Grand send-off for five killed in shootout

Some 500 family members and friends of three of the five men killed in a police shootout gave them an elaborate send-off with a funeral procession accompanied by drums and firecrackers.

The three – N. Rakan, 25, M. Suresh, 25, and R. Ramesh, 27 – were cremated in separate incinerators at the Batu Gantung crematorium at 5.40pm yesterday.

Earlier during the last rites, some family members were seen sprinkling rice into the three coffins as they wept openly and circled around the bodies three times.

The funeral procession – to the beats of Indian and Chinese drums as well as a band – had earlier converged in Jalan Yeap Chor Ee before heading to the crematorium, punctuated with the sounds of firecrackers.

The three bodies were sent off in Mercedes-Benz hearses, two of which bore giant floral wreaths depicting the Hindu swastika. The other hearse had a wreath designed in the letter “N” with a small swastika sign and another resembling twin gold coins.

Motorcyclists, revving their engines and throwing flower petals on the road, rode alongside the hearses as they weaved their way through the traffic towards the crematorium.

The grand procession brought traffic to a standstill in Jalan Yeap Chor Ee, Jalan Bukit Gambir and Jalan Tun Dr Awang, watched by curious motorists.

The two other men who were also killed in the shootout – J. Gobinath, 31, and M. Gobinath, 21 – were cremated and buried respectively at a Hindu cemetery in Jalan Siram, Butterworth.

J. Gobinath’s hearse – accompanied by another vehicle bearing a “04” banner and a picture of the deceased with the words Perai Gobi – arrived at the cemetery at 4pm, heralded by the release of firecrackers at the entrance. About 100 family members and friends attended the funeral.

Some two hours later, the hearse of M. Gobinath – accompanied by a lorry – arrived with more than 200 people.

A floral wreath designed with the word “GOBI” together with a picture banner bearing the titles of “Gobi Butterworth” and “King of the Ring” as well as a message “We will miss u 4ever Bro” were seen on the hearse.

About 15 people were later seen carrying M. Gobinath’s coffin into the cemetery to be buried. A lorry with a “04” flower decoration was also spotted.

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Students to be pulled out of Egypt

Malaysia has begun to evacuate its students from Egypt which has been embroiled in turmoil since last Wednesday and saw the deaths of almost 1,000 of its citizens.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said the estimated 3,300 Malaysian students currently in Egypt would be flown home on a voluntary basis, adding that the flights started last night.

He said the decision to evacuate the students was made based on the advice of the National Security Council.

“I have received a report from the NSC that the situation there may be headed towards uncertainty and for the worse. We will not delay in case the situation becomes more serious and dangerous.

“In whatever circumstance, we must prioritise our students’ safety,” Najib told reporters here yesterday.

The students, he added, would be put on commercial flights instead of C-130 military transport because that would involve more complex logistical arrangements.

Najib said he had also instructed Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin to discuss with Al-Azhar University on the rescheduling of examination dates for students who had chosen to return home.

“If there are other Malaysians on business in Egypt, they should return home at their own cost,” he said.

On the demand by PAS for a special parliamentary meeting to discuss Malaysia’s stand on the Egypt crisis, he said it was not necessary as Egypt considered it an internal matter.

Many Malaysian students still in Egypt had recently recounted violent incidents and bloody clashes near their residences.

Education Malaysia Egypt had also received confirmation from the Egyptian Deputy Educa­tion Minister that all repeat examinations scheduled this month had been postponed.

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Penang cops gun down 5 members of notorious gang

Police here have shot dead five men who are believed to be members of the notorious Geng 04.

The shootout occurred at 5am Monday, at an apartment in Sungai Nibong.

The five, believed to be in their 20s, were said to have been involved in the recent spate of shooting cases in the state this year.

Police had been monitoring their activities before moving in on a unit on the 11th floor of the building early Monday.

It is learnt that police have seized three pistols from the scene.

Police officers knocked on the door of the apartment but there was no response. They retaliated when the suspects opened fire from the inside of the apartment.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar is expected to hold a press conference in the afternoon over the incident.

A recent spate of shootings in the state and various parts of the country have sparked speculation of a gangland war.

On Aug 8, K. Veerappan, a 37-year-old scrap dealer believed to be associated with Gang 36, was shot dead when he stopped the car he was driving near a traffic light in Anson Road.

A motorcyclist rode up and the pillion rider whipped out a pistol and fired 14 shots, 10 of which hit Veerappan's neck, cheek and abdomen.

Earlier the same day, a gunman fired at least six shots at a businessman's bungalow in Jalan Utama. No one was injured in the incident, believed to be a triad's warning to the businessman.

