Havoc as heavy rain lashes Klang Valley

Heavy rain, stalled vehicles and accidents caused massive traffic jams in the Klang Valley following a heavy afternoon downpour yesterday.

On Twitter, @LLMinfotraffic reported a flash flood on the Besraya Highway between KM8.7 and 9 (Sungai Besi heading towards Kampung Malaysia), causing a crawl along the highway.

@Plushotline also tweeted that the traffic in Kuala Lumpur was un­usually congested.

Some of the badly-affected routes on NKVE included the stretch from Damansara towards Dataran Prima and from Jalan Duta towards Bukit Lanjan.

Jams were also reported on the Middle Ring Road II from Bukit Jalil, and on Lebuhraya Damansara Puchong (LDP), with crawls from Puchong IOI Mall towards Kelana Jaya and from Damansara Utama and Bandar Utama towards SS2.

As of 8.35pm, Twitter users were still reporting that several roads leading out of Kuala Lumpur city centre were still congested.

Some of the more congested roads were those leading from Petaling Jaya’s Jalan Dato Abu Bakar towards NKVE, along the Sprint highway, from the LDP Sunway toll plaza heading towards the Federal Highway, Jalan Masjid heading towards Motorola, and from Bandar Utama towards Taman Tun Dr Ismail.

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Ex-Immigration D-G jailed for graft

Former Immigration Depart-ment director-general Datuk Wahid Md Don has been convicted by the same Sessions Court judge who had earlier acquitted him.

Sessions Court judge Rosbiahanin Arifin found Wahid guilty of corruption involving visa applications for 4,337 Bangladeshis, and sentenced him to six years in prison and a RM300,000 fine.

She found that the defence had failed to raise reasonable doubt and its arguments were merely an afterthought.

Rosbiahanin also impeached Wahid’s evidence, thus agreeing with the prosecution’s stand that the contradictions between Wahid’s statement to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and his testimony in court made him a suspect witness.

Wahid, 59, appeared stoic when the judgment was handed down and was seen speaking to his wife while in the dock, before being led out of the courtroom.

Counsel Datuk V. Sithambaram applied for a stay of execution against the jail time and fine, pending an appeal against the Sessions Court’s decision.

However, Rosbiahanin denied both points of the stay application, despite MACC legal and prosecution division director Datuk Abdul Razak Musa only objecting to the stay of jail time.

The decision comes as an about-turn, as Rosbiahanin had acquitted Wahid of his charges at the end of the prosecution stage on Oct 15, 2010.

The MACC had appealed against the decision, but on May 31 last year, the Kuala Lumpur High Court upheld Ros­biahanin’s earlier judgment that the prosecution had failed to establish a prima facie case.

However, the case was remitted to the lower court when the MACC’s appeal was allowed by the Court of Appeal.

The panel, led by Justice Abu Samah Nordin, unanimously found that the Sessions Court had erred in its finding that the presumption of Wahid’s corruption could be rebutted without hearing his defence.

Wahid was first charged on Aug 19, 2008, with agreeing to accept a RM60,000 bribe from businessman Datuk Low Chang Hian as part of the payment to expedite the approval of visa applications for 4,337 Bangladeshis to enable them to enter Malaysia.

He is accused of committing the offence in Jalan Lembah Ledang, off Jalan Duta here, at 10.15pm on July 10, 2008, while still a director-general.

His lawyer Sithambaram filed for an appeal against the Sessions Court’s decision yesterday.

He told reporters that he would be applying to the High Court for a stay of execution and to bail his client, but in the interim, Wahid would be sent to Kajang prison.

Wahid, who served 35 years in govern­ment service, has since retired.

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Many cashing in on business of recycling used cooking oil

Used cooking oil, to most, is considered a waste product with no value, but to some it is considered liquid gold.
With the huge potential it holds, many are cashing in and grabbing a piece of the pie, resulting in a largely unregulated industry.

