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Malaysia

Malaysian prosecutor axed in Anwar’s sodomy trial

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – A Malaysian prosecutor who is speculated to have had an affair with the man who accused opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim of sodomy has been removed from Anwar’s trial in a twist that lawyers warned Wednesday could undermine the prosecution’s integrity.
Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail was reported as saying [...]

Read More » No commentJuly 29, 2010

Hopes alive for near-extinct otter seen in Borneo

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – A photograph snapped on Borneo island of an otter once thought to be extinct in Malaysia has raised hopes that there’s still time to save the creature, an official said Monday.
The image of the hairy-nosed otter — sometimes called Asia’s rarest — was captured by a remote camera [...]

Read More » No commentJuly 28, 2010

Malaysia raid for stolen cars nets protected birds

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – A police raid for stolen vehicles found 42 of them at a warehouse in Malaysia — and hundreds of birds and other protected wildlife.
Celescoriano Razond, an official with the wildlife department, says police officers found some 700 birds and caged leopard cats, albino pygmy monkeys and other [...]

Read More » No commentJuly 15, 2010

Facebook in deal to sell site credits in Asia

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – Facebook is partnering with a Malaysian company to sell credits at retail outlets across Asia for the first time, aiming to make it easier for millions of people to purchase virtual goods and play games on the social networking site while boosting revenue for developers.
Electronic payments company MOL [...]

Read More » No commentJuly 13, 2010

Malaysia reality TV seeks young male Muslim leader

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – The 10 young men have washed corpses according to Islamic rites, cried while counseling unmarried pregnant women and joined a police crackdown on teenage motorcycle racers — all before judges on national TV.
A Malaysian cable station has given a reality show makeover to its Islamic programming, and [...]

Read More » No commentJune 28, 2010

Malaysia’s Anwar suffers setback in sodomy trial

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) – Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim suffered a blow in his sodomy trial Friday after he was denied access to statements by his accuser which he hoped would force the case to collapse.
Anwar, a former deputy premier who was sacked and jailed on separate sex and corruption counts [...]

Read More » No commentJune 27, 2010

Malaysia tears down iconic mural wall at prison

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – Bulldozers tore down a boundary wall famed for murals mostly painted by anonymous convicts at a 115-year-old Malaysian prison that once held World War II Allied soldiers.
Hundreds of onlookers watched as excavators broke through the eastern wall of Pudu Jail on Monday night, leaving many heritage [...]

Read More » No commentJune 23, 2010

Authorities begin tearing down historic Malaysian jail

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) – Malaysian authorities Monday began tearing down part of a historic 115-year-old jail where Allied prisoners-of-war were held by the Japanese despite fierce criticism from heritage enthusiasts.
Critics of the controversial redevelopment plan say Pudu jail, which sits on prime land in the heart of Kuala Lumpur, should [...]

Read More » No commentJune 22, 2010

South China Sea Piracy on the rise: watchdog

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) – A global maritime watchdog Wednesday warned of increasing pirate attacks in the south of the South China Sea following six incidents in as many days in waters off Indonesia.
Noel Choong, head of the International Maritime Bureau’s (IMB) piracy monitoring centre said the latest attack brought to 14 [...]

Read More » No commentJune 16, 2010

Malaysian airport staff rescue smuggled tortoises

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – Tortoises may move slowly, but even a little movement can be a lifesaver.
Customs staff at Malaysia’s Kuala Lumpur International Airport noticed something stirring in two bags and discovered 300 tortoises hidden amid shredded paper.
Found taped up inside the sacks were 285 radiated tortoises, 15 spider tortoises, and one [...]

Read More » No commentJune 15, 2010