Malaysia will bid for a seat in the council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) for the 2007-2010 term, a senior official said Monday.

Malaysia has been a ICAO member for 30 years and the time has come for it to bid for a seat on the council, Malaysian Transport Minister Chan Kong Choy said in Stockholm, capital city of Sweden.

The council, which comprises 36 countries, sets standards and regulations to ensure aviation safety, security, efficiency and the rules on allocation of the airspace.

"The (Malaysian) Cabinet has given the nod for us to bid for the seat next year," Chan told Malaysian reporters.

Formally established in 1947, the ICAO is a specialized United Nations agency to promote the safe and orderly growth of international civil aviation.

(Xinhua News Agency September 26, 2006)