Another fire breaks out at Bukit FRU

Another blaze has started at Bukit FRU, the scene of a forest fire that raged at its hill slopes over the past two days.

Penang Fire and Rescue Department director Azmi Tamat said the blaze at the new location in Bukit FRU was inaccessible.

However, the other fire at the hill has been extinguished together with five other furious flames at Penang Hill.

Another fire at the slope of Penang Hill had not been doused yet.

The location of the fire is close to the Penang Botanical Gardens and has not affected the funicular train service up the hill nor the tourist spot at the peak.

State secretary Datuk Farizan Darus said the entrances of trails up Penang Hill from the Gardens, Penang Municipal Park and Moongate would be closed to the public until further notice.

To get to the site of the fire, the firemen had to drive between 15 and 25 minutes in a 4WD vehicle up the road from the Gardens before walking a few hundred metres.

Firefighters created fire-breaks to prevent the remaining fire from spreading.

Penang Fire and Rescue Department director Azmi Tamat said two teams, comprising 40 firemen, were fighting the blaze with fire beaters and water from a river.

He said both blazes at Penang Hill and Bukit FRU could be put out by today if they are able to water bomb both locations.

Azmi said the Bombardier plane belonging to the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency, which was used to water bomb the fires on Wednesday, could not be used yesterday due to a “technical problem”.

He said the plane is scheduled to continue the water bombing operations at 10am today.

“The plane can carry up to 6,000 litres in a single trip,” he said, adding that it scoops up sea water off Gurney Drive and made up to seven trips an hour for the task.

“The bushfires are on slopes. It is challenging for my men to get to the burning spots because of the steep gradient of about 70 to 80 degrees,” Azmi told reporters at the entrance of the Penang Botanic Gardens on the fire fighting operation yesterday.

Firemen are also battling bushfires in at least four spots in Bukit Gambier yesterday, using beaters and creating fire-breaks.

Azmi said the cause of the fires had yet to be ascertained and added that the hot and dry weather could be a factor.

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KL and #Selangor ink water assets pact

The Federal Government and Selangor finally found common ground on terms that will facilitate the implementation of the Langat 2 water treatment plant project and the takeover of water assets in the state.

Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili and Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) that effectively breaks a five-year impasse that has stalled the implementation of water projects in the country’s most industrialised state.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin witnessed the signing – a signal that the MoU has the blessing of the top leadership of the Federal Govern­ment.

Some PKR leaders were caught unawares by the signing of the MoU, and it is unclear if Khalid has the backing of the top Pakatan Rakyat leaders to agree on the terms.

The price tag offered to the four concessionaires in the state remains at RM9.65bil.

This is the first time that the state and federal governments have firmed up an agreement to work out the mechanics of the consolidation of the water assets in Selangor since the exercise started in 2009.

An integral part of the MoU is the Selangor Government giving an undertaking to facilitate the implementation of Langat 2.

The state has agreed to issue the Development Order and facilitate land acquisition for the construction of Langat 2 that has stalled since 2009.

The water treatment plant is an integral part of the RM8.65bil Pahang-Selangor Raw Water Trans­fer project that entails the transfer of water from Pahang to the Klang Valley.

The Pahang portion of the project that has been awarded to a consortium led by Japanese companies is almost done. But the Selangor side of the job has yet to take off.

The treatment plant can process 1,130 million litres per day and is anticipated to meet the needs of Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya until 2025.

Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili represented the Federal Government while Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim signed for the Selangor Government.

In return for facilitating the implementation of Langat 2, the Federal Government will allocate RM2bil to the state to be used in the acquisition of the four water concessionaires operating in Selangor.

The four are Puncak Niaga Sdn Bhd, Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor Sdn Bhd, Syarikat Pengeluar Air Selangor Sdn Bhd and Konsortium ABASS Sdn Bhd.

The Federal Government through the Pengurusan Aset Air Bhd (PAAB) has also allocated RM900mil for water mitigation initiatives in Selangor as an interim relief until Langat 2 is completed.

Khalid said the funds would be use to build a water catchment facility at Bestari Jaya in Kuala Selangor.

He also said the state government expected to complete the takeover of the four concessionaires within three months, including share acquisition.

He said the state’s offer of RM9.65bil as compensation to the four companies still stood and they had until March 10 to revert.

“A special purpose vehicle company will be set up under the state-owned Kumpulan Darul Ehsan Berhad to manage the water supply industry.

“The compensation offer starts now and we hope to get the reply from the concessionaires in two weeks,” he said.

