KUALA LUMPUR, Jan. 5 (Xinhuanet) -- Malaysia has agreed to allow donor countries to use its airspace and airports as transit bases to send humanitarian aid for victims of the tsunami catastrophe inAcheh, Indonesia.

    Kuala Lumpur has granted permission to the United States, Britain, Australia and Japan to use the facilities, Deputy Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak told local reporters Wednesday on a navy ship called "KD Mahawangsa" docked in Port Klang, 40 km west of here.

    Najib later witnessed the sailing of "KD Mahawangsa" to Acheh, carrying 550 tons of dry ration, drinks, clothing, medicines and heavy machinery.

    He said these countries had sought Malaysia's permission to usethe airspace and the Subang, Butterworth and Langkawi airports.

    "In principle, we have approved, but they have to write in officially to us first. We will inform them later," he said.

    The permission to use the airspace and airports was a gesture of Malaysia's cooperation with foreign countries to extend humanitarian aid to Acheh, the hardest hit in the natural calamity,he said.

    He said Malaysia had also agreed to participate in the UN Food Program in Acheh which entailed utilization of armed forces' assets and deployment of armed forces personnel.

    Najib, who is also the defense minister, said the decision to allow the armed forces to be involved in the program was made in Wednesday's weekly cabinet meeting.

    Among assets to be used are the C-130 transport planes which need to perform 200-hour flights a month for six months, Nuri helicopters, CN235 transport planes and "field hospital" equipped with operation theater facilities, according to Najib.

    Najib said the program also sought medical teams and armed forces' engineering squadrons to serve in Acheh.

    He said the government had not decided on the date and the number of personnel to be deployed for the program.

    "We are discussing the details now, we will announce later," hesaid.

    Malaysia has sent the first batch of rescue and humanitarian aid team to Acheh soon after the disaster. They will be replaced by a 103-member fresh team on Jan. 7.

    A volunteer team comprising 150 policemen will depart for Achehon Friday on board a C-130 transport aircraft. Enditem