KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia(AP)-Malaysia, one of the world's largest natural rubber producers,

promised Oct. 7 to give Cambodia technical aid to help rehabilitate the war-torn

nation's rubber plantations.

Wan Abdul Rahman Wan Yaacob, assistant director at the Rubber Research Institute

in Malaysia, said a team from the institute would leave for Cambodia soon to study

the type of assistance needed.

Malaysia provided similar aid totaling 1.7 million ringgit (U.S. $680,000) to Vietnam

early this year, Wan Abdul Rahman told reporters after briefing Chea Sim, chairman

of the Cambodian National Assembly, and his delegation of the latest technology in

growing rubber trees.

The Cambodians sought help in rubber replanting and processing and training in new

rubber technology, Wan Abdul Rahman said.

Wan Abdul Rahman also said reduced rubber production in Malaysia recently had left

it as the world's third largest producer and exporter of natural rubber, behind Thailand

and Indonesia.

Malaysia accounted for 23.4 percent of the world's natural rubber production.

Malaysia produced 1.5 million tons in 1988 but production declined to 1.2 million

tons last year.

This was because many rubber industry workers had moved to factories, Wan Abdul Rahman

said.