Khalid assured staff of the four companies that they would be retained, saying the takeover only involved the acquisition of their equities.

Dr Ongkili said tenders for various jobs in Langat 2 would be awarded soon.

“We think the construction work can begin within 30 days with the entire project taking three years to complete.”

Asked whether the current water crisis had prompted both parties to speed up the restructuring exercise, Dr Ongkili said they had been discussing the issue since last year.

“We have worked hard for more than seven months to reach a consensus and hope water concessionaires in the state will give full cooperation to ensure the success of the restructuring initiative,” he said.

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#Selangor residents can expect water supply every two days

Residents in Selangor who have been without water for the past few weeks can expect supply every two days.

Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim said the “rationing” will start today, when the water company Syabas is due to give details of the exercise.

The “scheduled distribution” – as SPAN, the National Water Services Commission, calls it – will affect Ulu Langat and Kuala Langat, where taps have been dry since Feb 7 in some 42,000 households.

Businesses – including food stalls and restaurants, laundries and hair dressing saloons – in the two districts have also been badly affected by the prolonged supply disruption.

The severe dry spell in the state had caused the concentration of pollutants, in particular ammonia, in the Langat river to be excessively high, forcing the Bukit Tampoi and Batu 11 Cheras treatment plants to be shut down.

Khalid said the affected households were those which received their supply from the Bukit Tampoi, Batu 11 Cheras, Sungai Rasa and the Sungai Selangor Phase 1, 2 and 3 treatment plants.

These last four which get raw water from Sungai Selangor will reduce their intake in stages to protect the reserve in the dam, which is already at critical level, Khalid added after attending the monthly gathering of civil servants here.

It is learnt that the Bukit Tampoi and Batu 11 Cheras plants have a limited amount of treated water under storage that they would supply to consumers during the rationing period.

Khalid said Syabas tankers and static tanks would also be sent to affected areas during the rationing, and added that the exercise would continue until the rainy season, which is not expected until the middle of next month.

If the rainy season came earlier, the rationing would be discontinued, he added.

SPAN said the Selangor Govern­ment had ordered Syabas to activate an emergency plan, including scheduled water distribution to consumers in the affected areas.

It had approved the application from Syabas to implement the measure following a meeting of all the parties.

SPAN appealed to consumers in affected areas to “work with Syabas to implement the scheduled water distribution.”

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Police to increase security at #Sarawak industrial area. @PDRMSia

Police are planning to set up a special battalion comprising members of its General Operations Force (GOF) and marine squad in Samalaju Industrial Park, Bintulu, to increase security in the area, which is part of the main investment area of Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (Score).
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said police's presence to ensure land and maritime security in the area would also boost confidence of local and foreign investors operating there.

"A building has also been identified to serve as a temporary station.

"We are in the midst of negotiating with the state government to identify a suitable site for the construction of a proper and comprehensive infrastructure for the battalion," he told reporters after opening the 12th Battalion PGA Complex and Miri Traffic Centre here today.

Last August, Deputy Home Minister Datuk Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar was quoted as saying that the federal government was planning to build a Class A police station in Samalaju at an estimated cost of RM14 million.

Meanwhile, Khalid said the police would rent a premises in Desa Senadin to be turned into a temporary station to increase police presence in the area.

"I was informed by the State Communication Assistant Minister Datuk Lee Kim Shin that Desa Senadin had a population of over 100,000, but there was no police station," he said.

He said this was also to facilitate the police's Motorcycle Patrol Unit (URB) team, which would be expanded to the area soon. -- BERNAMA

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Genting Highlands bus crash report made public today. @HishammuddinH2O

The evaluation report on the Genting bus crash tragedy on Aug 21 last year has been officially released with 51 recommendations made to face similar incidents in the future, said acting Transport Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein.

He said the recommendations were not limited to the bus crash but can be applied to all hill side roads that were prone to accidents and classified as black spots across the country.

The report had proposed 16 recommendations on involving roads, 20 recommendations on vehicles, eight recommendations on safe operation practices, four recommendations on emergency response and rescue as well as three recommendations on strengthening and empowering the public for road safety.

Among them include establishing a nationwide systematic road safety assessment and risk mapping, strengthening the enforcement for the use of safety barrier at high risk sections, review the existing approval and licensing processes of public service and goods vehicle, setting up a national roll-out of computer aided dispatch (CAD 999) systems.

