Malaysia hopes to declare the country free of the bird flu virus by the end of the year, Agriculture Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said today.

"There are no new cases. We hope within this month if there is no new outbreak we will make an announcement," Muhyiddin told reporters.

But Muhyiddin said Kuala Lumpur would not rush to declare the country free of the deadly virus and veterinary officials had been ordered to conduct more frequent tests and maintain stringent surveillance.

"While Malaysia can say it is free (of the virus), our neighbours are not free. The danger is still there," he said.

Malaysia's first case of the H5N1 strain of bird flu, which has killed 32 people in Thailand and Vietnam this year, was detected in a Kelantan village in August. The northeastern state borders Thailand.

Fighting cocks

Officials say the disease was first brought into Malaysia by fighting cocks that had been exposed to the virus in Thailand and new outbreaks were caused by the continued smuggling of chicken meat.

While there has been no transmission to humans in Malaysia, Muhyiddin said he was particularly concerned over the fear expressed by the World Health Organisation that the virus could spark a pandemic and kill millions of people around the world within months.

"It means we cannot remain complacent," he said.

Muhyiddin said Malaysia would a host a meeting of international experts on bird flu in December, backed by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation.