Malaysia has made fresh demands on Burma to free democratic icon Aung San Suu Kyi and expressed hope a recent top UN envoy's visit would bring democratic reforms in the military-run country.

"Yes, I think she should be released," Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar told reporters.

"If they can move towards democracy and they have more confidence and trust in the UN envoy Ibrahim Gambari ... we hope he will be successful," he added.

Gambari, a Nigerian diplomat, met Aung San Suu Kyi, 61, last week in a rare visit allowed by the ruling junta.

Gambari told reporters in Bangkok he had urged junta leader Senior General Than Shwe to release her.

His meeting with her last weekend was his second this year. He was the only outsider allowed to see her in more than two years.

After his four-day visit to Burma (renamed Myanmar by the junta), he said the junta should take "concrete steps" on human rights, democratic reform and national reconciliation.

Minister denied access

Malaysia in June signalled the region was close to washing its hands of Burma, saying the military regime had snubbed efforts to push for democracy and urging the UN to take over the case.

Syed Hamid said Malaysia, a member of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), urged the military junta, also a member, to implement democratic reforms as pushed by the UN.

"For the sake of Myanmar, we hope they begin to change in accordance to what the international community wants, in particular the UN," he said.

"Myanmar has so much potential. They should be in the mainstream of international affairs. I am very happy that there is some visible positive development. I hope this will be continued," he added.

The military regime thumbed its nose at Syed Hamid in March when he travelled to the country as an Asean envoy to check on its claims that it was shifting towards democracy.

Syed Hamid was denied access to Aung San Suu Kyi, prompting him to say that regional leaders were "frustrated and disillusioned" with their intransigent neighbour.

Situation unacceptable

US President George W Bush told key Southeast Asian leaders Saturday, on the sidelines of an Asia-Pacific summit in Vietnam, the situation in Burma was "totally unacceptable".

Washington has imposed investment and trade bans on Burma, where the ruling junta is accused of massive human rights violations, suppression of political dissent and refusal to adopt democratic reforms.

Aung San Suu Kyi has spent most of the past 17 years under house arrest.

Her National League for Democracy won 1990 elections in a landslide victory, but the military has refused to recognize the result.