MALAYSIA'S METEOROLOGICAL DEPT DENIES SMS ON TYPHOON PARMA

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 7 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Meteorological Department
(MMD) has denied claims in a short messaging service (SMS) actively circulating
here, that strong winds would hit Malaysia Tuesday night, and that Typhoon Parma
would cause another havoc in the Philippines at midnight.

The sms also urged the people to take the necessary precaution and stay
indoors.

An MMD officer on duty when contacted by Bernama, said the sms, which
claimed that the typhoon was travelling at 222km/h, was just a rumour and
advised the public not to panic.

On Saturday, Typhoon Parma hit Luzon, causing massive landslides and
flooding, leaving 16 people dead.

The officer said the typhoon had since been downgraded to a tropical storm
and that it was now lingering in the waters west of Luzon, adding that the storm
was forecast to move westward towards Hainan island, in the next few days.

"The intensity of the windspeed of the tropical storm will create waves in
the South China Sea, but there is no indication it will hit our shores," he
said.

Earlier, the MMD had issued a first category strong wind and rough seas
warning that the strong Southwesterly winds of 40-50kmph and rough seas with
waves up to 3.5 metres, over the waters off Phuket and Samui in Thailand,
Perlis, Kedah, Pulau Pinang, Kelantan, Terengganu, Reef North, Layang-layang, FT
Labuan and Sabah, were expected to continue until this Friday.

It also issued a widespread thunderstorm warning and cautioned that
thunderstorm activities over waters off Pahang, Sarawak (Kuching, Samarahan,
Betong, Sarikei and Mukah divisions) and west Sabah (Kudat, West Coast and Kudat
division) and FT of Labuan were expected to persist until Oct 6 night.

-- BERNAMA