KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 18 — US senator Roger F Wicker has asked his government to deepen ties with moderate Malaysia in the global war against Islamic radicals.

News portal Free Malaysia Today cited a letter from the Republican senator to US Secretary of State John Kerry lauding the establishment of the Digital Counter-Messaging Communications Centre here, as part of the Southeast Asia Centre for Counter-Terrorism.

"In an increasingly dangerous world, the partnership between the United States and Malaysia has never been more important,” Wicker was quoted saying.

The chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee also remarked on the Najib administration’s measures to unite the Muslim world to curb the spread of global terror network Islamic State (IS)

"Prime Minister Najib Razak and his Government have a strong record of rejecting all forms of religious extremism and working with the global Muslim community to counter the efforts of radical extremism.”

Wicker is also reportedly a member of the US Senate Armed Services Committee and praised Malaysia for leading the cyber fight against the social media recruitment efforts of the IS.

"This collaboration between our two countries should improve counter-messaging efforts abroad and highlight Malaysia as an example in the digital fight against radical extremism,” he was quoted saying.