Malaysia announced today it would set up an early warning centre to prevent a repeat of the Dec 26 tsunami disaster which killed 68 people in Malaysia and more than 156,000 around Asia.

Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak told a news conference that a satellite-linked system, using buoys and sensors, was expected to be operating by the end of the year.

"Not all earthquakes cause tsunamis. We are unable to detect tsunamis unless we have this system," he said.

Several countries have expressed interest in establishing warning systems, and Thailand announced on Sunday that it would host a regional ministerial meeting to discuss the issue later this month.

Information and technology ministers from all nations affected by the tsunamis would be invited, along with countries such as Japan and the United States which have offered technical expertise, the foreign ministry said.

US help

A visiting US envoy said in Malaysia on Sunday that Washington was keen to help set up an international early warning system for the Indian Ocean, which would be more effective than individual national systems.

"It has to be international in the Indian Ocean. If each country tries to do it, it is a help but it will be much better if this is worked on internationally," US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs James A Kelly was quoted as saying by the Bernama news agency.

"We're open to international cooperation," Najib said when asked to comment on Kelly's remarks. "We can work together."

Najib also announced that the government would grant families RM20,000 for each victim killed by the tsunami. Local fishermen on average earn about RM30 to RM50 a day.