On Aug 9, a third shooting occurred in the state, in Jalan Datuk Keramat, where a 43-year-old bouncer was hit in the left thigh.

A gunman fired seven shots but only one hit the victim, believed to be one of the top leaders of the Si Lian (Four Tyres), also known as Geng 04.

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Concerns over health of public finances to be addressed in Budget 2014

A detailed strategy on how to address growing concerns over the health of Malaysia’s public finances will be addressed in Budget 2014.

“We have already put in place a fiscal committee, which is looking into some of the challenges that we face, and all these will be addressed shortly, especially in the forthcoming Budget,” said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

Budget 2014 is expected to be tabled on Oct 25.

Najib, also the Finance Minister, stressed that the Government remained committed to strengthening the country’s macroeconomic and fiscal position.

“At the moment, we are looking at various policy options ... we do understand there is a need for us to strengthen our fiscal and macro position,” Najib said in response to Fitch Ratings’ concern over the ability of the Malaysian Government to rein in its debt and spending.

Fitch had on Tuesday downgraded Malaysia’s sovereign credit rating outlook from “stable” to “negative”, citing that the prospects for budgetary reform and fiscal consolidation to address weaknesses in public finances had worsened after the 13th general election in May.

The international rating agency, however, had reaffirmed Malaysia’s long-term foreign and local currency at A- and A respectively.

Najib said the reaffirmation on the country’s long-term foreign and local currency was “something positive”.

“The revision is only in terms of the outlook, which will depend on the move that the Government will make. I think it is good for us because it signals their concern. It is a concern that we share as a government, and we will seek to address those concerns,” he said at a press conference after launching the new iconic brand identity, “Malaysia: World’s Islamic Finance Marketplace”, here yesterday.

Meanwhile, Malaysia’s stock market rebounded yesterday after falling to a three-week low on Wednes­day following Fitch’s downgrade.

The FTSE Bursa Malaysia KL Composite Index rose 5.2 points, or 0.29%, to close at 1,777.82 points. The benchmark stock index had on Wednesday fallen 22.46 points, or 1.25%, to close at a three-week low of 1,772.62.

Bank Negara governor Tan Sri Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz said Malaysia had the capacity and capability to address its fiscal vulnerabilities in a gradual and sequenced manner.

“Malaysia still has time to do it, but of course it is now more urgent because the global environment has become more challenging.

“The recovery that we had expected from major economies has not strengthened, and going forward, it is very likely that it will continue to remain modest.

“Therefore, it is important for us to reduce our vulnerabilities, one of which is in the fiscal area,” Dr Zeti explained, adding that Malaysian policymakers were putting emphasis on increasing national resilience and boosting its potential to sustain economic growth.

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New preventive law vital

Introducing a new special preventive law is important to equip the police with enough tools to battle serious crimes, said Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar.

He welcomed Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s announcement that the new law would be tabled during the next Parliament meeting.

“I can sense the concern of the people after consecutive gun violence incidents since three or four days ago.

“Expediting the introduction of the new law is the best option to curb gun-related crimes,” he told a press conference yesterday after launching Ops Selamat in conjunction with the Hari Raya celebration.

Khalid said he also appreciated Najib’s pledge to back the police with adequate funding.


He explained that the police would boost its intelligence gathering capabilities as well as acquiring new gadgets in combating crime.

On the spate of gun violence of late, including the murder of Arab Malaysian Bank founder Hussain Ahmad Najadi and attempted murder of MyWatch chairman R. Sri Sanjeevan, Khalid said the police had stepped up efforts against gun smuggling with a number of seizures in the past few weeks.

“We realised the number of guns in the country is on the rise but we are taking action.

“We have identified that most shooting cases are connected to revenge and business dealings,” he said.

Separately, City police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Mohmad Salleh said police had increased patrols in hotspot areas, including Bukit Bintang, Masjid India and Tuanku Abdul Rahman.

“There is no need to worry. The public can continue to go about shopping and go out for supper without any problem,” he told a press conference at the city police headquarters yesterday.

He said there was no such thing as random shootings as there was always a motive behind each case.

In PUTRAJAYA, Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the ministry was considering purchasing more surveillance equipment for the police force in light of the spate of street crimes.

The surveillance assets belonging to Malaysian police force was “far from complete” compared to their peers in other metropolis, he said.

He also highlighted the lack of manpower in the force, where the police to citizen ratio is 1:700.

“In New York, there is one policeman to look after every 35 residents.

“So, in this matter, I want all parties to understand and sympathise with the duties of our policemen.

“I want all NGOs who are calling on transformation in the law (and) individuals on the frontline who want various changes to understand that the situation in Malaysia is not the same as in other countries and to work together in tackling crime,” he told a press conference during a courtesy visit by Australian High Commissioner to Malaysia, Miles Kupa, yesterday.

