KUALA LUMPUR, Dec. 27 (Xinhuanet) -- A total of 44 bodies of people killed by the tsunami tidal waves Sunday had been found by rescuers in the coastal areas of Penang, Kedah and Perlis states up to 9 AM Monday, police said.

    A spokesman of the Malaysia Control Center in the federal police headquarters told reporters that 33 of the bodies were found in Penang, nine in Kedah and two in Perlis.

    He said search and rescue teams, comprising marine police, General Operation Force personnel and general duty policemen, resumed operations at about 8 AM Monday after being called off at midnight Sunday.

    "Search and rescue teams are focusing on Batu Ferringhi, Tanjong Tokong and other nearby beaches in Penang since several people were reported missing in those areas," he said.

    Batu Feringghi and Tanjong Tokong are two popular beaches in Penang Island which was hit hard by tsunami tidal waves Sunday.

    Meanwhile, Penang State Deputy Police Chief Mohd Ali Mohd Yusuf said Monday," a troop from the Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) with 120ordinary policemen have been stationed at Batu Feringghi while 10 officers and 80 lower rank policemen are being assigned to Balik Pulau."

    He said hundreds of residents living in the coastal areas in the two districts had also moved out of their homes temporarily.

    Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister of Penang state Abdul Rashid Abdullah said the state government had given out immediate aid to the victims of the tragedy.

    About 50 people were killed, scores injured and 34 reported missing in several parts of Malaysia Sunday when the coastal regions were hit by tsunami triggered by a strong earthquake in Indonesian island of Sumatra, according to press reports.

    The quake that rocked Medan and Acheh in eastern and northern Sumatra at about 8: AM West Indonesian time (9 AM Malaysian time) was measured at 6.4 on the Richter scale by the Indonesian Geophysics and Meteorology Office.

    According to China Earthquake Administration, the magnitude ofthe earthquake upward to 8.7 on the Richter scale. Enditem