The government today said it did not face the threat of tsunami following the strong earthquake that struck off the Pacific island of Samoa.

"Because the earthquake is far from Malaysia (more than 7,000 kilometres), the tsunami will not be a threat to Malaysia," the Meteorological Services Department said in a statement.

The department, however, said it was monitoring the situation.

The US-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii said on its website that sea level readings indicated a tsunami had been generated by the earthquake, which had a magnitude of up to 7.0.