Wednesday August 24, 2011

Many fall for Bukit Aman scam

By AUSTIN CAMOENS
austin@thestar.com.my

PETALING JAYA: We have heard of the Nigerian 419 scam, the AL-Globo lottery scam, but the Bukit Aman scam must surely be the mother of all scams.
A syndicate posing as police officers from Bukit Aman has been ripping off unsuspecting victims of hundreds of thousands of ringgit by claiming that they are being investigated for alleged money laundering.
Their latest victim is an elderly woman who lost about RM260,000.
Relating the ordeal, the woman who only wanted to be known as Margeret, in her 60s, said she received a phone call on Aug 18 from a man claiming to be a police inspector from Bukit Aman.
She said the “officer” told her that she was being investigated by the Hong Kong police over dealings with two drug dealers there.
“The officer told me that if I did not cooperate fully with police investigations, I would be extradited to Hong Kong to face charges for the offence,” she told The Star yesterday.
Margeret said the officer then passed to her the number of a senior police investigator in Hong Kong to verify the matter.
“I called the number given and a man claiming to be a police officer warned me that I was being investigated together with 28 other people for alleged dealings with drug dealers there,” she said, adding that the man told her to cooperate fully with the police here.
She said she then received another call from a senior police inspector in Bukit Aman who asked her to transfer all her money into an account provided by them.
“They said this was to help them verify that the funds were not linked to drug dealers in Hong Kong,” she said, adding that she transferred a total of RM260,000 from five separate banks to the police here.
Margeret said the officer told her to transfer any additional funds she had to facilitate police investigations failing which she would be arrested.
“I told them that I had an additional RM128,000 in a fixed deposit account in Temerloh, but I could not withdraw the money until the next day.”
Fearing something was amiss, she lodged a police report with the Mentakab police.
Federal Commercial Crimes Investigations Department (CCID) deputy director Deputy Comm Datuk Tajuddin Md Isa said police were investigating the case and appealed to the public to contact Bukit Aman to verify the calls.

Wednesday August 24, 2011

Coach falls prey to con men while in London

By RASHVINJEET S.BEDI
rashvin@thestar.com.my

PETALING JAYA: A Malaysian fell victim to con men posing as policemen in London, losing almost US$600 (RM1,800).
Muhammad Sahir A. Rahim, 29, the Malaysian optimist sailing team coach, was on his way to a park to join the team for training when the incident occurred on Aug 12.
As Sahir needed to use the toilet, he told the team to go ahead. He left about 10 minutes later to the park located near Malaysia Hall in central London, where the team was staying.
As he was walking, a tourist who looked Eastern European came up to him and asked for directions.
A few seconds later, another two foreign-looking men came up to them. They produced police badges and asked both of them for their passports and wallets for identification.
“The other tourist gave his wallet. I saw them taking out money and putting it back. It didn't feel right, but they wanted to see some identification,” said Sahir in an interview from Langkawi, where he is based.
As Sahir had left his passport behind, he handed over his wallet.
“I saw them taking out money and putting it back quickly,” he said.
He then returned to Malaysia Hall and asked the reception if the police ever conducted such checks on tourists, and was told about a similar modus operandi used by criminals in the area.
Upon checking, Sahir found about US$600 missing from his wallet.

Published: Wednesday August 24, 2011 MYT 9:05:00 PM
Updated: Wednesday August 24, 2011 MYT 9:19:56 PM

S'gor police launch smartphone app for SOS calls

By AUSTIN CAMOENS

SHAH ALAM: Facing danger and need to call the police pronto? Just press the SOS key on your smartphone and they can locate you wherever you are, thanks to a new app (application) co-developed by Selangor police.

The app, dubbed MyDistress, is compatible with Android, Apple, Symbian and Java and Blackberry smartphone operating systems, said Deputy Supt Mohamed Mokhsein Mohamed Zon, the officer in charge of the project.

"We co-developed the application with mobile phone software developer Convep Mobilogy Sdn Bhd.

"The purpose is to assist members of the public who may need our assistance in high-risk situations like robberies, break-ins, abduction and even kidnapping," he said, adding that it took a year to develop the app.

DSP Mohamed Mokhsein said the app, when activated, was capable of transmitting the GPS coordinates of any individual who had installed it in his smartphone.

Meanwhile, Selangor police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Tun Hisan Tun Hamzah said the app could be used for free within the eight police districts in Selangor until January next year.

He added that the app would cost RM2 monthly from next year.

The app can downloaded into smartphones at mydistress.net.

Thursday August 25, 2011

Doctor found murdered with head decapitated

BENTONG: A doctor was brutally murdered and his head decapitated at a farm here.
Dr Harjit Singh, 61, was found dead inside a hut in his farm in Kg Sertik at about 8pm on Tuesday.
A 31-year-old man, said to be a farm helper, has been arrested to assist in investigations.
Dr Harjit is the brother-in-law of Kuala Lumpur deputy police chief SAC Datuk Amar Singh.
Bentong acting OCPD Deputy Supt Mohd Mansor Mohd Nor said when police reached the scene at 11.30pm they found Dr Harjit's head on a chair beside his body.
Pahang CID chief SAC T. Narenasegaran said Dr Harjit was a contract doctor at a prison here.
Police found a machete at the scene which was believed to have been used by the suspect to chop off the head, said SAC Narenasegaran.

