Kuala Lumpur  - Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak on Thursday announced a new cabinet line-up of 28 ministers and 40 deputy ministers whom he said represented the government's focus on reforms and change.

The new cabinet is slightly smaller than the 31-minister strong administration of Najib's predecessor Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

"This cabinet is not only a new team with a new face," Najib said before announcing the names of the new ministers, many of whom are first-timers.

Ipoh, Apr 8 : Indian hockey t

Kuala Lumpur - A Malaysian court sentenced two former marines to nine years' imprisonment and whippings for abducting, raping and then robbing an Indonesian woman five years ago.

K. Paramasivam, 27, and N. Nandakumaran, 25, were found guilty of abducting the woman, then aged 32, and raping her at a cemetery in the southern Johor state in January 2004, the Star daily said.

Kuala Lumpur, Apr. 7: The youth wing of the Malaysian Indian Congress, MIC Youth, has urged Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to consider giving another ministerial post to the party.

Its coordinator T. Mohan was quoted by The Star as saying that this was necessary as the Indian community faced numerous social problems and issues that could only be addressed by an Indian appointee.

He said the MIC used to have two ministers during the tenure of Prime Minister Tun Hussein Onn.

Kuala Lumpur  - Voters in three constituencies in Malaysia went to the polls Tuesday in a by-election indicative of the level of support for newly appointed Prime Minister Najib Razak.

The special parliamentary elections are being held simultaneously for the Bukit Gantang seat in the northern state of Perak, in Bukit Selambau in neighbouring Kedah state and in the Batang Ai constituency in the eastern state of Sarawak on Borneo island.

Results were due to be announced later Tuesday.

Petaling Jaya (Malaysia), Apr. 6: The wife of recently released HINDRAF lawyer R. Kengadharan has said that their house has become a home again after his return from a detention center.

Kengadharan was overwhelmed with emotion as he tightly hugged his wife Dr M. Kalaivani and their three-year-old son Pavan after spending 16 months at the Kamunting Detention Centre under the Internal Security Act, reports The Star.

Kengadharan, 41, arrived at his condominium in Kelana Jaya at 6 p. m. yesterday accompanied by Special Branch officers.