The Malaysian government says it can offer only limited assistance to help rebuild East Timor.

After meetings yesterday Tuesday between the Malaysian Prime Minister, Mahathir Mohamad, and East Timorese leaders Xanana Gusmao and Jose Ramos Horta, the Malaysian government said that it could not meet all their requests, which include an increase in Malaysia's contribution to the United Nations force in East Timor. Malaysia has so far promised twenty military observers to the force The two East Timorese leaders, in Malaysia at the end of a regional tour, also met Nurul Izzah, the daughter of the jailed former Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia Anwar Ibrahim, and leading Malaysian opposition figures. After the meeting, Nurul Izzah said she was impressed by their struggle for independence.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service