KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) yesterday urged action against former Court of Appeal Judge Mohammed Noor Abdullah for his series of ‘racial’ remarks. MCA Publicity Bureau Chairman Datuk Heng Seai Kie said Noor had stirred racial sensitivities by his remarks, including portraying Chinese as ‘ungrateful’ to the Malays for ‘not using much of the national language’. “I urge that action be taken against his extremist stand and irresponsible action,” she said. Heng said that MCA and the Chinese community have always accepted Bahasa Malaysia as the nation’s official language and never questioned its official status.
Airborne laser reveals history
PHOM PEHN: Airborne laser technology has uncovered a network of roadways and canals, illustrating a bustling ancient city linking Cambodia’s famed Angkor Wat temple complex. The discovery was announced this week in a peer-reviewed paper released early by the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The laser scanning revealed a previously undocumented formally planned urban landscape integrating the ancient temples. The Angkor temple complex, Cambodia’s top tourist destination and one of Asia’s most famous landmarks, was constructed in the 12th century during the mighty Khmer empire. Angkor Wat is a point of deep pride for Cambodians, appearing on the national flag, and was named a Unesco World Heritage Site.
Gold import tax imposed
COLOMBO: Sri Lanka announced a 10 percent tax on gold imports yesterday in what observers said was a bid to curb smuggling to India as global markets trading in the precious metal reported sharp price drops to 2010 levels. Earlier this week India — the world’s largest consumer of gold —- hiked import duty on the precious metal to eight percent to stem surging demand and reduce the country’s ballooning current account deficit, as consumers sought to exploit the fall in prices.
Local industry watchers say the new tax in Sri Lanka would push up local prices and claimed the government move was aimed at curbing local traders who smuggle gold into India.
Indonesia terror case traced
JAKARTA: Sefa Riano didn’t try to hide his plans or his beliefs. A Facebook page that police traced to him is plastered with photos of bearded men in camouflage uniforms holding rifles and banners hailing “The Spirit of Jihad.”
One status update in late April apologizes to his parents before telling them goodbye. Another declares ominously, “God willing, I will take action at the Myanmar Embassy, hope you will share responsibility for my struggle.” It ends with a yellow smiley face.
Days later, police arrested Riano, whose Facebook name is Mambo Wahab, just before midnight in central Jakarta. Police say he and another man were on a motorbike carrying a backpack filled with five low-explosive pipe bombs tied together. Riano, 29, is awaiting charges related to allegations that he plotted to bomb the embassy to protest the persecution of Muslims in Buddhist-majority Myanmar.
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