American officials say the U.S. Embassy in Malaysia's capital, Kuala Lumpur, remains closed until further notice because of security concerns.
The embassy had been scheduled to reopen today (Tuesday) after the New Year holiday. U.S. officials in Kuala Lumpur are not disclosing details about any threat to the embassy's security, but they have said there are no credible reports of threats towards private American interests in Malaysia.
Kuala Lumpur's police chief (Mustafa Abdullah) is quoted (by the French news agency) as saying that several unidentified foreign men, including one carrying a camera, were seen loitering outside the embassy on Thursday.
Packages containing threatening letters and suspicious liquids were sent several months ago to the U.S. Embassy and several other countries' diplomatic offices in Malaysia, but that case was later declared to be a hoax.