Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is to embark on a tour of Asean countries in January, a trip seen as a tradition for newly-installed regional leaders to cement ties, a report said today.

Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar said the dates for Abdullah's tour of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) members were being finalised.

"During the Asean-Japan commemorative summit in Tokyo last week, all the Asean leaders invited the prime minister to visit their countries as soon as possible," Syed Hamid was quoted as saying by the Star newspaper.

Abdullah's first stops are expected to be Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines - the founding members of Asean, the Star said.

It would be followed by a visit to Burma, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.

Abdullah, who was sworn in as Dr Mahathir Mohamad's successor on Oct 31, visited Brunei on Sunday, in what was his first trip to an Asean country. - AFP