"The independent advisory panel had also been extended to become the National Transportation Safety Board after a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

"The board is tasked to advise, investigate, analyse and submit report of any recommendations to the Transport Ministry involving any road safety isssues, railways, and maritime," he said in a news conference at the Defence Ministry headquarters on Thursday.

It understood that the evaluation report can be obtained at the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety and Research website.

In the report, the panel acknowledge that many factors contributed to the crash however it is concerned that the issues are institutional and system based.

The report elaborated that these concerns points that the problems are not isolated cases.

"With this view, the panel decided that the proposed recommendations would not only be specific to the case but also applicable to transport industry as a whole," it stated.

In the accident at Kilometre 3.6 Jalan Genting Highlands-Kuala Lumpur, 37 people were killed while 16 others were injured, making it the worst ever road tragedy in the country.

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Dept battles to contain Gunung Tempurung bushfire

The Perak Fire and Rescue Department battled hard to contain a bushfire that had consumed more than 4ha of forest on the slopes of Gunung Tempurung, located near the Sungai Siput Selatan new village in Kampar.

The department’s Zone 1 chief Ruhisha Haris said firemen had difficulties accessing the limestone mountain as the slopes there were nearly vertical, at between 80 and 90 degrees.

Ruhisha said the department received reports about the fire at about 7.47pm on Saturday.

“A team was immediately deployed to inspect the mountain on the night itself. We could see smoke around us but there was nothing much we could do due to low visibility at the affected area,” he said.

Ruhisha added that the team scouted the mountain again yesterday on a helicopter to get a better picture of the fire, which is not totally doused yet on account of the difficult terrain and dry weather.

“We managed to carry out operations to prevent the fire from spreading,” he said, adding that a task force has been formed to monitor the progress.

“Rain is expected over the next few days, and I hope the downpour could help to douse the fire,” said Ruhisha, who revealed that the site of the fire was about half a kilometre away from the nearest settlements, and as such, posed no immediate danger to anyone.

“Preliminary investigations showed that the fire occurred due to natural causes,” he said.

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Policeman charged with murder of Special Branch officer

 A policeman was charged in a magistrate's court here on Friday with the murder of his colleague early this month.

Kpl Wan Masrul Faiezie Wan Mustapha, 33, who was attached to the Special Branch in Bukit Aman police headquarters here, was accused of killing L/Kpl  Thivakar Thangavelu, 27, by a roadside of Jalan Negeri Sembilan at Bukit Persekutan here between 4.11pm and 4.50pm on Feb 4.

He was charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code.

No plea was recorded and no bail was offered.

Magistrate Erry Shahriman Nor Aripin fixed Apr 14 for mention pending post-mortem and chemist reports.

L/Kpl Thivakar was shot point-blank twice on the head.

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THERESA COCK’C SATIRE

For Chinese, Chinese New Year celebration symbolises the beginning, in fate and life. When I watched Teresa Cock’s Chinese New Year video, I thought she was only joking that Horse Year 2014 is not a good year due to price hike, insulting Malaysia’s security, calling the shooting incident in Sabah as a competition, the people in Johor are allegedly in fear due to rising crime rates and that Malaysians are stupid due to lack of quality education. I thought it is all joke, but it becomes like a “Drunken Monkey” movie.

The joke became worse when it garnered public’s response and NGO’s ire, leading to police reports. Theresa Cock became anxious thus she too, lodged a police report. Why do we need to lodge a report over a joke? Theresa need to watch P.Ramlee’s “Labu dan Labi.”

I saw them demonstrating and stamping on Teresa Cock’s photo as well as smearing cock’s blood on the image of her—it is akin to “Labu dan Labi.” I became speechless, why should Theresa Cock get angry, it is merely a joke.

Theresa Cock explained that her provocation was merely a joke. It’s the same with “Labu dan Labi.” I thought again, if it is funny, it is funny. Why  is there a need to be serious?

So, when the public and NGOs made a joke by putting men’s genital (Big Cock) on her head, smearing the cock’s blood and stamped their foot on her image, offered thousands of Ringgit for reward to those who slap her, I think it is a joke too. It is funny.

If Theresa Cock said that her CNY video is a joke, the public and NGOS’ actions are jokes too. We did not see any “Cock” on head while lodging a police report? If there was, the female police would have run!

You just like to make racist jokes. When people retaliate with their jokes, you got angry. You are really good at pretending!

