He said Malaysia had the capacity and ability to mediate in the issue as it understood the situation in Muslim-majority southern Thailand and the Thai government's stand to end the continuing violence.

"Moreover, we know the separatist groups, in the sense that they are Muslims, of Malay descent and that Malaysia has good relations with Thailand," he told a news conference with Malaysian journalists at the end of his three-day visit to Thailand.

He said his Thai counterpart, Surayud Chulanont showed seriousness in wanting to end the crisis in southern Thailand and was prepared to listen to suggestions on how Malaysia could assist, according to Bernama, Malaysia's national news agency.

Abdullah left for Kuala Lumpur Tuesday morning after holding informal talks with Surayud in Phuket Island on Sunday and formal discussions here yesterday, with the separatist issue taking centre stage.

Nearly 2,000 people have been killed in the violence in Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat provinces over the past three years. The violence is continuing unabated despite Surayud's several remedial measures to improve the situation.

Asked whether Thailand asked Malaysia to be the mediator with the separatist groups, Abdullah said the Thai government would make a formal request.

Among the joint measures taken to end the violence was tackling the dual citizenship issue, he said, adding that Malaysia and Thailand had each submitted 500 names and biometric information last week to trace people who are citizens of both Thailand and Malaysia.

"The records have biometric information on Thais and Malaysians living along the Malaysia-Thailand border holding dual citizenship.

"The process of tracing them using sophisticated technology will take about a week," said Abdullah, who is also Internal Security Minister.

On the possibility of Malaysia being blamed if the violence in the south continued, Abdullah said although Malaysia gave its views and proposals, they had to be accepted by the Thai government and the implementation also depended on them.

On Surayud's request for more Malaysian companies to invest along the Malaysia-Thailand border, Abdullah said he believed investors were prepared to invest if there were viable opportunities.

The Nation