Petaling Jaya (Malaysia), Sep 22 : The Malaysian Indian Congress has reiterated its call to free five Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) leaders from Internal Security Act (ISA) detention.

MIC president S. Samy Vellu said that he would raise the matter with Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi again, despite having done so many times.

“It is about time they were released as they pose no danger to the security of the country,” The Star quoted Vellu, as saying.

Samy Vellu also said that the Government should not detain the leaders any longer, as this would only prolong the Indian community’s ill feelings towards the Government.

Kuala Lumpur, Sep 19: The Malaysian Indian Congress has urged the authorities to arrest anyone who raises issues related to religion and race that can trigger racial problems.

The government must act fast on these people, MIC president S. Samy Vellu told reporters.

He proposed that an inter-race relations council be established to discuss issues concerning religion, language, culture and racial sensitivities.

Samy Vellu said the council could be represented by the various political parties and religious and cultural organisations.

Kuala Lumpur, Sep 19: The Immigration Department of Malaysia has given assurance that it would speed up visa and permit applications for priests, musicians and artisans from India.

Human Resources Minister Dr S. Subramaniam said the department’s director-general Mahmood Adam had assured him that he would meet all state immigration heads soon to ensure that the government’s decision to allow for new applications was implemented immediately.

Kuala Lumpur - A Greek-owned bulk carrier cargo ship was attacked Thursday by armed pirates off the eastern coast of Somalia, an anti-piracy watchdog said.

The ship had been travelling to Kenya when a group of pirates launched an attack about 200 nautical miles, or 370 kilometres, off the coast of Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, Noel Choong of the International Maritime Bureau said in Malaysia.

The Greek ship was expected Friday at Mombasa to discharge its cargo, news reports said. All 25 crew members were said to be safe, Choong said

He said the latest incident showed Somali pirates have expanded their area of attack from the country's northern coast in the Gulf of Aden to Somalia's eastern coast.

Kuala Lumpur - Malaysia's opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim on Thursday demanded a special Parliament session to hold a vote of no confidence against the government, after his request to meet embattled Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was flatly rejected.

Anwar, who has claimed to have more than enough defecting government lawmakers to topple the government, said the emergency session needs to be held no later than Tuesday to "deliberate a motion of censure or no-confidence in the leadership of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi."

Kuala Lumpur - Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said Wednesday that he might resign before a previously set deadline of 2010, as a dissident party said it would pull out of his ruling coalition.

The small Sabah Progressive Party announced it would quit the ruling National Front coalition because of dissatisfaction with the prime minister.

The decision was hardly a surprise after the party said in June that it would propose a no-confidence motion in Parliament against Abdullah's leadership.

Although the party has only two lawmakers in Parliament, its act of rare defiance against Abdullah underscores the embattled leader's struggle to hold on to power.