Kuala Lumpur, Feb. 3 : The Thaipusam celebration at the Batu Caves temple of Malaysia may draw a record 1.3 million devotees and visitors this Sunday.

This year the devotees may outnumber last year's one million visitors, who attended the Thaipusam celebration. The Batu Caves temple committee is making all arrangements to cater to the expected massive crowd, The Star online reports.

The committee spent whopping 640,000 Ringgits to improve basic amenities like public toilets and water supply. There will also be more than 600 stalls selling food, drinks, trinkets, clothing and souvenirs.

As for the security arrangements, more than 1,000 policemen will be deployed at the temple grounds and its surrounding area on Sunday.

Kuala Lumpur  - A schoolbus plunged into a river in the northern Malaysian state of Penang early Monday, killing the driver and causing injuries to some of the 23 young passengers on board.

Bus driver Koe Joon Huat, aged in his 40's, was believed to have lost control of the vehicle while trying to avoid hitting a car, and drove the bus into a river, the Star online news portal said.

The bus was filled with students aged between seven and 12 who were attending a primary school near the site of the accident.

Kuala Lumpur, Feb. 2: The Malaysian Indian Congress Youth has set up a watchdog committee to monitor cases of brutality and deaths in police lock-ups.

According to the New Strait Times, the committee comprises seven lawyers and three representatives from non-governmental organisations, all members of MIC Youth.

Acting MIC Youth chief T. Mohan said the committee had already begun compiling the details of the death of A. Kugan from the police and his family.

Kuala Lumpur  - Malaysian airport police detained an Indian national found carrying 7.5 kilograms of the hallucinogen ketamine hidden in soap bars upon his arrival at the international airport, news reports said Sunday.

The suspect, in his 40s, had arrived at the Bayan Lepas International Airport in the northern Penang state Thursday night from Bangkok, Thailand with 147 soap bars hidden in his two bags, the Star daily reported.

Kuala Lumpur, Jan 30: Scientists have found evidence of early human existence in Malaysia that dates back to 1.83 million years, which is proof of human mobility coming from Asia and Southeast Asia, and not just out of Africa.

According to a report in New Strait Times, the evidence was obtained from the discovery of artefacts in Bukit Bunuh, Lenggong, Perak, by researchers from Universiti Sains Malaysia's (USM) Centre for Archaeological Research.

Kuala Lumpur  - More than 4,000 people have forced from their homes by rising floodwaters in Malaysia's eastern state of Sarawak on Borneo island, a news report said Friday.

A total of 4,370 people from 26 areas have been placed at 27 temporary relief centres statewide since the evacuations started this week, the Star newspaper said on its website.

Heavy rainfall in the past few weeks has caused the levels of the state's many rivers to swell and flood residential towns.