Malaysia will stockpile an anti-flu drug in preparation for a possible outbreak of the deadly bird flu virus which has hit neighbouring Thailand and Indonesia, a report said Saturday.

Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roche will supply Malaysia with the drug oseltamivir, sold under the brand name Tamiflu, which can reduce the seriousness of the disease and the death toll, the New Straits Times said.

The stockpiling is part of the country's national flu pandemic preparedness strategy, said health ministry official Ramlee Rahmat.

"It's vital that we prepare ourselves for any eventuality," Ramlee told the newspaper.

Poultry stocks devastated

The avian influenza virus has killed 42 people in Vietnam, 12 in Thailand, four in Cambodia and three in Indonesia.

Avian flu has devastated poultry stocks in many Asian countries and moved westwards to Kazakhstan, Russia and Europe.

Health experts have warned it could spark a global pandemic if it develops the ability to spread easily among humans.