Chin Peng: "Selamat Tinggal"; earthquake rocks Kuala Pilah (not); Swiss ban minarets, ask for trouble

It's Monday, dear readers; that grim fact is offset by the knowledge that we are on the cusp of the last month of 2009. So, diving right in:

• Erstwhile CPM head honcho Chin Peng, categorically barred from ever returning to Malaysian soil by Deputy PM Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, met the media in Hatyai over the weekend. When asked to say something in BM, Chin Peng chose a poetic "Selamat Tinggal". Sniff.[ Malaysiakini]
• Holy shite, it's the end of the world: 3.3 Richter-scale earthquake detected in Kuala Pilah, Negeri Sembilan! However, according to the Meteorological Dept, no tremors were felt. Maybe everyone slept through it. [Malaysiakini]
• Since we're on the subject of the apocalypse: following the world-endingly bad 2012, a canny Taobao.com user is offering tickets on one of the film's hypothetical arks for 1 billion Euros. Right. [Danwei]
• Brewing-trouble filter: 57% of Swiss voters have approved a blanket ban on the construction of minarets, which they style a "power symbol of political Islam and syariah law." Swiss Muslims are naturally dismayed. No word on how the rest of the Muslim world will react, yet. [Malaysian Insider]
• New Moon's out, and the vitriol is pouring in (Check out Sebastian Ng's review). Besides all that, an interesting look at the Twilight Saga's position in geek culture: shirtless Taylor Lautner is to female nerds as bikini chainmail is to male nerds. [The Escapist]

(Photo from LA Times)