Kuala Lumpur - Malaysia's housing ministry bemoaned the country's low recycling rate which is currently a dismal 5 per cent, far lower than its neighbouring South-east Asian neighbours, official news reports said Monday.

Lau Hoi Chew, deputy housing minister, said the government hoped to dramatically increase the rate of recycling to 30 per cent by the year 2020.

Kuala Lumpur - A Malaysian man suspected of snatching a woman's bag was almost beaten to death by an angry mob that attacked him with sticks and chairs, a news report said Monday.

The suspect, 29, was accused of snatching the bag and trying to run away late Sunday when he was chased and then beaten by a group of angry passers-by, the Star online news portal said.

A security guard who saw the attack intervened and called the police, who arrived to find the suspect suffering from bruises to his face and a broken arm.

Kuala Lumpur - Malaysia has seen 18 deaths so far this year from dengue fever, more than double the number from same period of 2008, the Health Ministry said Friday.

A total of 7,900 people have been infected with the mosquito-borne virus from January 1 to Friday, Health Ministry Director General Ismail Merican was quoted as saying by the Star newspaper.

In 2008, a total of 4,758 cases and seven deaths were recorded in the same period, Merican said.

He added that as of February 14, there had been 37 dengue hotspots that had yet to be brought under control, compared with 39 the previous week.

Kuala Lumpur, Feb. 19 : The Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) presidential election will be held on April 12 and nominations will be registered on March 22.

MIC president S. Samy Vellu said the central working committee decided the dates of elections because the president's term is due to end on May 25, The Star reports.

Asked if he would seek re-election, Vellu, who has been president since 1979, replied: "Maybe."

Former MIC vice-president M. Muthupalaniappan had earlier said that he would contest for the top party post.

Kuala Lumpur, Feb 19 : The first batch of 63 Hindu priests, musicians and sculptors from India have "graduated" from the Human Resources Institute in Malasiya. The group, comprising 22 priests, 22 musicians and 19 sculptors, and representing 31 temples across India underwent a one-day induction course.

The group was the first in Malaysia to receive such a certificate.

Human Resources Minister Dr S. Subramaniam said the induction programme, a condition imposed by the Immigration Department after a cabinet decision, was to familiarise them with the workplace, local culture and laws.

Kuala Lumpur - Malaysian police killed six suspects and detained four female accomplices who were believed to be involved in a series of recent armed robberies in several states, news reports said Wednesday.

Acting on a tip, a team of eight policemen raided a house on Tuesday night in the northern state of Kedah suspected of being used for illegal gold smelting, state police chief Syed Ismail Syed Azizan said.