A Malaysian deputy minister warned today that the deadly bird flu virus may spread nationwide after two more outbreaks were reported in Perak.

"There is always the possibility (of this)," Mah Siew Keong, deputy agriculture minister, told reporters.

"We hope there will be not be many more new cases. We are taking all the steps. The ministry is concerned at the outbreaks."

An official in Perak reported three new outbreaks of the H5N1 strain there, at Changkat Legong and at Titi Gantung - which is 60km to the west of Changkat Legong - and Taman Lapangan Perdana in Ipoh.

But no birds have died of the disease in the two areas, Perak agriculture committee chairman Mohamad Radzi Manan was quoted as saying by Bernama news agency.

Mohamad Radzi said veterinary officials have began to slaughter poultry in the two areas and expect to kill some 3,000 birds.

Separately, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi told reporters the outbreak was under control and that he had met with Agriculture Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and Health Minister Chua Soi Lek following the latest outbreaks, one of which is not far from his own constituency.

"Both of them are managing the situation very well," he said adding that Malaysia was always in a state of readiness to deal with new outbreaks.

Muhyiddin said authorities would start taking samples from fowls nationwide for H5N1 after the latest outbreaks.

"We have instructed all state veterinary directors to carry out comprehensive samplings. Previously, we tested only the affected areas but now each state must do it," he was quoted as saying by the Bernama news agency.

He said a comprehensive plan would be drawn up to deal with the possibility of a nationwide outbreak.

Govt on full alert

In the first outbreak in Malaysia in more than a year, H5N1 was detected last month in 40 free-range chickens in four villages in Gombak, north of Kuala Lumpur.

Last Thursday Malaysia announced outbreaks of H5N1 in an eco-park and at Changkat Tualang, which is within 5km of Changkat Legong.

On Monday an outbreak of H5N1 was announced in Permatang Bagak village in mainland Penang, which borders Perak.

"Unfortunately, yesterday the bird flu was confirmed in mainland Penang. So it means since last month's outbreak in Gombak, it has spread to Perak and now it is confirmed in Penang," Mah said, adding that authorities have yet to confirm how the birds were infected.

Mah said the government was on full alert to stop the spread of the disease which was threatening the lucrative poultry industry.

He said neighbouring Singapore has banned poultry imports from Perak, which is one of Malaysia's biggest exporters of poultry.

Officials have slaughtered tens of thousands of birds at the site of outbreaks. No human cases of bird flu have been reported so far in the country.

About 100 people have died from bird flu since 2003, most of them in Asia.