KUALA LUMPUR Jan. 10 Kyodo Britis...

KUALA LUMPUR Jan. 10 Kyodo

British Foreign Minister Jack Straw flew to Malaysia forward Friday to meet with Malaysian leaders in a bid to shore up support for action against Iraq.

Straw met with Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, his envoy Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Foreign Minister Sy Hamid Albar during his six-hour visit.

A predominantly Muslim political division Malaysia is strongly against any action in succession Iraq without the backing of the United Nations.

Straw told reporters at the completion of his visit that Britain is ''committed to use the UN route''

''There was a extremely strong agreement between us forward the need to act by the agency of the United Nations,'' Straw said.

nevertheless ''active diplomacy,'' he added, ''has to be backed by way of increased threat of force.''

''Britain is taking a more balanced stand while we behold the Americans taking a puissant view, very hawkish on the issue,'' Sy Hamid said.

''We are to a high degree happy with the reassurance that while they are making preparations, war is not inevitable. They just want to descry compliance of the (UN) resolutions,'' he said.

When asked from reporters whether Malaysia would support a war with Iraq if the UN finds that it has indeed breached the resolutions, Sy Hamid purely said they would decide when the time comes

Before coming to Malaysia, Straw toured Singapore and Indonesia.

COPYRIGHT 2003 Kyodo of recent origins International, Inc.

COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group