The Malaysian government has approved loans totaling 17.1 million ringgit (4.5 million US dollars) for 1,744 tsunami-affected fishermen in the country, a minister has said.

A total of 3,463 fishing boats were destroyed or damaged when the tsunami hit the coastal areas of Perlis, Perak, Kedah and Penang on Dec. 26, affecting 6,327 fishermen in the coastal areas, Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Muhyiddin Yassin told reporters after chairing a meeting with the state chairmen of agriculture committees Tuesday.

He said the Fisheries Development Authority (LKIM) estimated the losses suffered by the country's fishermen affected by the giant waves at 20.8 million ringgit (5.47 million US dollars).

Muhyiddin said the government had also set aside 6.84 million ringgit (1.8 million US dollars) to repair 12 jetties, 12 fish stalls, a retaining wall and 37 fishing projects, which were damaged in the disaster.

"Contractors have been engaged to start the repair work as soon as possible," he said.

All the tsunami-affected fishermen should be able to return to the sea again by March and until Monday, 375 boats were able to put out to sea.

The Malaysia Fishermen Fund with funding of some 50 million ringgit (13.15 million US dollars) will give interest-free loans to the affected fishermen.

The total losses caused by the Dec. 26 tsunami exceeded some 100 million ringgit (26.31 million US dollars), Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak said earlier.

The tidal wave, triggered by a massive earthquake in Indian Ocean near Indonesian island of Sumatra, also claimed 68 people in Malaysia.

(Xinhua News Agency January 18, 2005)