Group.