A biodiesel producer, Kris Biofuels Sdn Bhd (KBSB) acknowledges the need for a review of the industry.

Its business development manager Jaafar Abdullah said there was a lot of demand for used cooking oil but because the entire industry had almost no regulation at all, it was open to abuse.

KBSB collaborates with several local authorities, including the Petaling Jaya City Council, Kuala Lumpur City Hall, Shah Alam City Council and Ampang Jaya Municipal Council.

The company was established in 2009 with the goal of producing biodiesel in an ethical manner and, at the same time, create awareness by engaging communities and businesses to help reduce climate change effectively by empowering them through the benefits of using clean energy.

“The business of collecting used cooking oil has existed in Malaysia over the past 20 years but it is only in the past eight years that it has boomed, with many new players entering the market.

“In the beginning, the collectors used to pay shops, restaurants and hotels a paltry sum of 30sen to 50sen per kg, but once demand shot up, the used cooking oil can be sold for up to RM2 per kg,” he said.

“When KBSB ventured into the business four years ago, we had little competition in biodiesel production locally. But we did, and still do, have a lot of competition from small groups who collect used cooking oil for other companies for export and those intend to use the oil in other products,” he added.

According to Jaafar, used cooking oil can be processed into various products such as candles, soap, additives for animal feed and biodiesel that is used in diesel-powered vehicles, generators and other machinery powered by diesel.

“The reason there is an especially large market in Malaysia for used cooking oil is because the price of cooking oil here is subsidised by the Government.

“Since it is much more expensive overseas, there is already a demand in place to export it overseas where they can convert it into biodiesel,” he said.

He said the used cooking oil business was nationwide, with collectors operating even in Sabah and Sarawak.

He highlighted that in the unregulated industry, the problem arose when the used cooking oil was collected indiscriminately from food stalls and kitchens and processed for use in the manufacturing of products such as soap, perfume, candles and animal feed.

“As for the used cooking oil that is exported overseas, it would be unethical that we stop caring once it is out of our country, because Malaysia is regarded as an international halal hub,” he said.

Hence, Jaafar believes converting the used cooking into biodiesel was the best solution for all.

Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) Health and Environment Depart-ment director Dr Hayati Abdullah said the issue regarding used cooking oil was rather tricky and a grey area for many government departments because it was not clearly stipulated in any laws or guidelines.

She stressed that it was dangerous for food outlets to buy and use reprocessed used cooking oil because they could not ascertain the origins.

“The health and religious implications are very wide but the laws surrounding it are not very clear, this is one reason we have little authority to act on it,” she said.

She reasoned that because of the religious complexities here, it was best to restrict and ensure used cooking oil was only turned into biodiesel.

She pointed out that the best way to regulate the industry was at the source, where business outlets sell the used oil to collectors.

“If we can educate the public and the business operators on the big picture of where their used cooking oil may end up, and teach them to sell it to responsible reprocessors, then half the battle is already won.

“Once we have a proper law or guidelines to tackle this issue, then it will empower us and all other local councils to be able to monitor and act on this issue effectively,” she added.

At their factory plant in Shah Alam, KBSB processes almost 20 tonnes of used cooking oil every month into biodiesel.

Jaafar said creating biodiesel required stringent monitoring and accurate mixtures of various compounds to produce purified biodiesel of the highest quality.

“Methanol and alkaline catalyst are additives that are essential in creating cleaner biofuel energy.

“This process is called ‘transesterfication’. After this process is complete, the biodiesel is further purified until it meets the benchmark of quality.

“We produce purified biodiesel that is non-toxic and virtually sulphur-free biodegradable diesel,” he added.

“Collecting used cooking oil has a huge direct and indirect impact on society, economy and the environment.

“Business operators earn extra cash by selling their used oil, and businesses as well as local councils spend less money cleaning up oil-clogged drains. Less filth means less chances of pests and rodents to breed and utlimately it keeps the drains and rivers clean, which means healthier living for everyone,” Jaafar said.

