Kuala Lumpur, Sept. 10 : A magistrate''s court order to ban the Hindu Rights Action Force (HINDRAF) rally held on November 25 last year, has been deemed as valid by the Malaysian High Court.

According to a New Strait Times report, the High Court also dismissed the appeal filed by five HINDRAF leaders to declare the order null and void.

Judge Datuk Mohamed Zabidin Mohd Diah agreed with deputy public prosecutor Raja Rozela Raja Toran that there were no "live issues" before the court.

Kuala Lumpur, September 8 : Malaysian shamans claim that there are too many foreign spirits at a school in Kuantan called SMK Tanjung Lumpur.

Some of them even claim to have “communicated” with the spirits responsible for bouts of hysteria at the school since May.

According to them, the spirits have made several demands for leaving the school, including a special feast.

The shamans who have visited the school say that the spirits claim that the new building had encroached on their area, and that is why a group of students would scream hysterically almost every day.

Wellington - New Zealand and Malaysia are to resume negotiations on a free trade pact, which were suspended in deadlock two and a half years ago, Prime Minister Helen Clark said Monday.

She told a press conference that her cabinet approved the resumption of talks after a boom in trade between the countries.

The latest New Zealand figures showed that Malaysia was New Zealand's ninth-biggest market in the 12 months through July with exports increasing by 50 per cent on the previous year to 876 million New Zealand dollars (596 million US dollars).

New Zealand's imports from Malaysia doubled in the previous 12 months to 1.83 billion New Zealand dollars.

Kuala Lumpur - Malaysia's navy has deployed three ships to the Gulf of Aden in Yemen to protect the country's merchant ships following an increase in the frequency of pirate attacks in the area, officials said Friday.

Several "military and logistics aid" belonging to the Royal Malaysian Air Force has also been deployed to monitor Malaysian ships in the Gulf of Aden, said air force operations commander Rodzali Daud.

"Yes, we do deploy our assets there, including to assist in the operations by the Royal Malaysian Navy," Rodzali was quoted as saying by the official Bernama news agency.

"Perhaps, more (military elements) will follow," he said.

Kuala Lumpur, Sept. 4 : The Malaysian Cabinet has said that its decision that the visas and permits for priests, musicians and artisans from India among fresh applicants would be valid for a maximum of three years and based on a set of strict guidelines stands.

The Star quoted Human Resources Minister Dr. S. Subramaniam as saying that there is no move to consider fresh applications from Hindu temples and Sikh gurdwaras for priests, musicians and artisans from India.

Kuala Lumpur, Sept. 3 : The Human Resources and Home Ministries in Malaysia are reportedly at odds over the hiring of Hindu temple workers, including priests.

The New Strait Times quoted Malaysian Hindu Sangam president A. Vaithi-lingam as saying that while the Human Resources Ministry is in favour of their hiring, the Home Ministry seemed to be blocking the process.

This, he claimed, has spread fear among worshippers in over 200 Hindu temples nationwide that they may not have the services of priests in the near future.