Compiled by TEH ATHIRA YUSOF, CHOW HOW BAN and R. ARAVINTHAN
A MAN in Uttar Pradesh, India, was so devastated by his best friend’s death that he jumped into the funeral pyre, Malaysia Nanban reported.
Anand Gaurav Rajput, 42, and Ashok Kumar Lodhi, 44, were childhood friends who lived in the same village, went to the same school and even got married on the same day.
However, Ashok was diagnosed with cancer two years ago and despite undergoing treatment, finally succumbed. His funeral was held last week on the banks of the Yamuna river.
During the cremation, Anand had stayed behind as others began to leave. Suddenly, he was heard yelling out to his friend that he would join him in death.
Bystanders were shocked to see him run and jump onto the pyre, but they managed to pull him out. However, Anand, who suffered burns over 90% of his body, died on the way to the hospital.
> Vacancies set aside for Malaysian-Indian officers in Johor’s welfare departments and district offices must quickly be filled, said Johor MIC chairman R. Vidyananthan, the daily also reported.
He said the practice of appointing at least one officer of Indian descent to such departments started under former mentri besar Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin.
As some officers recently left, the state government must act fast to fill these important posts, said Vidyananthan, who is also the Kahang assemblyman and state executive councillor. The posts were created due to a lack of Malaysian-Indians in these departments and must not be given up, he added.
The above articles are compiled from the vernacular newspapers (Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil dailies). As such, stories are grouped according to the respective language/medium. Where a paragraph begins with a >, it denotes a separate news item.