Residential network

He said despite the used cooking oil business having existed for the past two decades, it has barely scratched the surface involving residential units.

“Over the past two years, we have been working with several local councils to set up collection centres in schools, mosques and public housing (PPR) flats.

“So far, our campaign has seen very strong response from these communities and we hope we can expand this programme to many more residential areas, with more support from the Federal Govern-ment and other state governments,” he said.

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Drugs worth RM1.5mil seized

An international collaboration involving Sabah police and their Hong Kong counterparts resulted in the arrests of three men and a woman and the seizure of more than 6kg of suspected cocaine with an estimated street value of about RM1.5mil.

One of them was detained at the Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA) Terminal 2 before he boarded a 5.45am flight to Hong Kong on Saturday.

The two other men and a female companion were arrested upon their arrival on the same flight in Hong Kong after police there were alerted by their Malaysian counterparts.

All four were Malaysians and had arrived in Kota Kinabalu from Penang on Oct 25, said Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Hamza Taib.

Hamza said police, with the help of Malaysia Airports auxiliary police personnel detained the 31-year-old man at the Terminal 2 departure hall and upon checking his body, found two packets strapped to each of his thighs.

He said the total weight of the substances recovered from the man was 2.124kg with a street value of RM500,000.

Also recovered from him was HK$1,000 (RM404) and 200 yuan (RM103).

Upon further investigations, Hamza said police discovered that the man’s two accomplices had checked in earlier for the same flight.

This prompted Sabah police to alert their Bukit Aman counterparts, who in turn passed the information to the Hong Kong police.

He added that each of the men held in Hong Kong were also had two packets of substances strapped to their legs.

Hamza said the man arrested at airport here had been detained under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act which carries the mandatory death penalty upon conviction.

Police are trying to determine the origin and destination of the drugs.

“We believe Sabah was being used as a transshipment point and those carrying the drugs were mules,” Hamza said.

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Property sector measures in #Budget2014 hailed.

Describing the proposals for the property sector as “apt, correct and measured”, property professionals said Budget 2014 will curb excessive speculation and help to solve affordability issues besetting the housing market.

In a post-budget commentary on Saturday, James Wong, the publicity chairman of the Association of Valuers, Property Managers, Estate Agents and Property Consultants in the Private Sector, Malaysia (PEPS), said the proposals, along with macro-prudential measures taken by Bank Negara, would stabilise and strengthen the market.

The proposed establishment of a National Housing Council and the provision of RM1bil in a public-private partnership to boost the affordable housing sector was much needed as previous measures were ineffective, Wong said.

“The affordable housing model has to be tweaked to include pre-fab housing, releasing more land by government agencies and increasing urban area density, particularly in places near transport terminals in order to average out land cost,” he said.

“It is not that private developers do not want to build affordable housing. Land prices have gone up too high in the Klang Valley, Penang and southern Johor. It is impossible for private developers to build homes priced between RM150,000 and RM450,000 in urban centres.

On the 30% tax on gains within the first three years of disposal in the proposed real property gains tax (RPGT) effective Jan 1, 2014, Wong said such measures in previous budgets for 2012 and 2013 were ineffective as an anti-speculation tool. The latest move would give RPGT more bite, he said.

“The budget promotes properties as a long-term investment, not something to be flipped to make short-term gains,” he said.

The Budget 2014 review of the RPGT has extended the quantum of increase from 15% within the first two years of disposal to 30% within the first three years of disposal. It has also re-imposed a prevailing 5% tax on companies and non-citizens in the sixth and subsequent years.

The new RPGT, and the removal of developers interest bearing scheme (DIBS) which enable buyers to pay a 5% or 10% downpayment with mortgage payments kicking in until the property is completed, would also stamp out bulk buying by foreigners, Wong said.

Although this would affect Iskandar Malaysia in southern Johor, over time the proposed measures would bring about confidence into that market as there had been “too much hype and speculation going on there”, he said.

