The comments were made by Defence Minister Najib Razak after a meeting with his newly-appointed Singaporean counterpart Teo Chee Hean.

"Malaysia and Singapore have cooperated in defence for years and both countries are committed to peace in the region," Najib was quoted as saying by Bernama.

Malaysia last month signed an agreement with Russia for the supply of 18 Sukhoi Su-30MK fighter jets, the latest acquisition in an arms spending spree that has included three French submarines, British and Russian missile systems and attack tanks from Poland.

Malaysia has said the weapons procurement is simply designed to upgrade its defences and that it has no aggressive intentions.

"Our cooperation in defence is in line with the Five Power Defence Arrangement (FPDA), which has a positive impact on the region, especially in the development of defence forces of both Malaysia and Singapore," Najib said.

Australia, Britain and New Zealand, along with Malaysia and Singapore, make up the FPDA, a 32 year-old group that acts as the bulwark for the defence of the two countries from external threats.

A number of political irritants, including disputes over water supplies, a new bridge linking the countries, the use of Malaysian airspace by Singaporean aircraft and ownership of a rocky islet, have dogged the neighbours since Singapore left the Malaysian Federation and gained independence in 1965.

But Najib pointed out that military cooperation also went beyond the FPDA to cover medium-scale joint military exercises and training exchanges.

Teo, who was appointed as Singapore's Defence Minister on August 1, is on a two-day visit to Malaysia.

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