Thursday August 25, 2011

Vet killed in accident along highway

MUAR: A veterinary doctor from Putrajaya was killed in an accident on KM142 along the North-South Expressway here.
Dr Maznah Mohd Yusof, 53, who was sitting at the back, suffered head injuries when the driver of the 4WD she was in lost control of the vehicle after a tyre burst.
The vehicle then turned turtle after hitting a divider near the Pagoh toll plaza at about 11am yesterday.
Dr Maznah died on the spot but the driver of the vehicle was not hurt.
Her colleague Dr Zaleha Abdullah, in her 40s, was injured and rushed to the Sultanah Fatimah Specialist Hospital.
Dr Maznah's family had claimed her body from the hospital mortuary for burial in her home state of Malacca.
Hospital director Dr Ahmad Pauzi Abu said Dr Zaleha's condition was stable.

Thursday August 25, 2011

Snatch thief stabs woman who resisted

KUALA LUMPUR: An insurance agent was stabbed several times as she tried to stop a snatch thief from grabbing her handbag in Ampang.
Wini Roswita Abdullah, 38, was stabbed four times in the back during the incident near Ampang Point Shopping Centre at about 10pm on Tuesday.
The victim was sent to the Ampang Puteri Hospital and is reported to be in stable condition.
Her husband Suhaimi Mohmod, 41, said Wini was walking towards her car with her friend after a drink when all of a sudden three men approached them and tried to grab their handbags.
“Wini tried to stop the robbers and was stabbed by one of them,” he said yesterday.
The robbers managed to grab two handbags before fleeing the scene.
Ampang Jaya OCPD Asst Comm Amiruddin Jamaluddin confirmed the incident.

Thursday August 25, 2011

Hunt on for suspect who snatched RM100,000

Wanted: The suspect’s photofit

KOTA KINABALU: Police are on the hunt for a suspect who snatched RM100,000 in cash outside a bank in Inanam town here.
A photofit of the suspect has been released.
Kota Kinabalu city police chief Asst Comm Ahmad Sofi said the suspect was about 1.7m in height and medium-built.
In the Aug 22 incident, a 44-year-old businessman had just withdrawn the money and was about to enter his car when a motorcyclist with a pillion rider approached him and grabbed the envelope containing the cash.
Ahmad Sofi urged anyone with information to immediately contact Insp B. Shreetharan at 016-3572935 or 088-242111 or the nearest police station.

Thursday August 25, 2011

Nine-year-old girl killed in fire

By TAN SIN CHOW and HAFIZ MARZUKHI
north@thestar.com.my

GEORGE TOWN: Zulaikha Batriesya Mohamad Zafian (pic) was supposed to join her family members on a Hari Raya shopping spree to buy new clothes today.
The nine-year-old, however, was killed in a fire which gutted her house and six others in Kampung Sungai Nibong Kechil here.
Her badly-burned body was found an hour after the 5.30am fire in front of a neighbour's house yesterday.
Her mother, Munira Abdullah, 36, said Zulaikha, a Year Three student in SK Bayan Baru, had been absent from school for the past two weeks because of her poor health.
She said the family planned to get Zulaikha, who had epilepsy, and her siblings new clothes for Raya.
“Zulaikha was really looking forward to celebrating Raya after hearing the sound of firecrackers,” she said.
Her eldest brother, Mohd Zulfikar, 15, said he managed to get everyone out of the house after learning that a fire had broken out in one of the rooms on the upper floor of the house.
He said Zulaikha and a few others were taking a nap in the living room after having their sahur meal (pre-dawn meal).
“Everyone got out of the house, including my sister Zulaikha, as I had carried her out.
“We only realised she was missing sometime later.

Aftermath: The remains of Zulaikha’s house after the fire yesterday. The fire razed seven houses and left at least 30 people homeless.

“I have no idea when and why she returned to the scene,” he said when met at the Balik Pulau Hospital mortuary yesterday.
The fire, which razed seven houses, left at least 30 people homeless.
Pantai Jerejak assemblyman Sim Tze Tzin said RM20,000 as well as blankets and mats were given to the 14 families affected by the fire.

Thursday August 25, 2011

Man leaves Myvi at service centre and drives off in BMW

By SARBAN SINGH
newsdesk@thestar.com.my

SEREMBAN: A man who walked into a service centre near here on the pretext of servicing his Perodua Myvi shocked patrons and the outlet owner when he drove away another customer's newly-serviced BMW.
However, he was arrested the next morning while attempting to drive the car out of a parking lot outside a row of shophouses near his home in Sikamat near here.
Police also seized two other vehicles parked near the rented home of the suspect a Mitsubishi Triton and a Kia Spectra. The Myvi was also reported stolen earlier.