The exemption of RPGT between 2007 and 2009 and the entry of DIBS in early 2009 created fertile ground for speculation. Home prices have increased by between 20% and 30% annually in urban centres, a situation PEPS president Lim Lian Hong said was “unhealthy” and needed to be corrected.

“Research by RAM (Ratings Agency Malaysia) into the past 50 years shows that a steady annual growth of 7% is healthy for the market,” said Lim, who is also the executive director of Raine & Horne International Zaki+Parners Sdn Bhd.

He said the property sector was an important part of Malaysia’s economy – or any other country for that matter – and that excessive speculation had a destabilising effect on the overall economy.

“The RPGT is an important anti-speculation tool, and with the removal of DIBS, we expect the market to self correct in the next six to 12 months,” Lim said, adding that affordable houses must be build as quickly as possible.

On the impact of the 6% goods and services tax (GST), buyers will try to complete transactions before April 1, 2015 when the GST is enforced. There may be a dearth of launches after the GST is in place.

He said the imposition of GST, the removal of DIBS and the RPGT must be considered in totality.

Although housing is GST-exempt, there will be an impact on house prices. At the same time, the RPGT will weed out speculative elements and remove the artificial element in the market.

A check with a developer showed that they have removed DIBS packages starting yesterday.

The developer will discuss with its bankers and lawyers as there is a lack of clarity when the scheme is prohibited. The move would not be retrospective, a marketing personnel said.

Separately, in a statement, C H Williams Talhar & Wong Sdn Bhd managing director Foo Gee Jen said it was “surprised at the quantum”.

Foo said he had reservations that foreigners had been discriminated against with a 30% RPGT imposed for all five years.

“Considering that foreign investments in Malaysian properties have been consistently encouraged, RPGT should have been equally applied to Malaysians and foreigners at the same rate.” he said.

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Unsafe sites to be demolished

DBKL will go ahead and demolish abandoned and rundown buildings in the city that pose a danger to the public and are potential fire hazards.

Kuala Lumpur mayor Datuk Seri Ahmad Phesal Talib said DBKL would work with the Federal Territory Fire and Rescue Department to identify such structures.

We are concerned about the situation as many of the building owners have taken too long to demolish these buildings.

Also, the abandoned buildings have become sites for rubbish-dumping and unsavoury activities, as well as a den for drug addicts,’’ Ahmad Phesal said.

I have asked DBKL deputy director-general (Socioeconomic Development) Datuk Amin Nordin Abd Aziz to form a task force to tackle this problem,” he said.

The mayor added that once the buildings were identified, the owners would be informed and asked to demolish them.

“If they fail to do so within the stipulated period, DBKL will proceed to demolish the structures and bill them for it,’’ he said.

The mayor was responding to a recent StarMetro report that highlighted the problem of faulty fire hydrants and fire hazards.

It had stated that many tourist hotspots and shopping centres were potential fire traps due to poor planning and congestion.

Amin said the task force would also identify buildings that were fire hazards, where every inch of available space in the premises including staircases were filled with merchandise, leaving very little room for anything else.

He said areas such as Petaling Street, Jalan Masjid India and Little India had many such buildings and that a survey would be conducted to determine the numbers and solutions would be found to make them a safer place.

“We will also identify fire hydrants that have been blocked or concealed due to roadworks or by ignorant traders,’’ he said, adding that making the city safe was everyone’s responsibility.

Federal Territory Fire and Rescue Department director Khirudin Drahman praised the mayor over the move to demolish derelict buildings.

“It is about time. We get many calls from the public tipping us off about fires in abandoned buildings, occupied by drug addicts and vagrants who have made the sites their home. The premises are usually filled with rubbish and materials that catch fire easily.

“Putting out fires in abandoned buildings is more dangerous to our firemen. We are at risk because the structure is dilapidated and can collapse any time,” he said.

When contacted, waste management company Alam Flora Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Mohd Zain Hassan said the company was willing to work with DBKL and the Fire and Rescue Department to clear abandoned buildings of waste that could lead to fires.

