The meteorological department and police advised people living in northwestern coastal areas to evacuate their homes after tremors from an earthquake off Indonesia rattled the country early today.

"This earthquake has the potential to generate a widely destructive tsunami in the ocean or seas near where the earthquake happened," the meteorological department said in a statement.

"The public is advised to evacuate from the (northwestern) coastal areas."

A spokesman told AFP the tsunami warning would remain in effect until 6am as it could take up to six hours for any waves from the quake to reach Malaysia's coast.

Police on the tourist islands of Penang and Langkawi and the coast of Kedah state said they were patrolling coastal areas and warning residents to leave after headquarters in Kuala Lumpur ordered an evacuation.

"We have directed residents near coastal areas to evacuate immediately. Our officers and patrol cars are monitoring the coastal areas," a police spokesman in Penang said.

"They can head to the schools where they stayed during the December 26 tsunamis. We do not want a repeat of the last tsunami where many people died," said a police spokesman in Kuala Muda, Kedah state.

Sixty-eight people were killed by the December 26 waves in Malaysia, most of them on the northwestern island of Penang.

Residents of Penang said this morning's tremors - which hit Malaysia at 12.09am - were similar to those felt on December 26, and fishermen rushed to haul their boats higher onto the beach and then gathered with other residents at community halls, the Bernama news agency said.

"From the experience of the tsunami of Dec 26 last year, our village was hit by the tsunami four hours after the earthquake occurred. This time we are taking precautions," said villager Wadi Yahaya.

Tremors felt in KL

The tremors were also felt in the capital Kuala Lumpur, sending residents of hotels and high-rise buildings fleeing into the street.

"I was sleeping and felt the bed shaking just after midnight," one woman who lives on the sixth floor of a downtown apartment block told AFP .

"Everybody rushed down out of our building and many others. People were just standing around in the streets."

In Jakarta, officials and reports said a powerful earthquake hit Indonesia's tsunami-devasted Sumatra island late Monday, causing major panic and power blackouts.

More than two hours after the earthquake struck, meteorological officials in Jakarta said the earthquake in the Indian Ocean that measured 8.7 on the Richter scale did not appear to have triggered a tsunami.

Ramlan of the Meteorological and Geophysics agency said that since there had been no sign of ocean upheaval some two hours after the quake, it was unlikely there would be any tsunami.

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