Hot wheels: SAC Osman (centre) inspecting the BMW that was seized from the thief. – Bernama

Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect, in his early 40s, had gone on a spree, stealing several other cars including Honda, Toyota and Nissan models from service centres and workshops, state police chief Senior Asst Comm Datuk Osman Salleh said.
“The thefts were reported in the Klang Valley in recent weeks. Investigations reveal this is a one-man show,” he told reporters yesterday.
He added that the suspect, who was from Perak but did odd jobs in Kuala Lumpur, had been jailed twice for criminal offences.
He had been renting the house here for the past three months.
“His modus operandi was simple. He would observe happenings at a particular workshop or service centre, coolly walk in and just drive the car away,” he said, adding that there was a possibility that the stolen cars might have been cannibalised and sold to spare part dealers.
SAC Osman advised those who had bought cars below the market value to notify the nearest police station as they might be driving stolen vehicles.
Those found driving such vehicles can be charged with having stolen property.

Friday August 26, 2011

Beware phony firm targeting SMIs, says businessman

KUALA LUMPUR: A phony consultant company inviting small and medium industries (SMIs) to become suppliers to a government agency is making its rounds.
The new tactic came to light after a businessman came forward to warn other SMIs to be careful when they receive such unsolicited invitations.
Print & Pack Solution Sdn Bhd general manager Alan Wong, 37, said his company received an invitation through facsimile bearing the letterhead of the Agro-based Product Marketing Board.
Wong said he had reservations about the invitation as it was faxed but he took the chance as he was interested in getting more business.
“I prepared a packet with the required documents and a RM6,000 post-dated cheque as deposit. That way, I thought if anything went wrong, I could still recover the money,” Wong said.
After the packet was hand delivered to the consultant company’s office on Aug 16, Wong received a call the same day telling him that his application could not be processed because of the post-dated cheque.
Sensing something amiss, Wong told the general manager, who said his name was Tan Chun Hoe, that he wanted to withdraw his application.
Three days later, Wong received a call from his bank regarding the RM6,000 post-dated cheque that he had issued.
He immediately cancelled the cheque and lodged a police report at the Dang Wangi police headquarters.
“The date on the cheque had been altered to Aug 1 from Aug 31,” Wong said.
MCA National Youth Strategic Planning Research Bureau chief Neil Foo Seck Chyn, who called the press conference, urged companies which had encountered the same scam to lodge a police report.

Saturday August 27, 2011

Youth dies in joy ride car crash

DUNGUN: It was a tragic end for a man who borrowed his elder brother’s car for a joy ride.
Ahmad Sofri Badarudin, 23, died when he lost control of the Proton Iswara, which split into half after he rammed it into a tree at Km9 of Jalan Teluk Lipat-Sura Hujung here on Thursday.
He was flung some 30m from the car and died on the spot due to severe head injuries.

Tragic end: The Proton Iswara which split into half after the accident at Jalan Lipat-Sura Hujung, Dungun, Terengganu on Wednesday. (Inset) Ahmad Sofri.

His brother Ahmad Sobri, 35, said they only knew of the accident when his younger sister tried to call the victim.
“We were worried as he was not back for buka puasa. When we called his mobile phone, another person answered and informed us of the accident,” he said in between tears.
Dungun OCPD Supt Dahlan Mohd Noor confirmed the incident.

Published: Saturday August 27, 2011 MYT 5:00:00 PM
Updated: Saturday August 27, 2011 MYT 5:02:43 PM

Fallen tree causes two-hour jam in Bangsar

KUALA LUMPUR: A fallen tree caused some two hours of traffic congestion in Bangsar Saturday.
Jalan Maarof heading towards Damansara was cut off by the tree which fell at about 3pm.
On the opposite side of the road, only one lane was opened to traffic heading to Kuala Lumpur and Mid Valley Megamall.
City Hall officials cleared the tree at about 4.30pm and traffic was back to normal.
They said the tree fell due to the loose ground after several days of rain.

Sunday August 28, 2011

Twenty-four dead from road accidents

KUALA LUMPUR: Twenty-four people were killed in road accidents on the fourth day of the 24th Ops Sikap launched in conjunction with Hari Raya.
According to a statement by Bukit Aman police on its website yesterday, motorcyclists accounted for the highest number of deaths (14), followed by motorists (six) and pedestrians (two).
There were two deaths involving a lorry and another vehicle.
The statement said 9,556 summonses were issued to traffic offenders in Friday’s operation.
Ops Sikap is aimed at encouraging defensive driving to reduce road accidents during the festive season.
Ops Sikap 24, which was launched by deputy Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Khalid Abu Bakar on Sunday, ends on Sept 6. — Ber­nama

Published: Sunday August 28, 2011 MYT 12:38:00 PM

17 road deaths reported on fifth day of Ops Sikap

KUALA LUMPUR: Seventeen deaths were reported Saturday on the fifth day of Ops Sikap 24 exercise to reduce road accidents during the Aidilfitri festive period, according to police on Sunday.
The Bukit Aman police website reported that 11 of the dead were motorcyclists, three were motorists and three, pedestrians.
The number of deaths was less than the 24 reported the previous day.
According to the report, the 17 deaths occurred in seven fatal accidents on federal roads, six on municipal roads and one each on state roads and other roads.
It said 9,108 summonses were issued to traffic offenders on Saturday.
Ops Sikap 24 will end on Sept 6. - Bernama

Published: Wednesday August 24, 2011 MYT 10:07:00 AM

9-yr-old girl killed in fire

GEORGE TOWN: A nine-year-old girl was killed in a fire, which broke out at a squatter house in Sungai Nibong Kecil here on Wednesday.