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Shootings blamed on EO repeal, easy availability of weapons

The repeal of the Emergency Ordinance (EO) and easy availability of guns due to Malaysia's porous border with Thailand are being blamed for the recent spate of shootings in the country.

Criminologist Dr P. Sundramoorthy, a professor with Universiti Sains Malaysia, told The Star Online that the EO should have been maintained "but amended so it cannot be abused".
"It's very possible that perpetrators know the police won't be able to detain them because they no longer have this tool and have no means of detaining them.

"They know it is very difficult for the police to detect and arrest them. It is also challenging for the Attorney-General's Chambers to prosecute them based on the type of evidence needed to bring them to court," he added.

He said that between 2000 and 2009, there was a 13.4% upswing in violent crimes, which included shootings.

"This is fairly significant growth."

Crime watchdog MyWatch advisor S. Gobikrishnan said he believed the recent trend of shootings was due to the easy availability of weapons.

"Allegedly, there is a syndicate which rents out guns instead of selling them. So for a few hundred ringgit, you can rent a gun for a few hours. Bullets are apparently only 80 sen," he claimed.

However, Gobi believed there was no correlation between the repealing of the EO and the surge in crime.

"It looks like there are some bad apples within the police force who are working in cahoots with the criminals," he alleged.

"Also, the CID department must focus on criminal investigation and not chasing politicians. The bigger picture is that police must do better policing," he added.

Anti-crime activist and Marah (Malaysians Against Rape, Assault and Snatch) founder Dave Avran said the increase was probably due to the "porous border" Malaysia shared with Thailand.

"The police are trying their best, but a lot more has to be done to show they mean business. They must crack down hard on these criminals.

"I am positive that crime will remain at an all-time high if preventive laws like the EO remain repealed, primarily because of the psychological warfare against criminals.

"If there were a deterrent in the form of preventive laws, then the possibility of being brought in under those feared laws or being thrown into a detention camp would make criminals think twice before committing crime.

"Currently, they do not fear the authorities. We need to put this fear back into them," he said.

On Monday, renowned banker Hussain Ahmad Najadi, the Arab Malaysian Banking Group founder, was shot dead in Kuala Lumpur.

On Saturday, in Jempol, crime watchdog MyWatch chairman R. Sri Sanjeevan was shot repeatedly by two men on a motorcycle. He remains in critical condition.

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Rampant Gun Crimes Raises Question On Crime Statistics And Public Safety

BARELY 48 hours after MyWatch chairman R. Sri Sanjeevan was shot, the nation was caught off guard by another shooting incident, this time the victim is Hussain Ahmad Najadi, a renowned banker and founder of the Arab Malaysian Banking Group.

This makes it at least 14 cases since April this year and the victims varied from teachers, to criminals, to Customs Department's deputy director-general.

As this article was being written, it was reported that a man was shot in his right thigh while driving with a friend in Bukit Mertajam at 8.30pm. Police said the victim, who had a number of criminal records, was rushed to the Kulim Hospital for treatment while his friend was unhurt.

Sanjeevan's fate, in the meantime, hangs by a thread with his father R. Ramakrishnan saying that his condition has worsened due to internal bleeding. Doctors said the shooting had affected his heart and lungs.

The frequency and brutality of these crimes makes us wonder whether the declining crime statictics in the country are accurate and authentic or merely sugar-coated numbers meant to silence inquiring public and critics.

It was reported that from 2009 to 2012, the national crime rate dropped by 27 per cent while street crime fell by 39.7 per cent.

They added that the crime rate also fell six per cent for the first quarter of this year compared to the same period last year.

With rampant cases of shooting around the country for the past few months, the authority should realised that the issue is no longer about perception but a genuine concern among Malaysians.

Crime analyst Kamal Afendi Hashim said criminals these days are becoming more brazen and brutal. The long arm of the law meant nothing to them.

He said shooting cases like these are not only shocking but also spreads fear among the public.

"People are hearing a lot of these cases of late. Usually the victims are fellow criminals but recently victims have become more varied and involved people of influence such as businessman, politicians and government official.

"The motive are also differs and may be revenge-related or rivalry between two parties," he said.

On the latest shooting cases, Kamal said there are many factors that can make a person becoming a target of assassination including the victim's background, association with bad hats or the wrong crowd, jealousy, business rivalry, miscommunication and others.

"For example, if the victim who have ties with the underworld and wants out, surely the organisation will not be happy. Fearing possible exposure of their secrets, the organisation retaliated by paying hired guns to take carre of the 'loose ends'.

"In Sanjeevan's case, it could be related to his tweet prior to the shooting," he said.

