Compiled by C. ARUNO and OON JUN-YANG
IN a heartwarming incident on New Year’s Day, members of the public of different ethnicities worked together to help rescue a dog that had fallen into a drain in Taiping, Perak, reported Sin Chew Daily.
Residents of Perkampungan Tersusun Paduka Setia heard a dog barking in distress at around 9am. They found that the canine had fallen into a five-foot deep drain and was unable to escape.
Residents tried lowering a ladder into the drain, but it was too steep for the dog to climb out.
They then sought help from the Taiping Civil Defence Force (APM).
A spokesperson from APM said they went to the scene at around 9.30am and rescued the dog within half an hour.
Video footage of the incident showed residents distracting the dog, which allowed a member of APM to slip a loop on a catch pole around its neck before pulling it to safety.
Internet users said it showed how the residents of different ethnic backgrounds came together, not as strangers, but as one group trying to save a life.
“One life was saved on the first day of the New Year. May this kindness be a great start to 2026,” one netizen wrote.
> Hong Kong police arrested an 80-year-old man after a fight turned fatal at a football field in Mong Kok, reported China Press.
The incident took place at MacPherson Playground on the morning of Dec 29, where two men were engaged in a brawl.
When paramedics arrived, they found a 64-year-old man, surnamed Zhang, unconscious with injuries to his mouth and nose.
He was rushed to a hospital for treatment but was pronounced dead an hour later.
Police arrested the 80-year-old man whose surname was Liang for being in a public affray.
According to a source, Liang chided the younger man for smoking at the football field, which led to an argument.
Initial investigation revealed that the two men got into a physical altercation which led to Zhang collapsing and falling to the ground.
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.