Ooops, I forgot, even Terersa Cock’s name is a joke…

Maybe Teresa Cock fails to understand, even the Chinese adage said, ‘Kill a cock to scare thousand monkeys’! So, sacrificing a cock and smearing cock’s blood on her head is a joke too, why should she be scared and lodged a police report.

When Teresa Cock lodged a police report, I rationally though, is lodging a police report a world-class joke? The question is, Teresa Cock does not trust the police? Another joke! You do not trust a police but you lodged a report to them…Isn’t that a joke?

Now only Teresa Cock understands the limitations of a joke. Just like a Malay adage, you only realised after you got hit. You cannot undo your action. To say Theresa Cock is stupid, she’s smart. A Member of Parliament. Maybe she is an MP for the Chinese only. Hence why she does not understand the nationalism spirit in Malaysia.

Do not be like Salman Rushdie who insulted Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and wife. The clerics and Imam Khomeini issued a fatwa saying Salman Rushdie must be killed for insulting Islam and Muslims. Does Theresa Cock view this as a joke as well? Salman went in hiding for years due to fear of getting killed, does hiding for years is a joke too!

What is happening in our country? Everything is a joke. Religion, national security are being made fun of, should we continue with this joke? What kind of an MP who put her self interest above the national interest?

Anyway, sorry to say, I forgot, does a Chinese woman who is approaching her 50s is considered a joke? How does she satiate her desires? No wonder her name’s Cock, and no wonder people put a Big Cock on her head! Opps don’t be mad, it is only a joke.

Do not build the house at the beachside if one fears the waves. If you are afraid of resistance, do not simply make fun of everything. 

 

Source : kelateloni

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Malaysian couple charged in Sweden

The Malaysian couple in Sweden who were alleged to have hit their child has been charged in a Stockholm court.

Swedish media reports said that Azizul Raheem Awalludin and his wife Shalwati Nurshal were charged yesterday with assault and “gross violation of their children’s integrity”.

“In my judgment, the children’s information, given in a video testimony with the police, is credible,” Radio Sweden quoted district prosecutor Anna Arnell as saying.

“Along with other supportive evidence, like witnesses and items confiscated from the home, there is good support for the indictment,” Arnell added.

The report said that the offences allegedly took place in the family’s home in Spånga, a Stockholm suburb, between September 2012 and December 2013.

Shalwati and her husband were arrested on Dec 20 last year after one of their children told staff at his school that he had been hit.

The staff then reported the matter to the authorities.

Sweden has tough laws against corporal punishment with offenders liable to face imprisonment of up to six years if convicted on the charge of gross violation of a child’s integrity.

Meanwhile, English language news website The Local quoted Shalwati’s lawyer Kristofer Stahre as saying that his client was relieved that the prosecutor had finally brought charges, as she would now be able to prove her innocence.

“She has been waiting a long time for this; it’s been a tough time for her in jail but now she is seeing the light at the end of the tunnel,” said Stahre.

“It’s difficult to speculate what will happen but of course I hope my client will be freed. She hasn’t done any of the things of which she’s been accused of,” he added.

The news reports said that the trial is set to begin next Tuesday and that it was expected to last 10 days.

Stahre and Malaysian Embassy officials in the Swedish capital could not be reached for comment.

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MAHB share on uptrend despite KLIA2 delay

Airport operator Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd’s (MAHB) share price was on an uptrend yesterday, reaching a high of RM8.26 before closing five sen up to RM8.20, despite the opening of KLIA2 being potentially delayed once again.

There were 1.57 million shares done.

KLIA2, the new low-cost carrier terminal (LCCT), has missed several deadlines for opening, with the last one scheduled for April 30 before being moved to May 2.

Analysts were mixed on the possible delay, following news that MAHB had yet to receive the certificate of completion and compliance (CCC) for the terminal from main joint venture contractor UEMC-Bina Puri, which had been scheduled for Jan 31.

It has been found that 65% of the main terminal did not comply with fire and safety standards upon inspection by Indah Water Konsortium Sdn Bhd, the Sepang Municipal Council and the Fire and Rescue Department in the last week of January. There were cracks in a sewerage pipe outside the terminal, and parts of the road and drainage were not fit for use. Their recommendation is essential for the issuance of the CCC.

“This is a big disappointment, given that management had briefed that everything was on track during the fourth quarter ended Dec 31, 2013 analyst briefing held on Jan 27, 2014 – just one week ago,” said Maybank Investment Bank Research analysts.

