Archive - 20 October 2002

As more bombings are reported in the region after Bali and the Philippines, Malaysia should be prepared for any eventualities, including knowing exactly what is going on the terrorism front in and outside the country, says DAP chief Lim Kit Siang.

Australia announces the postponement of two national events planned for Malaysia later this month because of growing fears of regional terror attacks on its citizens in the wake of the Bali bombing.

Police seem to be bungling every step of the way in dealing with the case of the two anti-ISA activists. First, the police detained the duo overnight without valid grounds. Then, they let the men starve for almost 18 hours. It's no surprise if legal action is taken against the police in this case.

Culture, Arts and Tourism Minister Abdul Kadir Sheikh Fadzir (photo) says that the momentum of tourist arrivals in Malaysia is expected to stay till the end of the year despite last weekend's bomb blasts in Bali which is expected to hurt the tourism industry in Southeast Asia.

Taiwan's Evergreen Marine, one of the world's largest container shipping groups, officially switched its regional hub from Singapore to Malaysia's Port of Tanjung Pelepas (PTP) at the weekend. The move has been hailed as a victory in Malaysia's aggressive campaign to compete with Singapore port operator PSA Group.

Coca Cola is under fire from AIDS activists in the West who are demanding the company pay for HIV/AIDS treatment for its infected workers in developing countries.

Malaysia takes a step closer to realising its aim of becoming a regional Islamic financial hub next month with the launch of an international panel to set benchmarks for Islamic banking. Central banks from eight nations will ink a pact November 3 in Kuala Lumpur to inaugurate the Islamic Financial Services Board (IFSB).