However, Kamal said if such allegations were found to be untrue, the accuser should also be prepared to face the music and take responsibility for his or her action.

He urged police to conduct a thorough investigations into these shooting cases and covered all the angles.

Kamal said another factor was the easily obtainable firearms.

"With experience and connections, there criminals can, one way or another, find their way to a pistol. Due to its small size and weight, smuggling firearms into the country should not be too hard,

"With the current technological know-how and the magic of Internet, criminals can also make their own firearms.

"If the fireams is home-made, police will surely have a hard time identifying it." he said.

In Sanjeevan's case, Kamal believed the shooter could be an amateur because he failed to kill his target.

In the end, the government and the authorities should be serious in tackling the negative perception among the public and regain their confidence in the police force.




Notable cases this year

July 28
A man was shot dead and his two friends seriously injured when two gunmen opened fire from inside a car in front of a restaurant in Kampung Simee, Ipoh. In the 10.15pm incident, Jasrafveenderjeet Singh, 25, died while undergoing treatment at Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital.

July 18
A secondary school teacher K. Shanmugan of Taman Biadara, Kulim, was shot nine times at point blank range by unidentified gunmen on motorcycle when he stopped his car at a red light near Simpang Empat Keladi while on his way to school.

July 12
A four-year-old boy was injured in the forehead and left leg when a gunman opened fire at him and his car repossessor father in front of their home in Bkt Jambul, Penang.

July 8
Student affairs senior assistant Hashim Mat Zain, 43, was gunned down in a gangland style killing outside the school at a junction in Tawang, near Bachok, Kelantan at 1.45pm.

July 5
Teacher Mat Zaki Hashim, 35, sustained serious injuries after being shot in the neck in Kg Kubang Panjang, Pasir Mas. His car was believed to have stalled on the road before he was shot by unknown assailants.

June 15
Royal Malaysian Customs Dept deputy director-general Datuk Shaharuddin Ibrahim, 58, was shot dead by two men on a motorcycle at a traffic light junction in Putrajaya.

May 29
A businessman survives despite being shot at seven times by two men on a motorcycle in Bandar Rahman Putra, Sungai Buloh.

May 25
A fish wholesaler, Zahari A. Razak, was shot dead while driving his car out from a mosque in Cherang Ruku, Pasir Puteh after performing the Isyak prayer.

May 13
Two people were killed and two others injured when a gunman on a motorcycle opened fire with an automatic pistol as they were leaving a wedding reception in Butterworth, Penang.

May 12
An assistant at a second-hand shop is shot dead at a traffic light junction near Kulim, Kedah.

April 30
A pillion rider fired at a man in the compound of his home in Simpang, Taiping but missed. The men had rode up to the house of the 26-year-old victim and called out his name before firing the shot.

April 25
N. Ragunathan, 39, was shot dead in his car after he had conducted a transaction at the Road Transport Department office along Jalan Seremban-Taiping. He was alone in his Proton Perdana when two men rode up alongside his car outside the RTD office.- MalaysianDigest

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Syria, the 'new Afghanistan'

Article by Bunn Nagara which appeared in The Star, July 28, 2013.

WHEN regime trouble first broke out in Syria in March 2011, Western and
Israeli strategists began to salivate.

That was just one month after a mass uprising erupted in Muammar Gaddafi's
Libya. Following the upheaval and then invasion of Iraq that toppled Saddam
Hussein nearly a decade before, Syria's disturbances would be another stab
at a regional strongman who had thumbed his nose at the West and Israel.

From that point on, easy assumptions about the "Syria campaign" acquired a
life of their own. Buoyed by visions of continued success, few if any of the
questions that mattered were asked:

What do foreign military forces hope to gain by removing President Bashar
al-Assad? What other challenges might that prospect unleash? Would Israel,
the United States or any other Western power be able to withstand the
repercussions of Assad's fall?

Such core questions might have produced discomforting answers, so they were
never asked. They were shunted away or buried by consistent wishful
thinking, evasion or denial.

When Assad warned that the militants lined up against him included al-Qaeda
fighters, he was ignored or ridiculed. Nothing could get in the way of
another "regime change" adventure.

Towards the end of last year, reports emerged of several attempts by Western
governments to deepen the conflict. British special forces (SAS and SBS) as
well as American mercenaries were said to be training rebels of the militant
Free Syrian Army (FSA).

Russia and China, as key members of the UN Security Council, have
consistently refused to join the Western-led scramble to train and arm the
rebels. Russia instead stuck to its contractual agreement to sell defence
equipment to Syria.

Last December, the Russian Foreign Ministry warned of the use of chemical
weapons by rebel forces. It would take some time before the Western powers
came around to recognising those risks and dangers.

