Kuala Lumpur - Malaysian narcotics police have detained four suspects - three local men and a Thai woman - believed to be part of an international drug syndicate operating in Kuala Lumpur, official news reports said Wednesday.

Police launched a raid at a house in the Cheras district in the capital city on Saturday, and seized 17.5 kilograms of the drug ketamine worth 300,000 ringgit (91,000 dollars), said police chief Ahmad Amir Hashim.

The drugs were believed to have been brought in from India, and stored in the house for local distribution, he was quoted as saying by Bernama news agency.

Kuala Lumpur  - Malaysia's northern state of Perak was bracing for by-elections that could see high voter turnout after the controversial manner in which the national ruling coalition took control of the formerly opposition-led state.

The Election Commission has to hold by-elections for two legislative seats within 60 days after an opposition lawmaker died of a heart attack Monday and another resigned because of personal problems.

Kuala Lumpur - Hundreds of thousands of devotees celebrated the Hindu festival of Thaipusam on Sunday, gathering at a unique cave temple to seek divine blessings
and fulfil their pledges to the gods.

Devotees and tourists alike gathered at Batu Caves, a Hindu temple located near Malaysia's capital Kuala Lumpur, from the early morning to celebrate the richly colourful
festival.

The central figure of the festival is Murugan, the Hindu god of war, who was the son of the goddess Shiva.

Devotees pierced with skewers and hooks through their cheeks, tongues and brows, chanted and danced as a form of offering to Lord Murugan.

Kuala Lumpur, Feb. 7 : ISA detainee P. Uthayakumar's Wife S. Indradevi has lodged a police report alleging that Uthaya was not been given a proper treatment despite permission by the Session Court allowing him to take diabetes treatment.

Her mother-in-law G. Kalaivani, lawyer N. Surendren and Kapar MP K. Manikavasagam accompanied her to the police station, The Star reported.

Indradevi claimed that the Kuala Lumpur Hospital doctor refused to admit her husband when he had a fever and suffered a bone fracture.

Kuala Lumpur, Feb. 6 : Body samples of A. Kugan, whose custodial death had created a public uproar in Malaysia, would be sent to Australia for further analysis, said Kugan's family lawyer N. Surendran.

Surendran said Kugan's body samples, which were taken during his second post-mortem, were initially being planned to be send to Singapore but some reluctance on Singapore's part forced the family to opt for Australia, The Star reports.

Kuala Lumpur, Feb. 6 : Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) president S. Samy Vellu has said that the Cabinet Committee for the Development of Indians will discuss issues affecting the Indian community, including equity participation on February 23.

The news Strait Times quoted Vellu as saying that the committee, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, is likely to discuss MIC's proposals, including the setting-up of a mechanism to increase Indians' equity participation from the current 1.2 percent to 3 percent in 2020.