He urged fellow members of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), an Asia-Pacific security grouping, to address the "emotional and psychological dimension of terrorism" as well as cooperating on law enforcement.

"Terrorists misuse or hijack religion for their various causes to inflame hatred and incite feeling of enmity in their community against others to justify their actions. ARF should address this fundamental issue," Jayakumar told a closed session of the forum, according to a statement from his officials.

Singapore has detained 37 alleged Islamic militants linked to Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), a Southeast Asia-based extremist group linked to Al-Qaeda. They were allegedly involved in plots to bomb various targets including the US and other foreign missions.

JI is blamed for a spate of bombings in Indonesia and the Philippines, including the October 2002 nightclub blasts which killed 202 people in the Indonesian island of Bali.

Jayakumar told ARF the war against terror is a contest for hearts and minds within the Muslim world. He urged eminent Muslim leaders and scholars to speak out against distorted versions of Islam.

The Singapore minister called on the forum to support "voices of moderation" and help them reach the wider Muslim community.

Terrorism is a key focus of the annual meeting of ARF, which groups 23 Asia-Pacific states and the European Union.

The EU's foreign policy chief Javier Solana meanwhile warned of linkages between global terror groups.

Asked by reporters about connections between Southeast Asian and Spanish groups, he told reporters: "There are linkages among global terrorist groups, no doubt about that.

"I can't put my finger on anything in particular, it would not be prudent on my side to do it. But they have telephone calls, they have contacts, there is no doubt about that."

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