Meanwhile, the military training the West gave the rebels included skills in
handling banned chemical weapons. The official reason was that these would
become necessary should Syria's stockpile suddenly become publicly
accessible.

Critics said that was only a cover for enabling the rebels to use chemical
weapons against Assad's forces. One element in this possibility was the
difficulty in telling the "good" rebels from the many terrorists among them.

By the beginning of this year, the FSA continued to press their demands for
heavy-duty weapons from the West such as anti-aircraft systems. The issue
was about raising the stakes and escalating the conflict.

Some 5,000 tonnes of weapons have since been funnelled by the CIA from
several "global surplus" locations into Syria, with the connivance of
Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey. This was said to minimise bloodshed,
although how increasing arms flows could decrease conflict was never
explained.

On the ground in Syria, however, the "unexpected" opposite was happening.
Tension, conflict and casualty tolls continued to rise until the UN
estimated in recent days that killings had exceeded 100,000.

Soon enough, several systemic problems with the Syrian uprising could not be
contained or denied anymore.

Last month, Western strategists began to worry about the unprecedented
spread of terrorist skills and terrorists themselves to other countries. The
scale of fighting in Syria had come to attract militants from around the
world, including the United States and Europe.

EU home ministers met in Luxembourg, having suddenly woken up to the reality
of how their military training given to Syrian rebels could be coming home
to haunt them. European counter-terrorism director Gilles de Kerchove said
the flow of militants into and out of Syria had reached a new high.

Foreign militants in Syria are said to number up to 6,000, with as much as
10% from Europe. A smaller percentage comprises US nationals.

In recent years, dozens of Americans have been arrested for such terrorist
involvement. For most of them, the rebel group of choice is the al-Nusrah
Front, or Jabhat al-Nusrah (JN), which the US State Department has
designated the Syrian affiliate of al-Qaeda - and being the same as al-Qaeda
in Iraq.

British Member of Parliament Paddy Ashdown has been urging Britain to stop
operations of arming and training Syrian rebels. He said most of the weapons
supplied to them so far are in the hands of militant extremists.

The presence and spread of extremists have exceeded most expectations.
Recent US and British reports mentioned that even bakeries using US-supplied
dough essential to the people's diet are now run by JN.

Foreign aid workers delivering humanitarian assistance have also been
"targeted" by the extremists by way of ideological conversion. Militants
hope to sell their struggle to the foreign helpers so that upon returning
home they would start their own terrorist cells, having gained new contacts
and subversion skills.

In Syria itself, hundreds of attacks have been launched by extremist groups,
universally acknowledged as the best organised rebel units on the ground.
Washington has conceded that extremists are already operating in all the
major cities in Syria.

Earlier this month, Russian scientists discovered that rebels near Aleppo
had used the chemical weapon sarin against troops and civilians. The missile
fired on Khan al-Assal killed 16 Syrian soldiers and 10 civilians.

At the same time, Britain, France and the United States - emotionally
anxious to escalate their military involvement in Syria - have accused the
Syrian government of using chemical weapons. But Damascus reported that
Western intelligence agencies were still checking if that had happened in a
recent army engagement in Homs.

In-fighting among rebel units have been occurring on occasion, notably
between terrorist groups and other rebels. The conflict spiked a fortnight
ago when al-Qaeda affiliates in Iraq and Syria operating under the name of
"Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant" shot dead an FSA leader.

To observers, the shooting at an FSA checkpoint illustrated the growing
conflict between "extremist" and "moderate" rebels. The evidence so far is
that the extremists are gaining.

But as Western governments quietly scaled back their ambitions in Syria, the
rebels went on the diplomatic offensive to accuse them of betrayal. Then
London and Washington indicated that they would consider their military
plans again.

However, the issue of deeper involvement is not as clear-cut as some would
like. And usually it is the military personnel themselves who have a better
sense of the risks and limitations.

Upon his retirement this month, Britain's senior-most military officer,
General Sir David Richards, warned Downing Street that Britain needed to be
more focused on strategy to avoid failure in Syria.

While careful to remark that decisions would have to be made by Britain's
civilian administration, he said pressing with the country's position would
require more military inputs that could pull it into long-term war.

Within days, the deputy director of the US Defence Intelligence agency,
David Shedd, also avoided recommending deeper military involvement in Syria,
while deferring all decisions to civilian policymakers.

He estimated some 1,200 rebel groups in action, and that dispatching US
troops would mean a war lasting many years and costing billions. Shedd
conceded the complexity of the situation and said the best option may be to
depend on allies in the region.

That would mean Israel, which has already targeted Syrian military rocket
installations.

