Malaysia today proposed the creation of a Southeast Asian disaster relief centre that can quickly coordinate operations whenever a natural catastrophe hits the region.

Neighbouring countries responded swiftly to the May 27 earthquake in Indonesia but a dedicated centre would have facilitated the effort, Malaysian Defence Minister Najib Razak told an international security conference in Singapore.

He proposed a region-based centre "by which member states will commit a set of forces, made up of civilian and military personnel, in the event a disaster strikes in any part of the region."

"Training and contingency plans could be drawn out and in the event something happens and help is needed, then this centre could be activated," said Najib, who did not propose a location.

More than 6,200 people were killed, some 46,000 others injured and over 139,000 homes in Central Java and Yogyakarta provinces either damaged or completely destroyed by the earthquake, according to Indonesian officials.

Idea tossed at a conference

The Malaysian minister said the proposal, if implemented, should also involve other nations beyond Southeast Asia including the United States and Australia.

"I decided to toss it to this forum just to get some reaction before we really crystallise our thoughts," Najib said at the Shangri-La Dialogue, a high-level security meeting held annually in Singapore.

"And I think that within Asean, we have to show the way but it must not be exclusive to Asean," he said, referring to the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Asean groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Burma, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. They have a collective population of more than 500 million people.

Australia's Defence Minister Brendan Nelson, who attended the conference, immediately expressed support for the proposal.

He said Australia would be "favourably disposed" to the idea of providing disaster assistance "where it is needed and when it is needed" in the region.

"We would be very pleased to participate in any discussions or initiative that has been proposed by Minister Najib," Nelson said.

Australia was quick to send aid personnel and relief supplies when Southeast Asia was struck by the tsunami disaster in December 2004 and last week's Indonesia quake.