It is believed that family members could not rush the girl, who is believed to be mentally disabled, out of the house during the 5.45am fire.

Published: Sunday August 21, 2011 MYT 5:42:00 PM
Updated: Sunday August 21, 2011 MYT 5:53:58 PM

2,919 cases of hand, foot and mouth disease reported in Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 2,919 cases of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) were reported in the country so far this year but there have been no death due to the disease.

In fact, the Health Ministry director-general Datuk Dr Hasan Abdul Rahman said Sunday in a statement that there appeared to have been a drop in reported cases compared with 8,769 cases reported all of last year.

He said most cases were recorded in five states - Sarawak with 914 cases, Selangor (513 cases), Johor (300), Perlis (300) and Pulau Pinang (263).

"The National Public Health Laboratory surveillance found that Coxsackie A16 and Enterovirus 71 (EV 71) were the most common strains causing HFMD. The virus is spread through direct contact with the mucus, saliva or faeces of an infected person. The incubation period is between three to five days," he said.

HFMD, usually attacks infants and children under the age of 10, causing them to run a fever, develop ulcers in the mouth, especially on the tongue and gums, as well as blisters or rashes on the hands and feet, he said.

Dr Hasan also urged parents and caregivers to send children to hospital or clinic immediately if they detected such symptoms.

He also asked them to practise good hygiene and observe cleanliness at all times to prevent the spread of the disease. Bernama

Monday August 22, 2011

Local jockey killed in car accident

By SYLVIA LOOI
sylvia@thestar.com.my

IPOH: A horse-racing jockey died after he lost control of his Proton Iswara which crashed into a drain.

Lim Cheng Woei, 27, from Sungai Puyu, Butterworth, died on the spot after the 8.40am incident yesterday, which occurred at Jalan Medan Ipoh.

A police spokesman said Lim was pinned in his car and had suffered serious head injuries.

Tragic loss: A tow truck operator retrieving the car from the drain in the accident which took the life of Lim (below, left) at Jalan Medan Ipoh yesterday.

“Initial investigations showed that the victim was on his way to Medan Ipoh from Jalan Medan Ipoh 1 but lost control while negotiationg a bend,” he said.

A tow truck had to be summoned to retrieve Lim's car from the drain.

His remains were sent to Hospital Raja Permaisuri Bainun mortuary where a post-mortem was done. Lim's body was later claimed by his family.

It is learnt that Lim was attached to Ipoh trainer Kevin Coetzee.

Lim was a rider for Golden Knight Stable, a leading stable in Malaysia.

He was currently ranked 20th in the jockeys championship with nine wins.

Monday August 22, 2011

Pregnant woman dies in crash

PEKAN: A pregnant woman died from severe head injuries when the car she was travelling in slammed into an electrical pole along the Kuantan-Segamat highway near here.

Her husband, Insp Mohd Nor Idham, 27, who is based at the Kelantan police headquarters in Kota Baru, escaped with light injuries in the 4pm crash on Friday.

Noor Edlina Ahmad Bakhari (pic), 36, who was seven months’ pregnant, died at the scene at Km65 of the highway.

Pekan district police chief Supt Yahaya Othman said the couple was heading to-wards Kluang when the driver allegedly lost control of his vehicle and crashed into the pole.

Nor Idham received outpatient treatment at the Pekan Hospital while Noor Edlina’s body was sent there for a post-mortem.

Monday August 22, 2011

Coco the dog saves seven

By TAN SIN CHOW
sctan@thestar.com.my

GEORGE TOWN: A family of seven have their pet dog to thank for saving their lives when its barking alerted them to a fire which razed two shophouses in Jalan Jelutong here.

Car dealer Ng Fook Min said he woke up to check on his pet Mini Pinscher, Coco, when it started barking constantly at about 2am yesterday.

“I suspected something was wrong as Coco is usually a quiet dog and does not bark at night. I looked out of my bedroom window and saw smoke billowing from my neighbour's furniture shop.

“I quickly alerted my family members and got them out of the house. My nephew and I then tried to put out the blaze with fire extinguishers to no avail. The blaze quickly spread to my house within minutes,” he said at the scene.

Hero: Ng’s daughter looking after Coco after it was brought to safety in George Town yesterday.

“Fortunately, a few passers-by together with members of the voluntary patrol unit and voluntary fire fighting squad helped him to move some vans and lorries to safety.

