Deputy Prime Minister Wayne Swan has rejected suggestions a deal with Malaysia to swap asylum seekers for processed refugees is Labor's version of the so-called Pacific Solution.
"I don't think it looks anything like that at all," he told reporters in Canberra.
Under the deal Australia will transfer 800 boat people for processing in exchange for taking 4000 declared refugees from Malaysia.
The deal has been criticised by the opposition and refugee and human rights groups.
Mr Swan said the arrangement with Malaysia would include involvement by the United Nations refugee agency, something not part of the Howard government's Pacific Solution.
He insisted the deal was a regional solution within the Bali framework on tackling people smuggling.
"That allows for agreements between countries and it also means that we are having direct involvement from the United Nations in this process.
"Nothing would contrast more than that with the previous approach of the previous government."
UNHCR involved in meetings: Bowen
Immigration Minister Chris Bowen said a representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees had been involved in meetings between the two nations.
"The UNHCR does not get involved in these sorts of discussions and get involved in implementing this if they think there's a likelihood of a negative outcome for genuine asylum seekers," he told ABC Radio.
Mr Bowen was responding to concerns the UN agency raised in a report about Malaysia's treatment of asylum seekers, citing instances of detention, whipping and deportation.
Malaysia had given a commitment at the prime ministerial level and the ministerial level that the transferred asylum seekers would be treated with dignity and respect.
"(They) won't be returned to danger if they're in genuine need of international protection," Mr Bowen said.
Discussions had been held with Malaysia about "an ongoing implementation taskforce" to monitor the swap arrangements.
Mr Bowen took aim at Opposition Leader Tony Abbott, accusing him of hypocrisy over the coalition's stance on the deal.
"Tony Abbott ... promised to increase the refugee intake to 15,000 at the election," he said.
Malaysia: Strong signal
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak says an asylum-seeker transfer deal with Australia will send a strong signal to people smugglers, adding however that the timing of when the exchange will begin is yet to be finalised.
Human rights groups have criticised the plan, complaining that Malaysia is not a signatory to the United Nations refugees convention, and that refugees in its detention centres live in
squalid and overcrowded conditions.
"If you're looking for a country in the region that has some of the harshest policies towards refugees and asylum-seekers, then you couldn't really go past Malaysia," Amnesty International refugee co-ordinator Graham Thom told AAP.
The development comes as the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) also agreed to boost co-operation in dealing with transnational crime, including taking steps that would make it easier to bust and prosecute people-smuggling syndicates.
Speaking on the sidelines of the summit in Jakarta on Sunday, the Malaysian prime minister said the asylum seeker deal would be mutually beneficial to both his country and Australia.
It's a big issue in Australia (and) it's also useful for us because we will send a strong signal that Malaysia should not be used as a transit point and that human trafficking is something
that we do not condone," Mr Najib said.
Under the arrangement, announced by Prime Minister Julia Gillard in Canberra on Saturday, up to 800 people who try to make their way to Australia by boat seeking asylum will instead be sent to Malaysia, and to the back of the processing queue.
In return, Australia will resettle 4000 people from Malaysia who have already received refugee status.
The details of the proposal, however, are still being worked out, including when the first transfers will take place.
"This is an agreement in principle," Mr Najib said.
"The details, the movement, the timing is being worked out now."
Leaders at the ASEAN summit have also agreed to fast-track efforts to establish a more co-operative framework for combating transnational crime, building on the success of the Bali Process meeting.
Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, speaking at the conclusion of the two-day meeting, said steps would be taken to "further enhance co-operation on different forms of transnational crimes, not least trafficking in persons".
"In this regard, through our joint statement, we task our ministers to accelerate the consideration of an ASEAN convention on trafficking in person," Dr Yudhoyono said.
It is understood the block of 10 nations will move towards strengthening legal measures for prosecuting people-smuggling syndicates.
The push for greater co-operation on the issue comes after Indonesia recently made people smuggling illegal, introducing penalties of between five and 15 years in prison.
Earlier, the Malaysian leader said he supported greater regional co-operation.
It's not a problem that we can solve unilaterally. It has to be (done) bilaterally, as well as, with the help of multilateral associations," he said.
Mr Najib said the asylum seekers taken to his country from Australia would be treated humanely.
"What is important is the entire operation will be conducted under the auspices of UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) and the IOM (International Organisation for Migration) as well," he said.
"The international bodies will be involved to make sure we adhere to international laws and ... human rights and certain practices."
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