Thai PM gets red-carpet welcome in Malaysia

MALAYSIA: Thailand's Prime Minister received a red-carpet welcome in neighboring Malaysia on Thursday ahead of talks on issues including the insurgency in Thailand's Muslim-dominated south.

Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and his Thai counterpart, Samak Sundaravej, inspected a military honor guard at Parliament. Samak was also introduced to Malaysia's Cabinet ministers ahead of a private meeting with Abdullah later Thursday.

Malaysia, home to a Malay Muslim majority, will work with Thailand on measures "to promote peace and stability in southern Thailand," Malaysian Foreign Minister Rais Yatim said in a statement.

Drive-by shootings and bombings have become an almost daily occurrence in Thailand's southernmost provinces, the only Muslim-majority areas of the predominantly Buddhist country. The areas border the northern states of peninsular Malaysia.

Malaysia is working with Thailand on employment, entrepreneurship and education programs for Thai Muslims, such as providing scholarships to 60 students from southern Thailand to study at Malaysian boarding schools, Rais said.

Thai Muslims have long complained of mistreatment and discrimination in the area, where more than 3,000 people have been killed since the violence flared in 2004. Kuala Lumpur, Thursday, AP