KUALA LUMPUR - The Malaysian government does not have knowledge of a plan to build a regional counter-intelligence centre in Johor as proposed by China, Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein told Parliament on Wednesday (Nov 29).

He said his ministry also does not plan to build such a centre in the southern Malaysian state, in a parliamentary reply to an opposition MP, according to the Malaysiakini news site.

Datuk Seri Hishammuddin was responding to a question from MP Khalid Samad who asked about a report in The Straits Times in August that Malaysia will consider China's proposal to set up the centre in Johor, equipped with radar surveillance and a missile system.

The report quoted a senior Malaysian government source as saying the proposal for the radar and missile system was "lightly touched on" during talks between Prime Minister Najib Razak and visiting Chinese State Councillor Wang Yong in Kuantan in August.

Mr Hishammuddin said on Wednesday (Nov 29), as quoted by Malaysiakini: "This is not in the knowledge of the ministry, moreover it has never been discussed in any kind of forum."

He added: "The ministry has no intention to build such centre."