Ipoh (Malaysia), Sep. 1 : Following Perak menteri besar Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir''s announcement that state executive councillors might be taught Punjabi, the Punjabi Education Trust Malaysia has offered to give free language lessons to the top officers.

Last week, Kadir had said that all state exco members, advisers and other officials would be required to attend Bahasa Malaysia, English, Mandarin and Tamil classes to help them administer the state better and improve the public delivery system.

Ipoh (Malaysia), Aug 25 : Perak Menteri Besar Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir met 17 poor Sikh families after he promised to help the community financially.

The families from in and around the state capital are among the more than 350 Sikh poor and hardcore poor in the state identified by the Union of Perak Sikh Organisations
(Upso) through the Sikh Single Mothers Association (Sikhmai).

Sikhmai is a non-governmental organisation allied to Upso and the only single mothers body for Sikh women in the country.

Ipoh (Malaysia), June 29 : Only three Malay-Indian students in Parek have applied for Dermasiswa or education aid for further studies in last four months.

The New Straits Times quoted state executive councillor Dr Mah Hang Soon, as saying that the state government was concerned about the low education aid requests from the Indian community against 205 Malays and 170 Chinese students' requests.

Dr Mah said the low figure could be due to poor publicity about the aid programme for Perak-born students.

Ipoh (Malaysia), June 12 : A Malaysian expert of Islamic studies has said Islam should not be forced upon a child or a minor because a call to Islam is a conscious submission.

Addressing a discussion titled, “Crisis in Religious Thinking”, Institute of Islamic Understanding Malaysia (Ikim) director-general Dr Syed Ali Tawfik Al-Attas said the ability to think is a major factor for a non-Muslim to decide whether to become a Muslim.

Ipoh (Malaysia), June 1 : The government in Malaysia's Perak state has pledged to overcome the woes of the 28,000-strong Sikh community.

According to the New Strait Times, the areas where assistance will be extended include substance abuse problems among youth, welfare aid to poor families and single mothers, support for Punjabi language education, sports development and land allocation for a gurudwara.

Ipoh (Malaysia), May 20 : Four leaders of the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf), who were released from the Kamunting Detention Centre recently, have asked the Malaysian Government to free them unconditionally.

M. Manoharan, T. Vasanthakumar, V. Ganabatirau and R. Kenghadharan, who were released under a suspended order, told the detention centre''s three-man advisory panel that they wanted the Home Ministry to give them an unconditional release.

Ipoh (Malaysia), May 19 : The Malaysian Indian Congress has urged the Perak Government to name a street in the Teluk Intan District after late Tamilian philanthropist Vallal Rengasamy Pillai.

Vallal Rengasamy Pillai was a well-known businessman. He had financed the Tamil Festival in Penang that earned him the title "Vallal". The Tamil term means generous, magnanimous or a philanthropist.

Ipoh (Malaysia), May 6 : The Malaysian High Court has temporarily stayed a decision handed down by another court giving interim custody of three children to a Malay Indian mother M. Indira Gandhi.

According to The Star, High Court Justice Wan Afrah Wan Ibrahim yesterday granted an ad-interim stay on the order, pending the court's decision on May 14 on contempt proceedings initiated by Indira Gandhi's lawyers against her husband, K. Patmanathan.

Ipoh, Apr 29 : A Malay Indian kindergarden teacher in Ipoh has launched a poster campaign for her missing daughter.

Thirty-four year old M. Indira Gandhi is on the lookout for her estranged husband K. Patmanathan, 40, and year-old daughter Prasana Diksa.

The Star online quoted Gandhi as saying, "The callers give words of encouragement and tell us not to give up hope in our search for them."

"I thank the callers for their encouragement, but we really need information on my baby''s whereabouts," she added.

Ipoh (Malaysia), Apr. 11 : India defeated arch rivals Pakistan 2-1 to reach the finals of the Sultan Azlan Shah Hockey tournament here on Saturday.

Both the teams were locked 1-1 till the 59th minute of the game, but a superb goal by Sandeep Singh in the 60th minute ensured India a berth in the final of the tournament which would be played on Sunday.

