Anti-Malaysia rhetoric has soared in Indonesia since Jakarta accused Malaysia of stealing a Balinese dance for a TV promotional campaign last month. Indonesians are also upset about cases of Indonesian maids being abused by their Malaysian employers.

A small group of Indonesians roamed the streets of Jakarta on Tuesday, threatening to hurt Malaysians, according to media in both countries. No attacks were reported.

Malaysia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed "grave concern" about the actions of some Indonesians that "are intended to spark conflicts between the peoples of Malaysia and Indonesia."

Indonesia must "ensure the welfare and well-being of Malaysian citizens in Indonesia are taken care of, as well as to ensure that such aggressive actions of certain extremists in Indonesia are curtailed immediately," the ministry said in a statement released late Wednesday, adding that such behavior had damaged cross-border ties.

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak and other government officials met Indonesian representatives Wednesday to discuss the problem and seek assurances of their citizens' safety.

Widyarka Ryananta, an Indonesian Embassy official in Kuala Lumpur, said Jakarta was taking steps to prevent the troubles from escalating.

"While there are some tensions among groups, our relationship is in a good condition," Ryananta said Thursday.

Small groups of Indonesians have staged anti-Malaysia demonstrations since early August over the use of a clip of Balinese "Pendet" dancing to promote a series on Malaysia on the Discovery Channel cable network.

Malaysian officials blamed Discovery, and Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific has since expressed regret and removed the clip, saying it was sourced from an independent third party.