The government will spend some RM220 million to set up a research centre aimed at guarding its people against the threat of bio-terrorism and new forms of deadly microbes, said Health Minister Chua Jui Meng today.

Chua said the institute would begin operations in 2005 and would be located in the so-called "BioValley", which has been established south of the capital Kuala Lumpur in line with Malaysia's aim of becoming a bio-technology hub.