“I dread to think what would have happened if the vehicles had not been moved.

“Losses could have run into millions. We have Coco to thank for waking us up.”

JSF Furniture Shop owner Teoh Chee, 56, said 90 mattresses stored in two containers and about 50 sofa sets and bed frames were destroyed in the fire.

Monday August 22, 2011

Burst water pipe causes traffic jam

Bumper-to-bumper: Cars inching their way forward along Jalan Tebrau after a burst water pipe flooded part of the road yesterday.

JOHOR BARU: Motorists fumed when they were caught in a major traffic jam for hours on the busy Jalan Tebrau here following a burst water pipe.

The pipe burst after a tractor used for road-widening work in the area accidentally hit it, said Syarikat Air Johor (SAJ) Holdings Sdn Bhd head of corporate communications Jama­luddin Jamil.

Jamaluddin said the company shut down the main outlet to ensure no wastage of water.

He added that it was not a main water pipe and SAJ did not believe the surrounding residents would experience water cuts.

Those with water supply problems can call SAJ’s hotline at 1-800-88-7474 or e-mail SAJ at customer.care@saj.com.my.

Published: Monday August 22, 2011 MYT 1:16:00 PM
Updated: Monday August 22, 2011 MYT 3:30:52 PM

Three states identified as risk-prone areas for landslides

By WONG PEK MEI

KUALA LUMPUR: Selangor, Sabah and Penang have been identified as risk-prone areas for landslides.

Housing and Local Government Datuk Chor Chee Heung said this was concluded after receiving 111 reports from 111 local councils out of 145 councils who were ordered to conduct surveys and submit reports of landslide risks to buildings on or near hillslopes under their jurisdiction.

"We have identified 2,000 houses that are in high risk areas," he said after launching the Ops Raya 2011 at the Sungai Besi Toll here Monday.

He, however, refused to reveal the exact number of houses or buildings located at or near areas prone to landslide in the three states mentioned.

Chor said a report on this was submitted to the Cabinet last week.

He added the remaining councils that did not submit their reports as there were no landslide threats in those areas.

"The landslide risks were listed in three categories; serious, not so serious and light," he said.

It was reported on May 31 that Chor announced a Cabinet directive that the surveys must be completed within a month, following a tragedy in Hulu Langat where an orphanage was hit by a landslide, killing 16 people.

Saturday August 20, 2011 Baby unscathed in four-vehicle crash Other News & Views by WINNIE YEOH, LEE YEN MUN and A. RAMAN A BARELY month-old baby emerged unscathed from a car crash involving four vehicles, which left 11 injured, Sinar Harian reported. The paper said 26-day-old Syaqina Balkis Shihabuddin was saved in the arms of her mother, who did not let loose her grip on her baby. This was despite the car they were travelling in spinning several times and turning turtle after being hit from the back. Syaqina's father Shihabuddin Abd Ghani, 23, said he was seated at the rear passenger seat with wife Salmiah Mohamad, 23, and brother-in-law Khairul Arshad Muhammad, 13, during the 10.30pm incident on Thursday near SK Padang Luas in Jertih, Kuala Terengganu. His father-in-law Muhammad Awang, 52, was driving the car. “My wife managed to hang on to our baby. After the car overturned, the four of us in the backseat made our way out through the shattered windscreen,” Shihabuddin said. Eleven victims from the crash received outpatient treatment at the Besut Hospital.

Saturday August 20, 2011

RM76 course on making fake bird’s nests

Other News & Views by WINNIE YEOH, LEE YEN MUN and A. RAMAN

UNSCRUPULOUS businessmen only need to pay HK$200 (RM76) to attend a one-day class to master the skills of producing fake bird's nests, China Press reported.

It quoted a posting by a bird's nest trader named Alex in an Internet forum in Hangzhou, who claimed that classes to produce fake bird's nests are common in Indonesia and neighbouring countries.

Alex had claimed that the skills could be acquired in just a day.

It was reported that fake bird's nests are made from a type of mucilage that is easily available in the China market at HK$50 (RM19) a bottle. Each bottle can produce up to 100 bird's nests.

Alex said the production process was simple one needs to first soak a real bird's nest for about two hours and then use an Indonesian-produced powder called “Super 77” to mix the real bird's nest with mucilage and then mould them.

Alex said the genuine bird's nest was priced at RM7,900 per kilo while fake ones cost RM4,600 per kilo.

Saturday August 20, 2011

Hi-tech electricity poachers cause TNB to lose RM500m yearly

By WANI MUTHIAH
wani@thestar.com.my

PETALING JAYA: Power thieves are employing elaborate measures and using high-tech equipment to siphon off electricity worth hundreds of millions of ringgit from Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB).

In one case, a commercial property owner went to great lengths by building a secret access tunnel to the meter room so his workers could quickly remove electricity siphoning gadgets whenever a raid was conducted.

TNB president and chief executive officer Datuk Seri Che Khalib Mohamad Noh said these thieves were mostly in commercial and industrial premises.