Mohd Zain said abandoned buildings such as Pekeliling Flats, the former Brickfields police station, and many other buildings had become a dumping ground for rubbish and other combustible materials.

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Killer guard took RM450,000; cops recover RM20,000 from 3 family members

The security guard who shot dead a bank officer escaped with about RM450,000 cash in the vault, said Selangor police chief Senior Deputy Comm Datuk Mohd Shukri Dahlan on Friday.

However, police managed to recover about RM20,000 after arresting three of the suspect’s family members, including a woman, following a raid at a shop in Subang Jaya on Wednesday.

“Two of those arrested worked as security guards and they were also using fake MyKad.

“All of those arrested were foreigners, believed to be Indonesians,” he said adding that, all three did not have proper documents.

He told a press conference that the main suspect, along with the two other security guards arrested have been working in Malaysia for about two years.

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Stabbing frenzy shatters housing estate's calm

The morning peace in Taman Melati here was shattered when a cigarette delivery man went on a stabbing spree, killing two people and injuring two others.

His 40 minutes of terror began at about 11.20am when the 26-year-old man went in his van to a kiosk at the Gombak Putra LRT terminal to deliver a shipment of cigarettes.

Without warning, he pulled out a rambo knife and stabbed the outlet proprietor Lau Siew Ling, 49, and her woman helper Sulianti Johari, 31.

He then got into his vehicle and drove towards Jalan Pertahanan which is parallel to the Melati LRT station less than 2km away, and rammed into another van.

When the owner of the van, Lee Kah Ghee, 48, got out to investigate, the man stabbed him several times and left him to die on the busy road.

The man then got back into his van and drove a few hundred metres before colliding with a car driven by a college student.

He got out and confronted the student Kwan Chun Tai, 25, and stabbed him. Kwan ran, trying to escape the crazed killer.

The man chased him, caught him and stabbed him to death in Jalan Tumbuhan.

City deputy CID chief Asst Comm Khairi Ahrasa said a crowd of onlookers cornered the man.

“He was disarmed, beaten up and detained until police arrived and arrested him.

“The man has been taken to the Kuala Lumpur Hospital for medical treatment and psychological evaluation,” he said.

He said the man was acting erratically when he was taken into custody.

“We believe he belongs to a cult, but have yet to verify this,” he added.

The bodies of the two dead have been taken to the same hospital for a post-mortem.

ACP Khairi said the case was being investigated under Section 302 and Section 326 of the Penal Code for murder and voluntarily causing hurt with dangerous weapons.

Those with information on the case should contact the police hotline 03-2115 9999 or go to the nearest police station.

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Ringlet dam disaster: Death and destruction on highlands

Ragom Wasrip held his wife’s hand so tightly when mud and water gushed into their home in Bertam Valley here but he could not hang on to her.

The current pulled his wife Kesmat Iduan, 46, away from him and he lost sight of her from then on.

“When we heard the sirens at about 1am, we frantically tried to find our way out. But we couldn’t move as water was gushing in too fast.

“When the water current pushed me right to the roof, I managed to get out but my wife got trapped inside the house,” he told reporters at the Sultanah Hajjah Kalsom hospital’s mortuary to claim his wife’s body yesterday.

Kesmat’s body was found trapped in the house at 8.15am yesterday.


He lamented that they had both planned to return to Surabaya in December.

“But this is not to be,” a grief-stricken Ragom said.

The 54-year-old who works in a farm has been living here for 25 years.

He said her body would be flown back to Surabaya to be buried there.

Ragom said his wife had come to Malaysia 10 years ago, and both were planning to return home to visit family and friends. Their kongsi house was located near the Bertam riverbank.

Student Shaifa Jamil and his mother were trapped in their house as water reached their waist.

They tried to open the main door but they could not.

However, his father and brother who were outside the house broke one of the windows and saved both his and his mother’s lives.

