"Religious status of dad and children for high court to determine" (The Sun, 2012-Feb-03)

The Federal Court yesterday remitted to the High Court the case of a storekeeper and his three children who are fighting to establish ... whether or not they are Muslims ... Zaina, 60, and his two sons and daughter had ... filed an originating summons in the Shah Alam High Court seeking a declaration that they were never Muslims as they had never practised Islam or professed it to be their religion ... Zaina said his father had converted to Islam for the purpose of marriage but had continued to live as a Hindu, and that as such he (Zaina) too had continued to practise Hindu rituals and customs. He said that he had by deed poll in early March 1973 changed his name to S. Maniam. In 1980 he registered a non-Muslim marriage and his three children carried Hindu names. However his identity card and other official records carried the Muslim name. The federal and Selangor state governments and the Selangor Islamic Religious Council contended that Zaina and his family were still bound by Islamic law as they had not obtained the consent of the Syariah Court to leave the religion."

"PAS: Sinful to promote Valentine's Day -- Media, restaurants should not encourage 'sexual gratification' date"  (The Star, 2012-Feb-09)

[PAS is an Islamic political party]

"Federal Territory PAS information chief [Mxxxx] said Valentine's Day should not be promoted ... The National Fatwa Council had in 2005 decreed that Muslims should not celebrate Valentine's Day as it had sinful elements forbidden in Islam. "Free mixing of males and females has led to adultery, prostitution and other social menace including rape and baby dumping."

"Foreign observers not welcome"  (The Sun, 2012-Feb-09)

"The Election Commission (EC) has reminded opposition leaders not to become overzealous in inviting foreign observers to monitor the 13th general election. Its deputy chairman ... said yesterday that these observers ... would have no understanding of the country's election laws and political culture as well as the sensitivities of the people ... [He] said observers from within the country would have a better view of the process as they understand Malaysian election laws, the sensitivities of the people and have an interest in the election ... "

"Malaysia's polar journey begins" (The Sun, 2012-Feb-09)

"The vast Antarctic will become the focus for Malaysian scientists to conduct fundamental research in the future, following the country's entrance into the Antarctic Treaty System (ATS)."

"Scramble for maids"  (The Sun, 2012-Feb-09)

"Some 120 maid agencies are scrambling to bring in Indonesian domestic workers following Jakarta's decision in December to lift its freeze on sending maids to Malaysia ... Based on the initial demand for some 2000 to 3000 Indonesian maids and the likelihood that the Indonesian authorities would only allow them to leave the country in batches of 200 to 300 each, not only would the agencies have to 'fight' for maids, the prospective Malaysian employers may also have to jostle for them."

"Report those who use plastic in frying fritters" (New Straits Times, 2012-Feb-09)

"The Health Ministry has urged the public to report cases of traders who use plastic in preparing crispy banana fritters ... [which could] result in the traders getting fined not more than RM 100,000 (USD 30,000) or jailed not more than 10 years, or both ... He was commenting on a reader's letter to the editor [that] said that banana fritters tasted better and stayed fresh and crispy even when left outside because they were fried with plastic materials ... such as plastic bottles or straws [which] were thrown into the boiling oil prior to the frying of the fritters."

"Teen becomes multilingual after accident" (New Straits Times, 2012-Feb-09)

"Most road accident victims would be marked with scars, but Nnnnn Xxxxx, 17, of Kampung Seri Medang here acquired the uncanny ability to speak in foreign languages following a road accident last month. The SM Nasiruddin Shah student is now considering enrolling in a Chinese school as she can speak in Mandarin, Japanese, Korean and Bahasa Indonesia without ever learning any of the languages ... However [her mother] said Nnnnn, the sixth of seven siblings, could only speak in the foreign languages from dawn until 6 pm."