“The manner in which meters are tampered with is becoming more and more sophisticated with various electronic gadgets used to register low readings,” said Che Khalib, adding that this resulted in TNB incurring an estimated RM500mil losses annually.

All we have to do is just go the meter and measure the accuracy of its reading with our equipment.- DATUK IR AZMAN MOHD

He added there were even cases when remote control devices were used to switch off electricity siphoning devices whenever meters were being monitored by TNB.

Che Khalib, who visited The Star with TNB chief operating officer and executive director Datuk Ir. Azman Mohd, said the secret tunnel was found at a hotel in a northern state.

“When our officers went to the premises for inspection, someone went into the meter room through the passage to remove the gadgets used to tamper with the meters,” revealed Che Khalib.

He said the construction of a secret tunnel to siphon off electricity gave an indication about the extent to wich the thieves would go.

However, said Che Khalib, meter tampering in private residences were not as sophisticated and in some cases were made-up of crudely concealed by-pass wires.

He said there were also instances whereby homeowners fixed power saving devices which they believed would reduce the amount of electricity being used.

Che Khalib said there was a probability the installers of the devices tampered with the electricity meters.

“But people think its the power saving device that is reducing electricity usage,” he explained.

Meanwhile, Azman said TNB also had sophisticated equipment to detect meters that were tampered with to register lower reading than actual consumption.

“No matter how it is done, all we have to do is to just go to the meter and measure the accuracy of its reading with our equipment,” he explained.

The difficulty faced by TNB, said Azman, was the fact that those stealing electricity were able to do it in a manner that could not be detected by the naked eye.

“Our meter readers would not be able to detect any irregularities when sophisticated methods, such as remote control devices, are used,'' said Azman.

According to Che Khalib, electricity theft had many repercussions besides loss of revenue for TNB.

“It also decreases the electricity supply to the area in which the theft is taking place because the actual consumption is not registered,” he said.

As a result, TNB may be under supplying electricity there and this causes various other problems such as the lighting being dim due to low voltage.

He added tampering with electricity meters was also unsafe and could cause fires.

Che Khalib said the amount of electricity that was being stolen was huge with one factory being back billed RM10mil.

Che Khalib called on consumers not to entertain anyone offering to tamper with their electricity meters as TNB would detect it eventually.

“Previously, we did not have enough personnel to carry out regular inspection but now we have a dedicated recovery team,” said Che Khalib, who also did not discount the possibility of TNB staff offering such illegal services.

However, he said TNB was also serious in countering graft within its company as it was working closely with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission.

Saturday August 20, 2011

Brothers held with cache of firearms in Perlis

KANGAR: Two brothers were arrested with an assortment of firearms, explosives and several thousand rounds of ammunition in Taman Perlis.

The brothers, aged 35 and 45, were nabbed at about noon on Thursday at their house by a task force from the Perlis police contingent headquarters after a tip-off.

State police chief Senior Asst Comm Zull Aznam Haron said two .38 Special 2 revolvers, a Berreta automatic, a Glock automatic pistol and a shotgun were seized.

Weapons seizure: SAC Zull Aznam (third from right) and his officers showing the firearms that were seized. — Bernama

“The raiding team also recovered 2,700 rounds of ammunition, explosives, 400 shotgun cartridges, a samurai sword, two Rambo knives and two spears. Two cars were also seized.

“We are now trying to find out why the suspects had so many dangerous weapons with them. They have since been remanded for a week,” he said yesterday.

SAC Zull Aznam said this was the state's largest firearm seizure this year.

Sunday August 21, 2011

Dove tale ends in gruesome murder

SEPANG: The dove – often seen as a symbol of peace – brought death to an Indonesian worker at a house in Kampung Abu Bakar Baginda near here.

A fellow countryman, who shared the house with the victim, slashed the labourer in the neck as he was not happy about the victim’s bird being placed in a cage near his (the suspect) room.

Selangor police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Tun Hisan Tun Hamzah said the incident happened on Aug 10 following an argument between the two men over the bird.

The suspected killer and two other tenants fled from the house after the incident, he said.

Murder suspect at large: DCP Tun Hisan showing a photo of Saiful who is wanted for the murder.

DCP Tun Hisan said the attacker used a parang to slash the 29-year-old victim who died at the scene.

The identity of the victim has been withheld pending investigations.

DCP Tun Hisan said the police were looking for Saiful Alam Masali, 36, to facilitate investigations.

Those who know about his whereabouts can contact Chief Insp M. Balloo at 012-366 3614 or 03-8077 7422.

Sunday August 21, 2011

Group sees red over blood nest

By NG CHENG YEE
chengyee@thestar.com.my

KUALA LUMPUR: An association representing businessmen involved in the bird's nest trade will lodge a police report against unscrupulous ones who produce red bird's nest and sell fake bird's nest.

Members of the association were not involved in producing red bird's nest, widely known as blood nest, which were high in nitrate and could cause health problems, said Federation of Bird's Nest Merchants Association chairman Datuk Beh Heng Seong.

