Lawrence Bartlett

Haron Din - an Islamic scholar, healer, politician and ghostbuster - finds no conflict between his deeply held religious convictions and his dealings with the world of wild spirits.

Conflicts in Muslim areas of Buddhist Thailand and the mainly Christian Philippines have been fuelled by local issues but are getting increasing attention from Islamic militants outside the region, they say.

Raiding parties will arrest illegal workers and the factory managers, restaurant owners and householders employing them, with most facing jail terms and whipping.

The desire of most people is not to continue conflict but to find the most amicable solution, and this is the best time to do it, says Prime Minister Abdullah.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi tells AFP in an exclusive interview that US actions were not always consistent with its insistence that Muslims were not being targeted.

Anwar warns that if the problem was not solved soon, it would only lead to the mushrooming of terrorist cells.

'Among Muslims and many non-Muslims that I know, homosexuality is not accepted. Fair enough, but here the question is how do you use the law and intrude on people's privacy and their own private choices?'

A turtle named Henry heads for the South China Sea one moonless night ...

Several populations of sea turtles in Malaysia are on the brink of collapse and could soon be extinct unless urgent action is taken.

Any proof that Jemaah Islamiah or al-Qaeda are involved in the continuing violence in Thailand will shatter the illusion that the kingdom's problem is somehow divorced from the mainstream of global Islamic militancy.

The huge mandate won by Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in Sunday's elections has finally consigned to history the turbulent era of his iconic predecessor, Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

US President george W Bush had 'a closed mind' and refused to heed warnings that invading Iraq would lead to an increase in terrorism, says Dr Mahahir Mohamad.

The ruling coalition Barisan Nasional won a surprise headstart in March 21 elections, taking 14 parliamentary seats unopposed as official campaigning began at the weekend.

The elections will pit the government against a conservative Islamic opposition which made sweeping gains in the last poll five years ago.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, seeking a fresh mandate since taking over at the helm last October, faces tough challenge in the general election in the form of opposition Islamic party PAS.

One hundred days after taking power, new prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has staged a quiet revolution in foreign policy which has won high marks from foreign diplomats.

Penang, once dubbed the Pearl of the Orient, has updated its draws to include medical tourism, which sends tourists home with added attractions.

One-hundred-and-twenty years after a tycoon had it built for his seventh and favourite wife, the mansion has been painstakingly restored and offers 16 rooms for guests who appreciate a little time travel with their tourism.

A strategy for the sustainable development of East Asia's seas is set to be adopted by 12 countries, after years of research produced a stark warning that environmental degradation threatens entire populations.

Newly-installed Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi signalled at the weekend that elections could be called early as he seeks to win his own mandate from voters.

Loved and loathed but rarely ignored Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad leaves a complex legacy when he retires today.

Abdullah Ahmad Badawi will need more than charm to fill the big shoes left by Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad when he puts on his retirement slippers Friday.

Visitors strolling through the centre of KL in the evening might be handed a menu offering a chance to "Sample our Oriental delights" - and they are not talking about samosas or spring rolls.

The world has been sucked into a dangerous "clash of civilizations" by the West's failure to understand Muslim grievances, Dr Mahathir Mohamad says in an interview with AFP.