MALAYSIAN POLICE DENY RACE RIOT RUMOURS
Malaysian police denied rumours of
race riots in Kuala Lumpur after an armed man killed one person
and injured two others in an attack on two petrol stations in a
racially-sensitive area of the city.
    A police statement broadcast over official Radio Malaysia
called on the public not to listen to the rumours and go about
their normal business.
    "Everything is under control. It's only a small matter and
there is no cause for alarm," a police spokesman told Reuters
after confirming the shooting on Sunday night.

    However, rumours that riots had broken out hit the stock
market and shares on the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange fell
across the board in heavy nervous selling when the market
opened this morning, brokers said.
    Police said they cordoned off the district of Chow Kit and
set up road blocks from midnight after the man, armed with a
rifle, killed one Malay and injured another Malay and a
Chinese. He set fire to one of the petrol stations.

 REUTER