“We are making the police report on Monday to prove our innocence and to protect our interest because many allegations have been made against us,” he said here yesterday.

A separate police report would be lodged with regards to a press conference held in Hangzhou, China, where two bogus officers who claimed to represent the Malaysian Government were present.

It was reported that recently, a press conference was held in China to clarify the “misconceptions” of blood nest, which had been found to contain a high level of nitrate.

A third Malaysian at the press conference claimed to be representing the Malaysian Bird's Nest Exporters Association.

China's Xinhua news agency said following a tip-off from a reporter who attended the July 26 press conference, it was discovered that the two people, who presented themselves as Malaysia Export Veterinary Inspection Agency director-general Datuk Khairul Hashim and head of the Malaysian Endangered Species Import and Export Administration Datuk Ahmad, were bogus officers after a check showed that the two agencies did not exist.

The Chinese press who attended the media conference were told by the two officers that 99% of the alleged fake blood nest imported from Malaysia were genuine.

They also claimed that the nitrate content in these products were within the permissible levels and could be removed by soaking them in water for several hours.

Beh said the federation would travel with the Veterinary Department to China on Thursday to explain the matter to the Chinese authorities.

“We hope to reach an understanding with the Chinese Government.

“Hopefully a mechanism can be set up to ensure that all bird's nest exported to China are genuine and safe for consumption,” he said.

Sunday August 21, 2011

Four cops to face action over watch theft

By ZALINAH NOORDIN and TAN SIN CHOW
north@thestar.com.my

GEORGE TOWN: Police took fast action against four personnel over the theft of 117 watches worth RM50,000 from a shop in Campbell Street.

A 44-year-old lance corporal has been suspended with immediate effect pending investigation over his alleged involvement in selling some of the watches at a makeshift stall in Lorong Kulit here, said George Town OCPD Asst Comm Gan Kong Meng.

Three other policemen, aged between 24 and 31, tasked to investigate the matter would also face disciplinary action.

ACP Gan said the three from the Datuk Keramat police station had allegedly tried to drag their feet in their investigations into the theft upon learning that the suspect was their colleague.

Stolen items: ACP Gan and his officers showing some of the watches that were seized from the lance corporal in George Town yesterday.

Police seized 42 stolen watches worth RM15,000 from the lance corporal in the 9.30am incident yesterday.

The suspect, who was off duty then, is attached to the Sungai Nibong police beat base.

ACP Gan said the case was being investigated under Section 457 of the Penal Code for burglary.

“We will investigate whether he was the one who stole the watches or whether he was selling stolen items,” he said during a “Police Meet the Public” session at Tesco Hypermarket in Sungai Dua yesterday.

Watch shop owner Tan Chee Khew, 49, had earlier received information that the 117 watches that were stolen from his shop on June 27 were being sold at Lorong Kulit.

“I went there to check. I know the watches belonged to me after checking the codes and stickers on them.

“I then called the police, but to my dismay, the three policemen who arrived later apparently asked the suspect to pack and go away.

“It was then that I suspected something was amiss,” he said.

ACP Gan said there would be no cover-up in the case.

He said a 15-year-old and a 24-year-old man had been picked up to facilitate investigations into the theft.

The police are also looking for another man to assist in the probe.

Sunday August 21, 2011

Police recover bulk of RM2.3mil smartphones stolen at KLIA

By STEVEN DANIEL
stevend@thestar.com.my

SEPANG: Thieves carted off 2,100 new BlackBerry smartphones worth RM2.3mil from a warehouse at the KL International Airport (KLIA).

However, swift action by the police led to the arrest of five suspects.

The theft was detected on Friday when a logistics staff discovered the warehouse had been broken into and the phones missing, Selangor police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Tun Hisan Tun Hamzah said.

“The staff discovered the theft at 9.30am and alerted the police at 10.20am. A special taskforce was set up to investigate the matter.

“Two hours later we arrested a suspect and two others in the nearby airport cargo area.

Smart response: DCP Tun Hisan (left) and C/ Insp Balloo showing the 1,470 recovered Blackberry smartphones at the Sepang district police headquarters yesterday.

“The suspects in their 30s have been working at the KLIA cargo logistics section for between five and seven years,” he told a press conference at the Sepang district police headquarters yesterday.

DCP Tun Hisan said the suspects led the taskforce headed by C/Insp M. Balloo to a warehouse run by a licensed second-hand item dealer in Batu 12, Puchong and recovered 1,470 stolen phones.

Two men, including the 52-year-old owner of the premises, were arrested.

“We believe the thieves transported the phones to Puchong in a lorry,” he added.

DCP Tun Hisan said investigations revealed that the phones had arrived from Hungary on Thursday and were stored in the KLIA cargo warehouse while awaiting clearance from the Customs Depart-ment.

The phones were scheduled to be sent to a phone company in Petaling Jaya.

“The police is trying to trace the remaining 630 smartphones. We are investigating whether more people are involved,” he added.

The five suspects have been remanded for four days and investigated under Section 454 of the Penal Code.

