Kuala Lumpur  - Malaysian police have detained 12 people, including six Singaporean nationals, believed to be part of an illegal gambling syndicate that raked in
172.8 million ringgit (52.4 million dollars) over the past six months, a news report said Thursday.

The suspects, aged between 18 and 48, were detained during a series of raids recently conducted in the southern state of Johor, the Star daily said.

The raids also resulted in the seizure of fax machines, laptops, betting slips and mobile phones.

Kuala Lumpur, Jan. 28 : The Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) has said that it will defend the two deputy ministers who went to the mortuary where A. Kugan's remains were if any action is taken against them.

MIC president S. Samy Vellu said the party would defend both K. Devamany and Senator T. Murugiah although the latter was from the People's Progressive Party, another component party in Barisan Nasional.

Kuala Lumpur - Malaysia has imposed an indefinite ban on chicken imports from China following the deaths of five people from the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus this year, news reports said Wednesday.

The ban, which has been in place since January 16, would only be lifted once China has been cleared of avian influenza by the World Health Organization, said Malaysian Veterinary Services Department director-general Abdul Aziz Jamaluddin.

Kuala Lumpur  - Malaysian thieves managed to evade four security guards and six guard dogs to break into the home of a former cabinet member, only to make away with three pairs of shoes, a news report said Wednesday.

One of the security guards at the home of former finance minister Daim Zainuddin noticed the missing shoes late Sunday and lodged a police report, the Star daily said.

Daim and his family were away on holiday at the time of the break-in, the report said.

Kuala, Lumpur, Jan. 26: Indian High Commissioner to Malaysia Ashok K. Kantha has that Indian nationals arriving here for work under a new bilateral labour accord will not be entitled to a minimum wage, but their interests will not be overlooked.

The Star quoted Ambassador Kantha as saying that New Delhi has accepted that Malaysia preferred to let demand and supply dictate wages, but Indian workers would still be "protected" as Indian immigration authorities could bar the departure of those considered underpaid.

Kuala Lumpur, Jan. 26 : Malaysia's Human Resource Minister S. Subramaniam has said that he will ask the Cabinet to look into employing more Indians in the police force at all levels to combat the increasing crime rate among Indian youths.

He said this was necessary in the wake of the controversy surrounding the death of detainee A. Kugan while in police custody.

Subramaniam, who is also the secretary-general of the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC), said Kugan's death had raised concerns among all Malaysians.