'Mahathir's views must be studied'

'Mahathir's views must be studied'

MALAYSIA: Students at a Malaysian university must take a
mandatory course starting next year to familiarize them with
outgoing Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's thoughts on topics
such as globalization, economic management and Islam, an official
said on Tuesday.

More than 100,000 undergraduates at the state-funded Mara
University of Technology's 14 campuses nationwide will study a
collection of Mahathir's speeches and essays when the next
academic year begins in May, said the institution's vice
chancellor, Ibrahim Abu Shah.

"We hope the students would be able to become better members
of society and future leaders by taking this subject," Ibrahim
was quoted as saying by the national news agency, Bernama.

The course is based on a series of 14 books published earlier
this year that compile Mahathir's opinions about politics and
democracy in Asia, globalization, Islamic development and other
issues.

Mahathir, Asia's longest-serving elected leader, is scheduled
to retire at the end of October after a 22-year rule that has
spurred Malaysia's rise from a tin- and rubber-producing
backwater into one of the region's wealthiest, most
industrialized nations. -- AP

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Indian caught with 499 'star' tortoises
JP/11/ASEAN

Man caught with 499 'star' tortoises

SINGAPORE: Singaporean authorities have nabbed an Indian national
who flew in from Madras with 499 endangered star tortoises
stuffed in his carry-on luggage, media reports said on Tuesday.

Immigration officers at Changi Airport stopped the 28-year-old
man in a routine check on Monday morning, but he tried to escape
and the tortoises were subsequently found in his hand luggage,
the Straits Times reported.

The endangered animals are estimated to be worth about 30,000
Singapore dollars (US$17,143) and are not allowed to be kept as
pets in the city state.

Preliminary investigations showed the man agreed to smuggle
the live animals in exchange for just $100, the daily said.

Under the Endangered Species Act in Singapore, a permit is
required to import the tortoises and offenders can be fined up to
$5,000 and jailed for up to one year. -- AFP

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'RP-U.S. ties not only on terror'
JP/11/ASEAN

'RP-U.S. ties not only on terror'

PHILIPPINES: The United States President George W. Bush's visit
to the Philippines next month will go "beyond mere concerns over
terrorism," and will advance mutual interests in the region,
President Gloria Arroyo said on Tuesday.

"This visit goes beyond mere concerns over terrorism. It is
about the mutuality of Philippine and U.S. interests in peace,
security and development, regionally and globally," Arroyo said
in a statement.

Bush is scheduled to make an eight-hour stopover here on Oct.
18 in what is largely seen as a gesture of thanks to Arroyo for
her staunch support in the U.S.-led war on terror.

Arroyo however said that during the visit, the two leaders
would "reaffirm our commitments to key programs that will push
forward political and economic security in this part of the
world."

Earlier, her spokesman Ignacio Bunye said Bush would likely
seek a "post-conflict" role for the United States once the
Philippine government signs a peace deal with Moro separatists in
the southern Philippines. -- AFP