Compiled by JUNAID IBRAHIM, C. ARUNO and R. ARAVINTHAN
A RARE statue of the Hindu god Ganesha is among the 828 cultural artifacts repatriated from the Netherlands to Indonesia, Makkal Osai reported.
The statue was carved from volcanic rock.
It is now kept in the National Museum of Indonesia located in Jakarta as a representation of the proud multicultural history of Indonesia and South-East Asia, said the Indonesian Collection Repatriation Team in the Netherlands.
According to reports, Dutch officials climbing a volcano in Indonesia during the mid-19th century discovered a statue that was intended to protect against misfortune.
The statue was taken to the Netherlands back then.
Indonesia was ruled by the Dutch from the 17th century up until 1945 when it gained independence.
> The Tamil Writers Association of Malaysia is collaborating with Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka to translate and publish Tamil literary works in Bahasa Malaysia, Makkal Osai reported.
Association president Mohanan Perumal said they are hoping to release five such books next year.
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.
