Malaysian Prime Minister Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has sent condolences to Indonesia over the death and destruction from last week's earthquake, and offered to provide aid.

Abdullah telephoned Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to convey Malaysia's sympathies to the victims of Wednesday's quake which killed at least 23 people and damaged or destroyed 15,000 buildings.

"I asked the president in what way we could help and what form of aid was needed," Abdullah said late Saturday, according to the official Bernama news agency.

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Abdullah also called on Malaysian people to contribute aid to the quake victims.

An initial 8.4-magnitude quake struck at dusk off Sumatra's west coast on Wednesday and was followed by a series of powerful aftershocks, jolting the coastal provinces of Bengkulu and West Sumatra most severely.

The quake and aftershocks were also felt in Malaysia, forcing several high-rise buildings in the capital Kuala Lumpur to be evacuated.