Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammed said Tuesday there was no evidence that terrorists had stashed money in Malaysia's financial institutions.
"Up to this point of time, of the names given to us, we have not been able to trace those of the alleged terrorists with money in our banking system," he was quoted as saying by the official Bernama news agency.
Mahathir was commenting on reports that Osama bin Laden, the United States' key suspect behind the terror attacks on New York and Washington, maintained bank accounts in Malaysia under a false name.
US President George W. Bush, announcing "a major thrust" in his war on terrorism, Monday ordering the freezing of Bin Laden's US assets and put overseas banks on notice that they must follow suit.
The president's executive order warned institutions abroad that their US assets may be frozen if they do not block monies held by 27 individuals and organizations -- including Bin Laden and his al-Qaeda network.
Mahathir told a news conference closed to the foreign media that the government would probe any information that could substantiate the allegation that terrorists kept money in Malaysia.
"Perhaps they could have already closed their accounts but the information we have gathered so far shows there is no terrorist money kept in Malaysia," he said.
Mahathir has pledged cooperation in the fight against terrorism, but has expressed concern that innocent people could be harmed in any military retaliation for the assault on the US.
Commenting on a report that the FBI had asked nine nations, including Malaysia, to hand over hundreds of suspected terrorists, Mahathir said Monday that if any who had committed crimes in the US were found they would be extradited -- KUALA LUMPUR (AFP)
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