Although MAHB remains firm on the May 2 opening date, without the CCC, KLIA2 would not be able to commence the operational readiness and airport transfer (ORAT). “ORAT is an exhaustive and meticulous process and comparable projects of this scale have typically consumed three to six months, never less than three months. Based on this, we think a delay to the planned launch date looks imminent,” Maybank said.

Maybank has downgraded its call on MAHB to “sell” from “hold” previously, with a lower target price of RM7.03.

However, other analysts are convinced that a short-term delay would only represent a temporary setback to MAHB.

If KLIA2 is delayed by a quarter, then RHB Research estimates that revenue loss from rentals collected and lower passenger spending would come in at RM48mil, 1.6% of its estimated RM3bil topline, affecting only its 2014 earnings forecast.

Passenger traffic is expected to remain robust, as congestion at the LCCT is unlikely to deter holiday-makers from travelling, said Alliance Research’s Tan Kee Hoong.

“In addition, any shortfall vis-à-vis our aeronautical revenue forecasts due to a potentially slower passenger growth at LCCT, could easily be compensated by the higher profit-sharing contract charges from Malindo Air, which will continue to operate from the main terminal building until KLIA2 opens,” he added.

Both RHB and Alliance have maintained their “buy” calls on the company, with unchanged target prices of RM9.80 and RM10.37 respectively.

Bursa Securities, meanwhile, has approved the listing of and quotation of up to 124.05 million MAHB shares to be issued pursuant to its proposed private placement exercise.

The Star

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Slain cop was on m-cycle joyride

The Bukit Aman Special Branch personnel member who was found with two gunshot wounds to his head had borrowed his friend’s motorcycle to “blow off some steam” from work when he was murdered.

Sources revealed that L/Kpl T. Thivakar (pic) had borrowed his friend’s motorcycle when an assailant had caught up to him and shot him point-blank twice.

Police have since detained a 33-year-old lance-corporal to facilitate investigations into the brutal murder.

It is believed the suspect is with the same unit as the victim.

Acting City CID chief Asst Comm Khairi Ahrasa said the suspect was detained at about 11.30pm on Tuesday at the Travers police station some seven hours after the body was found.

“He is being held to assist in the investigations.

“The suspect has been remanded until Feb 9,” he said yesterday.

ACP Khairi urged the public not to speculate on the motive of the murder.

“The murder of our comrade has hit us hard but we will give an assurance that justice will be served with- out fear or favour,” he said.

At a separate event, City police chief Senior Deputy Comm Datuk Seri Mohmad Salleh said police have seized the suspect’s pistol and several documents.

Asked about the motorcycle that was found near the victim, SDCP Mohmad said it belonged to the victim’s friend.

He declined to comment if it belonged to the lance-corporal who was arrested.

SDCP Mohmad added that the victim was not carrying a firearm during the incident.

It is learnt that a squad from the Kuala Lumpur Serious Crime (D9) unit went to the police quarters in Keramat Wangsa and seized the suspect’s blue jeans, a T-shirt and pair of sports shoes.

Police also seized 20 bullets, two bullet magazines and two mobile phones from the suspect.

Thivakars parents were to celebrate wedding anniversary


The Star

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Sumatra volcano ash blowing towards Malaysia

A thin layer of ash from a Sumatran volcano located 271km west of Pulau Pangkor is expected to arrive in parts of southwest peninsula Malaysia by this morning.

National Weather Forecast Centre director Muhammad Helmi Abdullah said the affected areas could include coastal regions of Negri Sembilan, Malacca as well as Muar, Batu Pahat, Pontian and Kulaijaya in Johor.

“The amount of ash is not that much at the moment, probably a thin layer. It may be a bit hazy but it will be difficult to say how much,” he said when contacted.

He added that an advisory about the volcanic ash had been sent to the aviation industry.

The Meteorological Department in a statement on Monday had said that volcanic ash from Mount Sinabung, which erupted over the weekend and again on Monday, could be blown towards the southern states due to a northwesterly wind that is expected to persist until tomorrow.

“This condition may cause the volcanic ash to move towards the southern part of peninsular Malaysia, which may interfere with flight operations and reduce visibility,” the department said.

The peak of the volcano located in north Sumatra is 2,460m above sea level.

AFP reported 15 people were killed when Sinabung erupted over the weekend, shooting hot ash and rocks into the air. Authorities had evacuated about 30,000 people.

Sinabung, which had been sporadically erupting since September, is one of 129 active volcanoes in Indonesia.

When contacted, an official from The Department of Civil Aviation said that flight operations throughout Malaysia were currently unaffected.

