Kuala Lumpur, Oct. 11 : Deepavali may still be two weeks away, but the city''s Little India districts of Brickfields and Jalan Masjid India are already buzzing with the holiday spirit.

According to the New Strait Times, colors, sounds and smells are already infusing these areas with festive fervor, and sidewalks are already crammed with Indian traders setting up stalls overflowing with Deepavali products.

Textile shop owners are doing a brisk business and some have even fanned out onto the streets to cater to Indians on the hunt for material for the perfect Festival of Lights outfit.

Kuala Lumpur - Malaysian shares dropped 3.6 per cent Friday on panic selling after dips in global markets.

The Kuala Lumpur Composite Index closed at 934.01, down 34.88 points.

Losses were seen in all sectors of the economy but were particularly strong in the financial and construction industries.

Stock analysts attributed the drop to panic selling by investors because of increasing uncertainty in global markets.

"Everything looks a bit gloomy now," a broker at a local investment institution said.

Kuala Lumpur, Oct. 10 ; The Malaysian Government has said that it will take action against the Hindu Rights Action Force (HINDRAF) under the Societies Act 1966 for causing a disturbance during the Hari Raya function hosted by the prime minister and Muslim ministers in Kuala Lumpur last Wednesday.

Deputy Home Minister Datuk Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh said action would be taken soon against HINDRAF, its committee and its members even though the organisation was not registered.

Kuala Kuala Lumpur - Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi announced Wednesday that he would step down in March when he cedes the helm of the ruling party to his deputy.

Abdullah, who is president of the United Malays National Organization (UMNO), made the announcement at a special meeting with top leaders of the 13 parties comprising the ruling National Front coalition.

Ipoh (Malaysia), Oct. 8 : The Perak unit of the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) has been denied permission to hold a Deepavali celebration in Little India here.

This is the first time in 16 years that the celebration will not be held.

The New Strait Times quoted Perak executive councilor A. Sivanesan as saying that holding the celebration would be going against the law.

Perak MIC chief G. Rajoo has been told that his application for holding the Deepavali celebrations in Little India has been rejected.

Kuala Lumpur, Oct. 8 : The Malay Indian community is enthusiastically celebrating the nine-day festival of Navratri.

Navratri, which literally means nine (nav) days (ratri), is a festival of worship and dance for the goddess Durga or Durga Maa.

The North Indian community of Kuala Lumpur congregates at the Shree Lakshmi Narayan Temple in Jalan Kasipillay, off Jalan Ipoh, the venue for the celebration of Durga Maa and three of her reincarnations -- Kali (goddess of purity), Lakshmi (goddess of wealth) and Saraswati (goddess of knowledge).