A moderate earthquake measuring 5.0 on the Richter scale rocked Halmahera, the largest of Indonesia's Maluku islands, east of Lahad Datu, Sabah, early this morning.

The epicentre of the 9.17am trembler was at coordinates 3.3 North and 128.5 East, according to an alert by the Malaysian Meteorological Service today.

No other details were available at press time.