Malaysia is playing an unexpected role. For the first time, it is directly involved in brokering peace talks-and, so far, with some success.

Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi recently dispatched to the Philippines a group of Malaysian officials who will pave the way for an international team that will see to it that the ceasefire between the Muslim rebels belonging to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and government troops holds. It is also possible, Manila says, that part of their work will be to check if foreign militants are training in MILF camps.

This is a breakthrough in the three-year on-again, off-again talks that have been disrupted by skirmishes. The mood in the MILF is one of "guarded optimism," says Mohaqher Iqbal, the head of their negotiating panel. In fact, he says their problem is managing raised expectations among their members.

One of the reasons the talks bogged down in the past is the reported training of Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) members in MILF camps. A few days ago, four MILF members suspected of being with JI were arrested. The military said they were plotting to bomb a ship that would dock in a Mindanao city port. One of them admitted joining the JI because the MILF was "not engaged in terrorism."

Despite this, President Gloria Arroyo refuses to put the terror tag on the MILF so as not to disrupt the peace process. She goes by intelligence reports which say that the MILF, as an organization, is not linked to the JI. The connection, rather, is between individual members and other Muslim militants.

During their visit, the advance team, composed mostly of military officers, went to MILF and military camps. Once established, the Malaysia-led ceasefire monitors (members will come from other Muslim countries) will be based in Mindanao and are expected to stay until a peace agreement is reached.

The talks have come a long way from the lowest point last year when the military bombed a rebel base on the day the Hajj ended, one of the biggest celebrations in Islam. With Malaysia's help, the negotiations were revived and the visit of the advance ceasefire monitoring team is a signal that the talks are on track.

Three years ago, leaders of the underground MILF trekked to Kuala Lumpur to meet with then Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad. It was unusual for guerrillas to be given an audience by Malaysia's leader-but he had a message for them. In the 40-minute meeting, he practically lectured the Philippines' Muslim rebels about giving up their secessionist dream.

Since then, Kuala Lumpur has hosted formal talks between the Philippine government and the MILF. These have resulted in a ceasefire and the building of confidence between the two parties. Malaysia's former man in Manila, Mohamad Taufik Noor, concedes that this is the "strongest role" they are playing as a peacemaker.

Apart from organizing the international monitoring team, Malaysia has offered to train madrasah teachers in Mindanao so that they don't propagate radical Islam. They are also interested in helping Filipino Muslims learn new skills. Muslim provinces are among the poorest in the Philippines and literacy rates are low.

An added boost to Malaysia is its leadership of the Organization of Islamic Conference. This has given them clout in the Islamic world. Thus, they can ask other Muslim countries to come to the aid of the Philippines' peace process.

Philippine officials say Malaysia's recent "Prosper thy neighbor" policy led to the new tack. The reason: a peaceful and prosperous Mindanao will mean less Filipinos will seek refuge in Malaysia. This also means that Malaysian businessmen can invest, especially in palm oil plantations, in Mindanao.

Relations between Manila and Kuala Lumpur have not always been this rosy. In the 1970s, Malaysia provided safe haven for Muslim rebels. They trained in the jungles of Sabah, a short boat ride from Mindanao. A few years ago, Malaysia cracked down on illegal migrants and deported thousands of Filipinos who worked in their construction industry and agricultural plantations.

Today, the talks are proceeding on two tracks: formal negotiations and, on the ground, a gradual rehabilitation of war-torn Muslim Mindanao. In both, Malaysia plays a role.

Manila has learned its lesson. After a peace deal was reached in 1996 with the Moro National Liberation Front, the first rebel group, it took more than a year before development aid came in. With limited skills and without jobs, many former rebels started to lose their faith in government.

The government and the MILF have yet to talk about the most difficult issue-the alternative to secession. It is not clear what form of autonomy Manila will offer but President Arroyo has said that she is open to a federal system of government as a way to ease the conflict in Mindanao. This will mean amending the Philippine Constitution.

Despite the election season-President Arroyo is seeking a fresh term-the peace talks have gained their own momentum. Whoever wins as president will find it hard to set it back.

The auther is editor in chief of Newsbreak, a fortnightly news and current affairs magazine, in Manila. (Philippine)