A new law comes into force in the United States today targeting Muslims entering the US from certain countries.
US immigration officers will register, fingerprint and photograph anyone they feel fits a terrorist profile. Men from some Islamic countries are most likely to be picked out.
People who have been to the Middle East, North Africa, Cuba or North Korea can also be taken aside if they do not have what the US Justice Department calls a credible explanation for their visits there.
Prime Minister Mr Mahathir Mohamad of Malaysia said today he was upset the United States for targeting Muslims, including Malaysians, under the new policy.
"There is already a general anti-Muslim hysteria. Because of the acts of a few people the whole Muslim world seems to have been labelled," Mr Mahathir said.
"It's their country, so I don't know what we can do about it. Of course I'm upset. I'm not a thief, I'm not a terrorist," said Mr Mahathir.
Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar branded the new US policy as "discriminatory profiling".