“The important thing for aircraft to be able to land is visibility, which remains good in all our airports.

“If there is a deterioration in visibility, we will put our standard operating procedures into effect to ensure smooth flight operations,” said the official.

The Jakarta Post reported that the Indonesian government had raised the status on another 19 volcanoes in the country to alert level, which is the second-highest category in the wake of the Sinabung eruption.

The National Disaster Mitigation Agency issued the raised status on Monday for the 19 volcanoes, which are scattered across the archipelago, but had yet to call for the evacuation of residents nearby.

In Johor Baru, state Department of Environment (DOE) director Mokhtar Abdul Majid said they would be taking Air Pollutant Index (API) readings every hour to assess the air quality.

“All this depends on the direction and speed of the wind but we will issue updates accordingly,” he said.

“Currently, (as of 5.30pm yesterday) there is no need to worry as the API reading for the state is an average of 50,” he said.

Any API reading between 51 to 100 is considered as moderate, 100 to 200 as unhealthy, 200 to 300 as very unhealthy and 300 and above as hazardous.

Mokhtar said if the layer of ash hits districts here, it would be advisable for the elderly, children and those with respiratory diseases to refrain from heading outdoors.

The Star

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Man claims trial to abducting and raping 10-year-old

A labourer claimed trial at a magistrate’s court here after he was charged with abducting, raping and forcing a 10-year-old girl to perform oral sex on him twice.

Sia Tiong Yap, 29, only shook his head when asked if he admitted guilty to the four charges brought against him.

The first charge was under Section 376 (2) (e) of the Penal Code for committing statutory rape against the victim at a palm oil plantation at Bakri here at around 3pm on Jan 28.

The second charge was for abducting the victim at around 2pm on the same day along Lorong Jaafar, Jalan Mahmod in Bukit Pasir here with the intention of subjecting her to unnatural lust under Section 367 of the Penal Code.

The last two charges were under Section 377C of the Penal Code for committing carnal intercourse against the order of nature.

The first act was allegedly committed at around 2.30pm and the second at around 2.50pm on the same day.

The charges were read to Sia in Chinese and his only response was to plead for bail with the excuse that he had children to look after.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Kartini Kasran however stressed that no bail would be offered.

Magistrate Suzana Mokhtar then set the next date for mention on Feb 20 pending medical reports and urged the victim to hire a lawyer to represent him.

It was previously reported in a newspaper that the victim was on her way to religious classes when she was abducted by the accused.

During the incident, Sia had allegedly raped her, forced her to perform oral sex and also slashed her abdomen.

A plantation worker witnessed the victim being abducted and managed to take down the car number plate and reported the matter to the police.

Police later tracked down and arrested the accused when he stopped at a petrol station later that day.

The victim was found in the passenger seat of the accused’s vehicle with blood stains on her clothes.

She was rushed to the Sultanah Fatimah Specialist Hospital for treatment.

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Water supply back to normal.

The Cheras Batu 11 water treatment plant which was temporarily closed after  ammonia pollution in Sungai Langat resumed full operation at 8.30am yesterday, Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor (Syabas) said.

Its corporate communications and public affairs assistant general manager, Priscilla Alfred, said consumers in the Hulu Langat area could expect their water supply to return to normal.

She said the Bukit Tampoi treatment plant, which supplies water to Kuala Langat residents, remained closed as the water being channelled from Sungai Langat still contained a high level of ammonia.

"The acceptable level of ammonia in the water is 1.5ppm.

"Currently, it is fluctuating between 3ppm and 5ppm.

"The Selangor Water Management Board (Luas) is doing all it can to reduce the level of ammonia."

Sungai Langat, which is the water source for the Cheras Batu 11 and Bukit Tampoi treatment plants, had seen an alarming spike in ammonia levels, forcing their closure since Thursday.

This had caused water supply disruptions in 36 areas under the Hulu Langat and Kuala Langat districts.

However, disruptions were minimal as Syabas was able to divert water from other places to sustain supply in the affected areas.

"The overall demand for water during this festive period dropped, hence, we were able to manage the disruption quite effectively."

As at noon yesterday, ammonia levels at the Bukit Tampoi treatment plant still showed a high reading of 5ppm.

Luas director Mohd Khairi Selamat said there were signs of reduction in the ammonia level.

He said he was optimistic that the plant could resume operations today if no additional effects were found.

Residents in the affected areas had expressed relief the water disruption was not severe enough to affect their Chinese New Year plans.

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