Ipoh, Apr 8 : Indian hockey team played tremendously well in a do or die match to beat Malaysia 3-0 in the second round-robin match of the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup hockey tournament.

Arjun Halappa (19), Sandeep Singh (31) and Gurvinder Singh Chandi (62) were the scorers of the day with a goal each to their names.

Earlier, India was stung by the shocking draw against debutants Egypt in the opening match.

The team did not give up hope and ensured that India came out all guns blazing against in-form Malaysia. (ANI)

Ipoh (Malaysia), Mar 19: The Malaysian police is reaching out to the Indian community in the state and asking for the community to reach out in return to build rapport.

“We are aware of the community’s negative perception of the police. If this continues, it would be difficult for us to cooperate and work together,” said Perak police chief Zulkifli Abdullah at the launch of the first community policing event for the Indian community, which was held at “Little India” here on Wednesday.

Little India is a famous shopping enclave with 100 pre-war shops on either side of Jalan Tengku Kelana.

It draws shoppers by the thousands and is an important income generator for Klang, the NST Online reported. (ANI)

Ipoh, Feb 9 : A senior Minister in the Malaysian State of Perak, Dr. Zambry Abdul Kadir, assured that Indians interests would be taken care of even though they have no Barisan National (BN) representatives in the Legislative Assembly.

He said this after participating in the Thaipusam Festival at the Arulmigusubramania Temple in Gunung Cheroh on Sunday.

Ipoh (Malaysia), Jan. 16 : For the first time ever, 100 Chinese families from all over the country joined the Ponggal harvest festival at the Sri Maha Karumariamman Muneeswarar Temple in Falim on Wednesday night.

According to a New Strait Times report, the traditional Tamil thanksgiving festival also saw 100 Indian families and six Australian tourists participating in the prayers and the ceremony itself.

The 100-year-old temple has been hosting the Ponggal festival for the past 30 years. It only started to allow people of other races and religion to be part of the celebrations this year.

Temple priest Kaka Singh said the move will enable others to know more about the celebration. (ANI)

Ipoh (Malaysia), Nov. 26 : The National Fatwa Council may have declared yoga ‘haram’ for having the potential to undermine the faith of Muslims as it could be traced back to Hinduism, but according to a senior government official, it is up to the rulers of the respective states in the country to accept the council''s decision.

Ipoh (Malaysia), Oct. 18 (ANI): Deepavali celebrations in the “Little India” area of the Malaysian city of Ipoh have been launched with cultural performances and dances.

The ten-day-long festivities began on Thursday night, reports The Star.

The launch was marked by a touch of politics as a nationwide call was made for lifting the ban on the HINDRAF movement.

DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang, who launched the celebrations, condemned the ban.

“Deepavali is supposed to be a time of great hope and jubilation, but this year, it will be a somber one,” he said in his speech.

Ipoh (Malaysia), Oct. 14 : The Deepavali bazaar and celebrations in Ipoh’s Little India area will start today. Cultural shows will commence on Thursday.

According to Perak Executive Councillor A. Sivanesan, 86 stalls have been set up for the celebrations and the Deepavali bazaar will go on until October 25.

Local artistes will be performing daily from 7.30pm to 11.30pm in the cultural nights until October 25, reports the New Strait Times.

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.

Ipoh (Malaysia), Oct. 8 : There is land, but no funds for constructing a crematorium for Hindus in the Malaysian state of Ipoh.

According to a report in the New Strait Times, a sum of RM 1.5 million is required for the project. According to Buntong state assemblyman A. Sivasubramaniam, the state government has finally located a site in his constituency for the crematorium.

The project has been pending since April 7, 2004.

Ipoh, June 10 : Malaysia’s People’s Progressive Party is proposing to Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Education Minister Hishammuddin Hussein that a fund for Tamil schools be set up.

It suggests seeking donations from corporate figures and the Indian community, The NST Online reported.

Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s department Senator T. Murugiah, who is the PPP National Youth chief, said the fund would help schools in poor condition and lacking in facilities.

“The fund will finance the construction of facilities in such schools, which are suffering a drop in enrolment. The lack of facilities is one reason parents refuse to send their children there,” he said.