The 19-year-old Form Six student of SM Sultan Ahmad Shah in Tanah Rata said when they got out of the house the water level was already reaching their chest.

“We waded through the water to safety, and did not take any of our belongings.

“Almost every year, we face a similar flood situation, but this is the worst,” he said at the community centre.

Shaifa said the water was gushing so fast that it brought along timber wood, mud and rubbish.

Another victim Mohd Esswandy Zubir, 21 who had just completed his diploma in business a few days ago from a polytechnic in Rompin, said water gushed into his home in minutes.

“But Thank God my family and I managed to reach to safety,” he added.

The rescue operation was stopped at 6pm due to heavy rain, and will continue at 8am today.

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Guard kills officer during robbery

A bank’s security guard shot dead its operations officer and fled with the cash from the safe.

Bank officer Noazita Abu Talib, 37, was opening a safe with a colleague in the bank along Jalan USJ Sentral 2 at around 6.18pm yesterday.

The suspect then shot the mother of two in the face using a pumpgun before forcing the terrified colleague to load a bag with cash from the safe.

He finally made off on a motorcycle. Selangor deputy police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Abdul Rahim Jaafar said there were only five staff members in the bank, including the suspect.

“According to the security firm, he was meant to be a replacement guard for the bank and had worked in another bank next to the crime scene. However, he raised concern over facts of the suspect’s identity.

“Checks on his IC revealed that it was a fake. We are going to look into this more and find out how he was employed with a fake IC,” he said, adding that police were investigating the CCTV footage of the bank and nearby shops.

“I advise the public to be cautious. I urge anyone with information on him to come forward,” he said.

Subang Jaya deputy OCPD Supt Tan Ah Chua revealed that the suspect was identified as Ardi Hamza (770818-12-6721) from Tawau in Sabah.

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Homemade bomb thrown at UKM student's house, warning note left on car

A Molotov cocktail was thrown at a Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia's students' rented house in Section 3, Bangi Perdana early this morning causing an explosion and small fire, ahead of the campus election today.
No one was hurt in the incident, although a warning note was left behind.

Engineering student Siti Aishah Shaharudin told the Star Online that the incident occurred at around 3.30am when a loud explosion was heard in her  front porch.

"We heard a motorcycle pass by the house but we didn't suspect anything until we heard a loud explosion and we saw flames spreading," she said.

While checking the compound of the house after the explosion, Aishah discovered a note clipped to one of the students' car windshield.

It said: "Tarik diri atau mati" (withdraw or die).

Some of her fellow housemates, are contesting today's student elections under the Pro-Mahasiswa banner.

"We do not know who the culprit is. But we suspect it has something to do with the election," she said.

A police report was lodged at the Bandar Baru Bangi police station at 4am.

The UKM campus election is currently underway for 2013/2014 session.
In an immediate reaction,  vice-chancellor Prof Tan Sri Dr Sharifah Hapsah Syed Hasan Shahabudin said no extra security measures would be taken in the university since the incident happened outside of the campus.

"As far as I know, the election is going on peacefully, what happened outside of the campus is beyond control, " she said when contacted on Wednesday.

She added that no untoward incidents happened during the campaigning period of the campus election.

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Six nabbed as cops bust ATM ring

Police have crippled the notorious automated teller machine (ATM) syndicate with the arrest of six suspects.

State police chief Senior Deputy Comm Datuk Mohd Mokhtar Mohd Shariff said the male suspects, aged between 15 and 35, were arrested in Kampung Ban Foo, Ulu Tiram, at around 10am on Oct 17.

He said police discovered a tow truck used to cart away the ATMs, five ATMs, two parang and a bag containing six rolls of champ belts used to drag the machines out during a raid.

“The gang has been involved in 27 ATM theft cases in Johor, Malacca and Negri Sembilan for the past three months. All in all, they have carted away about RM2mil,” SDCP Mohd Mokhtar said in a press conference here yesterday.