Bunn Nagara is a Senior Fellow at the Institute of Strategic and
International Studies (ISIS) Malaysia

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Sex bloggers granted RM30,000 bail each with four conditions

Sex bloggers Alvin Tan and Vivian Lee (pix) have been granted a RM10,000 bail each in two sureties for each of the three charges by the High Court.

Justice Mohd Azman Husin also imposed additional conditions that they surrender their passports, be prohibited from uploading pornographic images, using network communication devices and report to the nearest police station on the first of each month.

On July 18, Tan and Lee were charged with three counts of mocking Muslims and the holy month of Ramadan and posting pornographic pictures on their blog.

Sessions judge Murtazadi Amran had denied them bail, pending their trial on grounds that the case was a matter of public interest.

In their application for a revision, the two claimed that Judge Murtazadi had erred in law by denying them bail as they had no prior criminal records.

They said there was no ground for the prosecution’s submission that they had a tendency to commit the same offence if released on bail. The couple submitted that all their electronic equipment and computers had been seized by the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and if there was a risk of repeating the offence, the court could have set conditions for the bail.

Tan and Lee also said they did not pose a flight risk as their families lived in Malaysia and even if there was, their passports could be impounded.

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KK Super Mart armed to defend after 11 robberies by same group

Stunned by a series of 11 brazen attacks on KK Super Marts, founder and CEO Datuk Dr Douglas K.K. Chai has beefed up security at his outlets.

“We have hired a security team to go around our stores and we have increased the number of people in our response team,” he said.

“We have 20 people in our response team, with four of them being armed with pistols.”

This follows a number of attacks by a group of five men armed with machetes who robbed KK Super Mart, a 24-hour mini-supermarket chain, 11 times in 10 days.

He said KK Super Mart was working closely with the police force to catch the robbers.

It would increase the number of CCTV in it’s stores, he said.

“Up to 16 cameras have been installed with several of them focusing on the entrance of the store,” he said.

He said that the surveillance cameras were monitored 24-hours a day with the security camera feed linked to the security team’s phone.

Chai said the five men – believed to be in their 20’s – did not wear masks or helmets when they robbed the mini-supermarkets in Klang Valley

“The robbers drove in the same vehicle – a grey Proton Satria with the fake registration number WLV 964,” he told The Star Online. “So far, no one had been injured during the robberies.”

The robbers, he added, stole money from the store and customers and items such as cigarettes.

“We have set up a committee compensate customers who fall victim during the robbery,” he said.

“Those who had their phone, money or other items stolen during the robberies will be compensated.”

When asked why KK Super Mart was a popular target for robbers, Chai said he did not know.

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#Haze back after false lull

The haze is back in the Klang Valley, Putrajaya, Pahang and Johor, and is expected to spread further inland over the next few days, said the Meteorological Department.

Its central forecasting office director Muhammad Helmi Abdullah said visibility in the Klang Valley had “reduced markedly” in a day, with the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang recording visibility of up to 2.5km yesterday afternoon.

“While this later improved, some areas in Petaling Jaya and Subang still had reduced visibility of up to 3km and 4km respectively,” he told The Star.

As of 5pm yesterday, the Department of Environment’s Air Pollutant Index recorded four areas with unhealthy air quality – Bukit Rambai in Malacca (119), Banting in Selangor (110), Muar in Johor (103) and Cheras in Kuala Lumpur (110).

Readings for Malacca city, Nilai and Port Klang hovered dangerously close to the unhealthy mark at 99, 96 and 94 respectively.

No readings were available for Putrajaya, which the DOE attributed to a technical error at the station.

The return of the haze comes just days after Indonesian Environment Minister Balthasar Kambuaya said his country hoped to ratify the 2002 Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution early next year after last week’s meeting with four of his Asean counterparts.

The treaty aims to stop transboundary haze by requiring parties to prevent burning, monitor prevention efforts, exchange information and provide mutual help.

At the meeting, the ministers had commended Indonesia for its ability to put out the land and forest fires, resulting in a drastic drop in fires.

Its effort had included waterbombing raging fires on plantations in Riau and cloud seeding.

Last month, air quality levels turned hazardous in some parts of peninsular Malaysia as well as Singapore, resulting in the closure of schools and a spike in respiratory illnesses.

Muhammad Helmi said the haze was spreading at a slow rate with the light wind pattern, which was expected to remain steady throughout the week.

He said the haze had also reached parts of Pahang and Johor, and would move northwards to Perak and Penang.

“The main reason for the spread

has been the jump in the number of hotspots in Sumatra,” he said, adding that drier weather conditions in the region would contribute to an increase in Indonesian forest fires.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s latest reading on Sunday, Sumatra has 261 hotspots.

This is yet another sharp spike from 159 on Saturday, 43 on Friday and three on Thursday.

Malaysia also showed a jump in the number of hotspots to 19 on Sunday from five on Saturday.

The Singapore-based Asean Spe­cialised Meteorological Centre’s latest haze map showed moderate haze had spread from central Sumatra, where many hotspots are clustered together, towards peninsular Malay­sia.

Singapore’s The Straits Times Indonesian correspondent in Jakarta meanwhile reported that two Dumai-bound flights were forced to return to Pekanbaru yesterday morning due to poor visibility from the haze.

It said the airport in Dumai was closed for over a week when the haze last month was at its worst.

Muhammad Helmi said light to moderate rainfall was expected over the Klang Valley and Pahang, and slightly heavier rainfall over Johor after Thursday.

“There will be some reduction in the haze after the rain, but exactly how much haze it clears up remains to be seen,” he said.

 

TheStar

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Human trafficking syndicate busted

A human trafficking syndicate specialising in luring women from South Asian countries to work here as guest relations officers (GROs) was busted after police rescued 15 of its victims following a tip-off.

Bukit Aman anti-vice, gambling and secret societies division head Senior Asst Comm Datuk Jalil Hassan said police rescued six women from India, four from Pakistan, three from Nepal and two from Bangladesh during a raid on a premises at 12.30am yesterday along Jalan Inai here.

Police rescued the 15 women after receiving a tip-off from the Pakistan Embassy and an e-mail from the family of one of the victims.

It is believed that the syndicates forced the victims to work as GROs in the premises that operates as a restaurant during the day while offering other services in the night.

SAC Jalil said police also arrested three locals and an Indian national, acting as a runner, who were working in the premises.

He said the syndicate lured the women by offering them waitressing jobs at hotels in Kuala Lumpur.

“Some were also offered jobs as cultural and traditional dancers.

“When they arrive here, the women would then be forced to work as GROs,” he said.

SAC Jalil said police believed that the premises targeted customers from South Asian countries.

 

TheStar

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‘Voters’ try dipping fingers into ink

The Election Commission held a simulation exercise here for the new requirement for voters to dip their fingers into a bottle of indelible ink for the Kuala Besut by-election.

Several volunteers, including journalists, dipped their left index finger into a bottle of the new indelible ink to test its effectiveness.

Lee Long Hui, a reporter with an online news portal, said he could not wash off the stain on his left index finger despite trying to do so twice using soap.

“The indelible ink could not be washed off but I am not sure if this will be the same ink that will be used on polling day,” he said, adding that the light purple colour turned dark after a while.

The dipping of the finger is a new procedure introduced by the EC for the July 24 polls following complaints on the use of indelible ink in the recent general election.

The simulation yesterday followed the normal process during polling day, including verification of the identity card against the electoral roll and a check to ensure that a voter’s hands are clean. After this, the “voter” dipped his left index finger into the indelible ink bottle and used the edge of its mouth to get rid of excess ink to prevent it from dripping, especially onto the ballot paper.

The simulation was supervised by the EC’s Election Academy director Abdullah Jusoh.

Commission chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof advised voters to ensure their fingers were clean and not oily before dipping their fingers into the indelible ink.

“After the dipping process, the ink should be allowed 30 seconds to dry. The EC has found that even if it is washed off, the colour will return,” he said in a statement.

He also said the National Fatwa Council had verified that the indelible ink used was halal and suitable for use by Muslims.

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Sex bloggers denied bail

Sex bloggers Alvin Tan Jye Yee and Vivien Lee May Ling were whisked off to prison – he was sent to Sungai Buloh while she was sent to Kajang – after being hit with three charges over their Ramadan bak kut teh greeting on Facebook and pornographic pictures in their blog.

The Sessions Court also came down hard on them by denying them bail.

Tan, 25, and Lee, 24, were jointly charged under Subsection 5(1) of the Film Censorship Act 2002 (Act 620), Section 4(1)(c) of the Sedition Act and Section 298A(1) of the Penal Code.

They were charged with displaying pornographic images on their blog, uploading content that could stir up hostility based on religion and publishing a seditious photograph and comment (see chart).

The media had been waiting at the lobby area of the Kuala Lumpur Court Complex since 8am for the case to be brought to court.

Both claimed trial to the three charges read out to them before judge Murtazadi Amran.

Tan, 25, glowered at the crowd in the public gallery while Lee, 24, had a wrist cast on her right hand.

Asked about the cast, the kindergarten teacher replied: “I got robbed a few weeks ago.”

Earlier, Tan and Lee, who were in the dock, were seen talking to his mother.

