Johor building crematorium in Pasir Gudang

THE Johor government has allocated RM1.4mil to build a modern crematorium in Pasir Gudang following a request by the Hindu community there, Malaysia Nanban reported.

Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Khaled Nordin, who announced it, said the community had asked for the crematorium and funeral rites centre to be built at the Tanjung Langsat beach area.

The state government has gazetted a 0.8ha plot of land for the crematorium. An access road costing RM400,000 will also be built.

> Police detained 27 farmers in Tamil Nadu, India, after they tried to jump into the Kaveri river with nooses around their necks, Tamil Nesan reported.

The river has been at the centre of a dispute between Tamil Nadu and neighbouring Karnataka state for many years.

In the wake of the latest dispute, which triggered widespread rioting in Karnataka, the Indian Supreme Court has ordered the setting up of a management board.

The move was opposed by the federal government for various legislative reasons.

The farmers, angered by the objection, held a protest on a bridge spanning the river.

When they tried to jump into the water wearing the nooses, police stopped them.