Info on Melaka free bus service to include Tamil

INFORMATION on the free bus service provided by the Melaka government will see Tamil being featured alongside two other languages, reported Malaysia Nanban.

The service, which was launched on Tuesday with three buses in the first phase, is expected to cost the state around RM1.4mil annually.

State exco member Sofi Abdul Wahab said it had approved the use of three languages to display information inside and outside the bus.

Sofi, who is also the Durian Tunggal assemblyman, said the new state government did not want to sideline Tamil, which was widely used by the Indian community in the country.

Operating between 8am and 6pm, the service would initially include popular routes in the city and the surrounding areas.

> The Tamil daily also reported that the Tripuati Venkateswara Temple Devasthanam in Andra Pradesh, India, was struggling to convert about 40 tonnes of Malaysian coins tithed by Malaysian devotees.

Millions of Hindu pilgrims, including thousands of Malaysians, visit the temple annually, which is considered one of the most auspicious in the Hindu faith.

Until 2003, the temple management used to convert the coins by weight.

Later, the conversion of the Malaysian coins was changed to reflect its direct value due to the rise in the currency.

But for some reason, the conversion of foreign currencies was stopped recently and the temple committee now had over 40 tonnes of coins in its safes.