Malaysia has urged Southeast Asian leaders, and those from partner countries including China and Japan, to attend a postponed annual summit now rescheduled for January, a report said Saturday.

The Philippines, the chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), last week pushed back the bloc's annual meet at the last minute, as well as the wider East Asia Summit, citing danger from an approaching typhoon.

The summit is now expected to take place from January 10 to 15, and Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar urged leaders to attend to show their support for the grouping.

"The summit not only involves leaders from Asean members, but also those who will be taking part in all Asean-related meetings. It's often hard to arrange the schedules of so many leaders as these are fixed months ahead," Syed Hamid was quoted as saying in the Star daily.

"We would like to see all the leaders attending the summit to reflect on the importance of the regional body, although we will end up having two summits in the same year," he said.

Partners yet to reply

A Philippine official Friday said all 10 Asean leaders had confirmed their availability, but the leaders of Asean's dialogue partners - China, Japan, India, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand - have yet to reply.

The Asean summit and the 16-nation East Asia Summit including Asean's dialogue partners were originally scheduled to take place from December 9 to 13 on the central Philippine island of Cebu.

Officials denied the cancellation was linked to warnings from Britain, the United States, Australia and other nations about a possible terror attack on Cebu. The typhoon eventually spared the island.