At least four foreign embassies in Kuala Lumpur received suspicious packages today, prompting a security scare and the evacuation of the Japanese mission, diplomats said.

The Japanese, German, Philippine and Singaporean embassies confirmed that parcels were delivered to their missions.

A German diplomat said the Canadian and Thai embassies also received similar packages today, but officials could not be contacted for confirmation.

Japanese embassy press attache Satoshi Tamai said staff were evacuated after lunch when a suspicious-looking envelope was found in the mail.

Police, a bomb disposal unit and fire engines went to the scene and the building was declared safe three hours later.

"We can tell you it was suspicious mail and we reported it to the police," Tamai said. "The contents are still being investigated to see if it's biological stuff and I think we are still waiting for the results."

A city police official told AFP on condition of anonymity that the package contained an unidentified liquid.

Foul-smelling CD

German embassy spokeswoman Susanne Baumann said the mission received a package containing a foul-smelling compact disc. Police were immediately called in to investigate, she added.

Baumann said the Canadian and Thai embassies had also received similar packages.

The Singapore High Commission and the Philippines embassy both confirmed that they received packages.

"A suspicious parcel was delivered to the Singapore High Commission in Kuala Lumpur this afternoon. The Malaysian authorities are investigating the matter," a commission spokesman said.

A spokesman for the Philippines embassy said: "The package was opened by the secretary of the ambassador, no less. It was a very small package."