Johor Baru, Feb. 6 : The religious Department in Malaysia''''s Johar state has reminded Muslims that St. Valentine''''s Day was haram (prohibited) in Islam.

"The fatwa had been declared in 2005 but the warning was the department''''s yearly reminder to Muslims not to engage in un-Islamic activities," said M. Tahrir Samsudin, director of Johor's Religious Department.

The new Strait Times quoted him as saying that such celebrations involved elements of vice and violated Islamic faith and values.

Kuala Lumpur  - Thousands were left stranded and cut-off from communication after heavy rainfall destroyed one major bridge and caused roads to cave-in in Malaysia's eastern states of Sabah and Sarawak on Borneo island, news reports said Friday.

Thousands of residents living in the interior areas of Sarawak's Miri district were left stranded in their homes due to rising river waters, while landslides and floods caused many others to be stuck in other parts of the state.

Kuala Lumpur - Malaysia's opposition alliance lost control of the northern state of Perak Thursday after the state's royal ruler consented to a government takeover following the defection of three opposition lawmakers.

The three-party opposition alliance led by Anwar Ibrahim previously held 31 parliamentary seats in the state's 59-member legislature.

However, on Wednesday three opposition lawmakers announced their decision to leave the alliance and become independent lawmakers.

Kuala Lumpur, Feb 5 : A split has occurred within the Malaysian Associated Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MAICCI), with three key office bearers resigning en bloc.

The resignations of MAICCI secretary-general S. Rengasamy, his assistant Suresh Kumar J. Gorasia and treasurer S. Tamil Selvan, is believed to be over their dissatisfaction with president K. K. Eswaran.

In their resignation letter tendered to Eswaran's office, the trio said they took the decision as they were unable to discharge their responsibilities of representing MAICCI, the main body involved in preserving the business interests of the Malaysian Indian community.

Kuala Lumpur - A Malaysian farmer was gored by his neighbour's cow while he tried to free the animal's leg from a barbed-wire fence, news reports said Thursday.

Salleh Saamah, 89, suffered a broken rib and injuries to his head after the enraged cow, who had gotten itself entangled in the fence, attacked him Tuesday, the New Straits Times daily said.

Kuala Lumpur  - A Indonesian teenager was killed instantly when a modified firecracker exploded and hit him on the head in Malaysia's eastern state of Sarawak, a news report said Wednesday.

The 19-year-old victim was believed to have placed a firecracker inside a metal pipe with the hope of launching the explosive when the accident occurred, said Miri district police chief Jamaluddin Ibrahim.

"We believe that he was checking the firecracker after it failed to launch, when it suddenly blew out from the pipe and hit him straight on the head," Jamaluddin told the official Bernama news agency.