KUALA LUMPUR - Roaming fees for mobile-phone users in South-east Asia making calls outside their own country may be cut by half early next year, according to a report yesterday citing a Malaysian minister.

Energy, Water and Communications Minister Shaziman Abu Mansor said a reduction was necessary as charges were exceptionally high for users in developing countries.

Mr Shaziman said his counterparts from Asean had agreed to the plan during a meeting on Indonesia's resort island of Bali last month.

Mr Shaziman said his Singaporean counterpart, Dr Lee Boon Yang, had hailed the proposal, but did not mention any other ministers by name.

'We plan to reduce roaming charges with Singapore first,' he said.

Malaysia has the second-highest number of mobilephone users in Asean, while Singapore has the highest penetration rate.

Asked what was the acceptable rate for roaming charges, Mr Shaziman declined to say, but added: 'If you ask me, anyone making a call from JB (Johor Baru) to Singapore should be charged a local rate.

'But let the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission and the telcos come up with an acceptable structure.'

'We agreed to get our respective telcos to look into this. From the feedback I have received, the telcos have no problem reducing the charges,' he said.

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