He said the suspects dumped the five ATMs in a discarded pool at the village and even burnt the truck used to transport the machines to the village to cover their tracks.

“We are not stupid. Our men have ways of tracking these criminals and I’m warning them that we are not resting on our laurels despite our success in crippling the syndicate,” he added.

SDCP Mohd Mokhtar said that high on the police wanted list was the mastermind of the ATM gang.

Police are also looking for Marie Subramaniam, 36, with the last known address at 21, Jalan Mutiara 3, Taman Gunung Emas, Ulu Tiram, to help in investigations. Members of the public are urged to come forward if they have any information.

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Debt-ridden man flees, leaving wife to face the music

A 37-year-old housewife was left to bear the brunt of the Ah Long when her husband disappeared after allegedly borrowing RM135,000 from 45 different loan sharks.

The distressed Chia Pui Sing said her husband Ang Kok Ang, a wholesaler, had kept his loans a secret from her and their three children.

She said her family started receiving threats from loan sharks and that was when they found out that Ang was laden with a huge debt.

“A loan shark locked our house on Oct 11 when he failed to locate my husband,” she said at a press conference held at Wisma MCA here yesterday.

“The loan sharks have even distributed flyers defaming my family and defaced our house with red paint.

“We are afraid that the attacks will escalate and my children will get hurt.”

The family’s tale took an interesting turn when Ang sought the help of MCA Public Services and Complaints Department head Datuk Seri Michael Chong on Oct 14 but he was ambushed by Chia and her sister at Chong’s office.

Ang told Chong that he does not have any money to settle the loans.

“In the end, Chia paid the loan sharks more than RM10,000 to put an end to the attacks on her family,” Chong said.

“What Ang did was utterly irresponsible.

“He is endangering his family’s lives by delaying paying off his debt.” Over the past year, the department had received 456 reports involving loan sharks with a total loss amounting to RM35.7mil.

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Ex-lecturer is #BN man for #PRKSgLimau by-election

Former Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) lecturer Dr Ahmad Sohaimi Lazim will be the Barisan Nasional candidate in the Sungai Limau by-election.

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin announced this at the Barisan election centre in Kampung Sungai Lintang here yesterday.

Muhyiddin said Dr Ahmad Sohaimi, 52, from Titi Batu in Guar Chempedak, near here, fulfilled the party’s criteria based on his educational background and personality.

The by-election follows the death of Tan Sri Azizan Abdul Razak on Sept 26.

“Our candidate can ensure changes in the area by voicing the needs of Sungai Limau folk,” said Muhyiddin, when announcing the candidacy of Dr Ahmad Sohaimi, who is also a Jerai Umno division committee member.

Muhyiddin said the Sungai Limau by-election is a test for Umno and Barisan after the 13th general election.

“Barisan won back Kedah from PAS and the Federal Government is giving full support for it to become one of the developed states in the country.

“It will be unfair for Sungai Limau folk if they are left behind in the development,” he added.

Muhyiddin said he was happy with the Umno machinery in the Jerai division, which stood united despite the change in the division leadership at the just-concluded party polls.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department and Jerai MP Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom became the new division chief after defeating incumbent Datuk Mohd Suhaimi Abdullah.

Muhyiddin said both men had shown good cooperation to strengthen the party machinery.

In his speech, Kedah Mentri Besar Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir took to task groups that twisted the Barisan’s pledges as “threats”.

“We never make threats. When Barisan make a promise, we deliver,” he said.

Dr Ahmad Sohaimi said he was confident of facing the electorate despite Sungai Limau being a PAS stronghold.

He said he would focus on human capital development and education in his campaign, with the help of Jamil Khir.

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Cop charged over Casanova escape

A senior woman police officer has been charged in a magistrate’s court here over the escape of the Casanova, accused of cheating women of their valuables and money.

ASP L. Chandkumary, 56, from Bedong, Kedah, claimed trial yesterday to intentionally releasing K.K. Prabaharan, 45, who was in her custody at 1.50pm on Oct 9 at the George Town court complex here.

