Kuala Lumpur  - A 33-year-old Malaysian housewife poisoned herself and her four children with a weedkiller-laced drink in an attempted murder-suicide, because she was depressed over the death of her brother, a news report said Friday.

Family members of R Seetha had returned from a prayer ceremony for the dead man Thursday when they found the woman and children groaning in pain at their home in Selangor state and rushed them to hospital.

Seetha and two of her children aged 9 and 5 were said to be in intensive care while the other two children aged 7 and 3 were recuperating in a normal ward, the Star daily said.

The victim's family members said she was distraught with grief ever since her youngest brother was killed in a shoot-out with police Saturday.

According to her husband, she had told him of her longing to see her brother and to be with him.

"I did not take it seriously and am still unable to understand why she did something like this," he said.

The brother and four of his accomplices were suspected of planning a robbery and were killed in a shoot-out with the police.

Several non-governmental organizations have cried foul at the police's alleged high-handedness in dealing with suspected criminals. (dpa)