The Health Ministry today announced the possible Sars death of a 30-year-old male patient who suddenly suffered breathing difficulties after initally being admitted into a hospital for urinary tract infection.

"We consider this case as 'pending' because the patient is young and has no history of travelling to Sars-affected countries or came in contact with Sars-infected patients," said health ministry deputy director general Ismail Merican.

But the man suddenly had breathing difficulties and died o­n April 17, Ismail said. "The X-ray showed a lot of changes in his lungs but we cannot label it Sars yet.

"We have done a post-mortem o­n the body. We should know the results in the next few days," he told reporters.

Ismail said the victim's family is not placed under quarantine.

Two other new suspected cases - a 26-year-old Malaysian woman who lived and worked in neighbouring Singapore and a 20-year-old male patient from China - had emerged in the last 24 hours, he said.

"They are being warded in the hospital for treatment," he said.

Ismail said the condition of another "probable" Sars victim in the northern Penang state remained unchanged.

Still o­n ventilator

The 26-year-old Malaysian tour manager still remains o­n a ventilator to assist his breathing, he said. "His condition has not improved."

Ismail said two other patients in Penang hospital were recovering.

Since the virus outbreak, there have six probable Sars cases reported in Malaysia, with o­ne confirmed death and two discharged.

Ismail attributed the low number in Malaysia compared to China, Singapore and Hong Kong, to quick pre-emptive measures taken by local health officials.

"We were very pro-active from the start," he said.

The disease has killed at least 185 people around the world and infected around 3,800, mostly in Asia. - AFP