The offence under Section 225A (1)(a) of the Penal Code carries a maximum jail term of three years or a fine or both.

She also claimed trial to lodging a false police report at 8.05pm on Oct 9 at the Jalan Patani police station, claiming that the suspect had disappeared when she was writing down remarks on the case at her office, while waiting for the case to be mentioned in court.

She was alleged to have included in the report that she and several police officers went in search of the suspect in the court’s vicinity, Little India, Padang Kota Lama and Jalan Penang but to no avail.

The offence under Section 182 of the Penal Code carries a jail term of up to six months or a fine of up to RM2,000, or both.

It was reported that on Oct 9, Prabaharan, a computer technician, escaped and fled on foot after arriving at the courthouse here under police escort from Cameron Highlands.

Deputy public prosecutor Mohd Faisal Md Noor asked for bail to be set at RM10,000 to ensure her presence in court.

Counsel R.S.N. Rayer pleaded for a lower amount, saying that she was present in court even though she was not under police remand.

Another counsel V. Parthiban also requested the court to produce an order to prevent the case and accused’s name from being published in the media, as she is a police officer with 32 years’ of service

Magistrate Dianne Ningrad Nor Azahar rejected the request and set bail at RM7,000 with one surety and fixed Nov 25 for mention.

Bail was not posted at press time.

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#Police seek help to tackle crime with #CCTV

Police have sought the cooperation of 20 government and private agencies in the state to tackle crime via closed circuit television (CCTV).

Kelantan deputy police chief Datuk Mazlan Lazim said under the Safe Cam programme launched last year by the Home Ministry, owners of premises with CCTVs could assist the police by letting them have the recording of crime incidents in their area.

“We called them today for a briefing on the Safe Cam programme before initiating a memorandum of understanding with them on crime prevention.

“Among the advantages of being in the programme is that police will be patrolling their area more frequently,” he said in conjunction with the briefing at the state police contingent headquarters here yesterday.

The Safe Cam programme is an initiative under the 1Aman-United Against Crime campaign listed in the government’s transformation programme to reduce crime.

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Parking facility in PJ misused

Motorists in Petaling Jaya are upset by the way a public carpark in the area has been misused.

The facility in Jalan Lampan 8/3, Section 8, is operated by the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ).

It is located across the Petaling Jaya district police headquarters.

Following complaints, StarMetro visited the site and saw the cause of the public’s anger — wrecked cars occupying the precious bays.

A source said most of the wreckage were from accident cases. The situation is said to have been going on for about 10 years.

This has deprived the public of the much-needed parking space, especially in the busy Section 8 commercial area.

During peak hours, the carpark is fully occupied, leaving some motorists driving in circles in desperate search of an available bay.

A business operator in the area who did not want to be named, said the abandoned vehicles were towed away by the council about three years ago, following complaints.

“However, soon after, the problem resurfaced with even more wrecked vehicles left to rot here.

Those who work or live nearby believe tow-truck operators are the culprits.

“Tow-trucks have been seen bringing vehicles involved in accidents and parking them here, while waiting for them to be sent to workshops for repairs.

“In some cases, where the vehicles cannot be salvaged, they are left lying here for years,” he said.

The source added that the tow-truck operators worked round-the-clock from a tent put up near the parking area.

He said the damaged vehicles were usually brought in at night.

The facility in Section 8 is not a closed carpark and does not have a boom gate.

When contacted, Petaling Jaya deputy mayor Puasa Md Taib said MBPJ would check on the situation soon.

“It is not right that public parking space is used to keep wrecked vehicles.

MBPJ Enforcement Department director Mohd Fauzi Maarop said the council would tow away the vehicles to the council’s garage in Sungai Way today.

“We contacted the police but they have no knowledge of this wreckage.

“We will also seek help from the Road Transport Department to locate the owners and issue notices. If left unclaimed, we will send the vehicles to the scrapyard,” he added.

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