The International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilisation (Istac) has yet to receive any formal invitation from China for a visit to Beijing and a field trip to Xinjiang sometime this year, according to its head, Osman Bakar.

As such, Osman told Malaysiakini that no decisions have been made on whether Istac - a research arm of the International Islamic University Malaysia - will accept or reject the invitation reportedly made by China's Ambassador to Malaysia, Bai Tian last week.

"We have yet to receive any formal invitation. We only read about it in the papers...