COLOMBO (Reuters) - Science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke, at pains to point out that the new millennium does not start until 2001, says the so-called millennium bug could cause chaos in 2000. "So many microchips all over the place that people have forgotten about have been quietly doing their job over the last decades, and suddenly (in) some obscure chip somewhere there will be a problem and it could be a serious problem," Clarke, author of "2001: A Space Odyssey", told Reuters Television on Tuesday. "I think everybody would like to celebrate on 2000 and again on 2001, but may not be able to celebrate on 2000 because all sorts of services may be out." Clarke said there were already reports that some countries were braced for any calamity arising from computer chips, which run everything from household appliances to complex aviation systems, recognising the year 2000 as 1900 and malfunctioning. "This is another reason why it is best to wait until 2001 for the real celebrations," said Clarke, who this month issued a statement pointing out that the 21st century and the third millennium did not begin until January 1, 2001. "They are not my views, I am just stating the fact. The Western calendar starts on January 1… there is no argument about it. If people don‘t see that it‘s their problem, not mine." Australian Prime Minister John Howard made the same point in 1997 — only to be called the party pooper of the century in newspapers. Clarke said Chicago had agreed to postpone its millennium celebrations to 2001 after taking his advice, but others were still reluctant. Clarke said that 10 years ago he had described the 2000 bug in his book, "The Ghost from the Grand Banks", and added that while a few specialists woke up to the problem, it did not filter down to the general public until very recently. "A tremendous effort is under way to solve this problem. Hundreds of billions of dollars are being spent… (but) we won‘t be sure until the day‘s past," Clarke said. British-born Clarke, who has lived in the Sri Lankan capital for more than 30 years, is the author of scores of novels and science-fiction books and the creator of several documentaries. In the last half century, many of Clarke‘s predictions have come true, including his 1945 outline of a network of geo-stationary communication satellites.