[InKunming--Sister Cities]  The Malaysian government has formed a special task force to deal with the increasing number of dengue cases in the country, said Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak on Tuesday.

In a statement, Najib said the task force would be headed by Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and would involve several ministries and local councils. "We hope the establishment of this special task force will be able to curb the rise in dengue cases and at the same time implement preventive measures more effectively throughout the country," the prime minister said.

According to official sources, the total number of reported dengue cases throughout the country this year rose to 42,229 compared to 12,143 for the same period last year. As of June 21 this year, 82 people have died of dengue nationwide, compared to 25 deaths recorded over the same period last year.