Noorin Badaruddin, Ishak Mohd Yusof, Nadia Mohd Izhar and Henry Tan were the DPPs while counsel Chong Joo Tian, Wong Kee Them and Adila Kamaruzaman acted for Tan and Lee.

Noorin said offences under Subsection 5(1) of the Film Censorship Act 2002 (Act 620) and Section 298A(1) of the Penal Code were non-bailable and said the prosecution objected to any bail.

“They have a tendency to upload content that stirs up public anger. Thus, we apply for the two not to be bailed until the trial ends,” she said.

Noorin also applied for a joint trial under Section 170 of the Criminal Procedure Code.

In response, Chong said the court had the discretion to allow bail.

He said it was premature to say his clients have the tendency to upload content when the trial had not even started.

He said Tan and Lee were young, and that he was unemployed while she was earning about RM900 a month as a teacher.

He added that the court should not be pressured by statements made outside.

Judge Murtazadi granted the prosecution’s application for the three charges to be jointly tried and denied bail.

He set Aug 23 for mention.

Later, Chong told reporters that they would appeal against the decision not to grant bail.

The pair’s posting last Thursday caused an uproar among Malaysians, following which the couple replaced the display with a picture of them eating ketupat, rendang and curry puffs.

The Facebook page was later shut down.

Tan and Lee also apologised for the posting in a 1:22 minute video on YouTube, and said that it was done in humour.

 

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Decision to replace Sedition Act will not affect Government’s power to deal with threats to national unity

The decision to repeal the Sedition Act and replace it with the National Harmony Act would not affect the Government's power in dealing with any action that threatens national unity and harmony, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

He said the new act would maintain three main principles to handle any action that create hatred and insults to institution and constitution.

"The new act would deal with any action that could create hatred or raise disloyalty towards the Yang di-Pertuan Agong or any Rulers.

"It will also deal with any act that aimed at raising ill will and animosity between the races or among the different people this country.

"The act will deal any action that questioned the right, status, privileges, sovereignty or prerogative as stated or protected by Chapter III of the Federal Constitution or Article 151, 153 and 181 Federal Constitution," he told a press conference here on Wednesday.

The Prime Minister said the rude action by the young couple that insulted Muslims showed that freedom of voice and opinion without responsibility could harm the community.

"Although the Government would like to guarantee the freedom of voice, it cannot be abused to the extent that it harm the country's unity," he said.

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Strong winds hit Sabah's west coast causing massive damage and power outages

A farmer is feared dead following the devastating storm that hit Sabah’s west coast.

The farmer, in her 70s, is reported to have been buried under soil and mud at the remote Kampung Mesilau near the foothills of Mount Kina­balu.

The landslip occurred amid heavy rains and strong winds of 85kph that wreaked havoc along the coast from 9.30am yesterday.

The gusts also caused several buildings to collapse while certain areas experienced power outages.

Ranau district police chief Deputy Supt Abdul Rahman Kassim said the farmer was taking shelter from the rain in a hut when rocks and sludge washed down from a hillslope.

“Firemen, police and villagers have mounted a search for her through the rubble,” he said, adding that they were trying to get heavy machinery into the area to assist in rescue operations.

Elsewhere, the storm caused a wooden house on stilts at Kg Gaya in Pulau Gaya near here to collapse at about 10am. Dozens of trees in the vicinity were also uprooted.

“Our houses were shaking and suddenly, we heard a crash and saw the house crash into the sea that is about three metres deep,” said village head Saimah Salam, adding that luckily no one was in the house at the time.

Meanwhile, the Fire and Rescue Services Department reported that winds uprooted dozens of trees in the city, Penampang and the Sipitang district in the south of Sabah.

Several parts of Kota Kinabalu, including Luyang, Penampang, Menggatal and Inanam, experienced power outages and had their electricity supply restored at about 3pm.

Sabah Meteorological Services Department director Abdul Malik Tussin said the strong southwesterly winds were due to a tropical depression over eastern Philippines.

“We expect this type of weather to persist until tomorrow,” he said.

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IGP wants sex bloggers to surrender to police

Inspector-General of police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar has asked the controversial sex bloggers to surrender themselves to KL police.

Khalid said the police wanted to investigage Alvin Tan and Vivian Lee under Section 298(a) of the penal code for insulting a religion.

He said their actions had caused anger in certain quarters which in turn had indirectly a man to be abducted and graffiti to be written on his body in Shah Alam.

Last Thursday, they uploaded on their Facebook page a picture depicting them eating bak kut teh and describing it as fragrant, delicious and appetising, with a Selamat Berbuka Puasa greeting.

They could be prosecuted for displaying offensive pictures and words under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act.

The offence was punishable with a fine of up to RM50,000 or a one-year prison term, or both.

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