A Malaysian F/A-18D Hornet caught fire on Thursday night as it was taking off, the country's air force said. Malaysia's air force, which owns eight of the US-made fighter jets, said in a statement that the aircraft had been involved in an "accident" at 9:05 p.m. local time. The statement said the take-off incident happened at Kuantan Air Base, roughly 110 miles east of the capital of Kuala Lumpur.
"In the states PAS governs, such as Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah, and Perlis, it has been pushing for policies aligned with its conservative Islamic ideology, including efforts to implement hudud (Islamic criminal law)."
When he took office, Mr. Abdullah initially rode a wave of popularity after replacing Mahathir Mohamad, a domineering, sharp-tongued leader known for his semi-authoritarian rule lasting 22 years.