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.

Seremban, Feb. 18 : A school dropout has been charged with the killing of Malaysian Indian Congress Rahang branch chief and his 21-year-old son, while seven others were acquitted by a Malaysian court.

High Court judge Azhar Ma''ah on Tuesday ruled that the prosecution had established a prima facie case against the school dropout for jointly murdering D. Balakrishnan, 53, and B. Kathigesan, the New Straits Times Online reports.

The dropout was aged 17 when he was first charged with his brothers P. Thana Sekaran, 26, and a juvenile then aged 15.

Kuala Lumpur  - A Myanmar refugee in Malaysia discovered three members of his family dead with stab wounds at their home in Kuala Lumpur, reports said Wednesday.

His 1-year-old daughter was spared by the killers, and found crying over her mother's body, the Star daily reported.

The victims, a 39-year old woman, her 7-year old daughter and their 22-year old relative, all UN-sponsored refugees, had been living in Malaysia for the past three years.

Petaling Jaya, Feb 17 : Selangor executive councillor Elizabeth Wong today offered to quit her state cabinet post and state assembly seat following controversy over a display of her nude photographs.

Talking to mediapersons at the PKR headquarters, Wong said she would discuss with Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim the handover of her responsibilities

Wong, 37, who described the incident as unfortunate, said it was an underhanded attempt by certain quarters to smear her reputation.

Kuala Lumpur  - A Malaysian opposition lawmaker resigned Tuesday in response to a scandal which erupted after her nude photos, believed to be taken without her consent while she was sleeping, were circulated widely via cell phone.

The People's Justice Party, led by opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, decided Tuesday to accept Elizabeth Wong's resignation as assemblyman for the central Selangor state.