KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) - Kuala Lumpur has told Vietnam that individual ownership

of land is necessary if Malaysia is to help in developing land, the Star Daily newspaper

reported last month.

The newspaper quoted Deputy Prime Minister Abdul Ghafar as saying that Malaysia could

not open up palm oil rubber plantations in Vietnam without an allotment of land to

individual settlers.

Vietnam had requested Malaysian help in land development because of the nation's

success in privatizing many government projects and supervising land developments

in Malaysia.

But when Malaysia submitted a plan to Vietnam to allot four hectares of land to individual

farmers, as in its native plan, Vietnam said it was not willing to allow individual

ownership of land, the report quoted Ghafar as saying.