FORMER immigration minister Philip Ruddock has added to the pressure on Tony Abbott to do a deal with Labor on asylum seekers, saying a compromise could include Labor's preferred option of processing in Malaysia if that country formalised a promise not to return refugees to countries of persecution.

And another former Howard government minister, Alexander Downer, has called for a deal, saying Mr Abbott should let his team of shadow ministers sit down and talk with government ministers to break the political impasse on offshore processing before Christmas.

Former immigration minister Philip Ruddock, pictured in October, has weighed in on the offshore-processing debate, putting pressure on Opposition Leader Tony Abbott. Credit:AFR

''The public want the government to do something about this, when you see those people drowning - it's heart-wrenching stuff,'' Mr Downer said.

Labor has offered private negotiations with the Coalition to break the deadlock over its so-called Malaysia solution, revealing yesterday that Prime Minister Julia Gillard had written to Mr Abbott last week urging action as the weather worsened, and offering to recall Parliament days before the latest sinking.