Compiled by GERARD GIMINO
NOT being able to hear and speak is no obstacle for J. Prakash Kumar when it comes to earning a living.
Harian Metro reported that the 45-year-old from Kuantan, Pahang, is selling murukku to earn an income that goes towards supporting his parents.
His father, A. Jayachantiran, 69, said his son began doing this full time about 10 years ago.
“Although he is deaf and mute, he knows the whole process as he has been watching my wife and me make murukku since he was a child.
“Besides murukku, he can also make other traditional treats such as kuih loyang and kuih siput,” said Jayachantiran.
Demand for murukku also spikes whenever Deepavali is around the corner, he said.
However, he said the rising cost of ingredients needed to make the treat has resulted in a kilogramme of murukku being sold at RM60.
“Although there are fewer orders compared to last year, my son continues working hard. I am proud of him,” said Jayachantiran, adding that the treats are also sold at a night market in Kuantan.
> The daily also reported singer and activist Datin Seri Heliza Helmi brushing aside criticism that the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) humanitarian mission was in vain.
“Putting our support behind Palestine is not an easy task,” she said.
On the warm welcome given to Malaysian participants upon their return, she said such a reception never crossed their minds.
“The only thing we want is for the Palestinians to be welcomed this way,” she said.
On Oct 2, the GSF vessels were intercepted by Israel while in the Red Zone in the Mediterranean Sea, with participants taken to the port of Ashdod in Israel.
They were part of a flotilla of 42 boats with 450 activists from 47 countries, carrying humanitarian aid. Some 23 Malaysians took part in the mission.
They were later released and arrived at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Oct 7.
> The havoc wreaked by freak storm in Kuala Langat on Wednesday was like a war scene, said a security guard at one of the affected schools.
Utusan Malaysia reported that the man, who wanted to only be known as Ali, described the situation as nothing like he had seen before.
“I was on duty at the time. At about 4.05pm, heavy rain occurred, and about five minutes later, I saw the winds coming from the direction of a nearby cemetery.
“It was incredibly strong. I have never seen or felt anything like it,” the 50-year-old said.
“The winds even circled the school complexes here twice.”
On Oct 15, the freak storm resulted in several people, including 11 primary school pupils, being injured. The storm had severely damaged homes and public properties.
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.