DCP Tun Hisan said there was a growing trend of licensed second-hand dealers and scrap metal dealers being in cahoots with thieves.

Last year, it was reported that computer hard disks manufactured for CCTVs with a market value of RM4mil were stolen from a warehouse at KLIA.

The hard disks were later recovered at a warehouse in Perak.

DCP Tun Hisan also handed out certificates of commendation to the 10 police personnel who acted swiftly to arrest the thieves.

Published: Wednesday August 17, 2011 MYT 6:27:00 PM
Updated: Wednesday August 17, 2011 MYT 6:28:59 PM

Nine killed in lorry-SUV collision in Sarawak

By LEONARD PHANG

KUCHING: Nine Indonesians were killed in a horrific collision near Sri Aman that flung most of them out of their vehicle and onto the road.

The Indonesians were travelling in a Toyota Rush, which collided head-on with a lorry at KM34 on the Sri Aman-Sarikei road at about 3.50am Wednesday. The lorry was heading towards Kuching.

The deceased are Asmadi, 21, Maulidi Mumziri, 22, Muslimin Jabir, 25, Ilham Muzani, 26, Zafri Anwar, 26, Ilham Tamrim, 27, Yusran Said, 29, Zunaidi Tamrim, 38, and Juhran, 40.

Most of the victims died on the spot.

A passenger of the Toyota Rush survived the crash.

The lorry driver, Then Kee Nyong, 45, suffered leg injuries.

Police and Fire and Rescue Department personnel arrived at the scene at about 4am and were shocked at what they saw.

"Many of the victims were lying on the road. The vehicle was just too packed with people,” said a police spokesman.

The bodies of the victims were later sent to the mortuary at the Sarawak General Hospital.

Rescue workers had to extricate the lorry driver, who was trapped in his vehicle which landed on its side. He has been detained by the police for investigations.

Published: Thursday August 11, 2011 MYT 12:35:00 PM
Updated: Thursday August 11, 2011 MYT 1:43:57 PM

Safety supervisors a must for construction sites

ALOR SETAR: All construction companies will be required to appoint Site Safety Supervisors (SSS) from Jan 1 next year due to the high rate of fatal accidents at sites.

Occupational Safety and Health Department Director-General Datuk Johari Basri said between January and May this year, there had been 17 cases of fatal accidents. There were 66 cases last year.

"For companies with projects worth RM20mil and above, they have to have a full-time SSS, as well as a Safety and Health Officer.

"They are required to check on the safety of the machinery or the construction site and only after they are found safe can the workers be allowed to continue their work at the site," he told reporters at the closing of a briefing and dialogue on Safety and health here.

He said companies which failed to abide by the regulation could be fined RM1,000.

A total of 9,136 construction sites are registered with the department. - Bernama

Sunday August 14, 2011

Man who dozed off dies in blaze

JOHOR BARU: A 50-year-old man was burnt to death when his wooden house caught fire.

Sabtu Hussein’s body was found inside his bedroom at Rumah 102 in Jalan Pantai, Kampung Bakar Baru, yesterday.

Johor Baru Fire and Rescue Department operations commander Raja Saiful Raja Iswandi said the department received a distress call at 5.28am yesterday from a neighbour.

“We put out the fire at around 7.30am,” he said, adding that the department found the victim’s charred body on a mattress.

He said the victim, who was staying alone, might have dozed off after sahur.

Published: Thursday August 11, 2011 MYT 2:38:00 PM

Fire wipes out Machan town in S'wak

KANOWIT: A pre-dawn fire Thursday razed to the ground the entire town of Machan, comprising 10 units of double-storey coffee and retail shops.

A man in his 70s suffered burns when he tried to save his belongings in the 2.40am fire, community leader Kapitan Leong Khing Hee said.

Machan, which is about a 20-minute drive from here, is at the heart of an oil palm growing area in the district.

Leong said the residents of the town, assisted by their Iban neighbours, faced great difficulty in fighting the blaze and trying to save the shops, which are more than 50 years old.

"We were greatly hampered by the low water pressure due to the current dry season. We do not have suitable pumps to draw water from the nearby Machan river," he said.

Leong said the injured man had been admitted to the Kanowit district hospital.

An officer of the Kanowit Fire and Rescue Department, Douglas Graji, said his office received a call about the fire at 3.14am.

"Fourteen of us (firemen) immediately rushed to the scene. We were later joined by 10 fire-fighters from Sibu. We managed to bring the fire under control 30 minutes later," he said. - Bernama

Published: Saturday July 23, 2011 MYT 4:53:00 PM

Construction of RM6bil West Coast Highway to begin Dec

By SARBAN SINGH

GEMENCHEH: The construction of the 286km-long West Coast Highway linking Banting in Selangor and Changkat Jering in Perak will begin by December.

Works Minister Datuk Shaziman Abu Mansor said his ministry was in the final stages of completing the highway alignment works.

He added the highway, which was estimated to cost around RM6bil, would enhance connectivity and cut travelling time between the towns located along the stretch.

“We are making a study of the route alignment as the Perak government had asked that the highway be brought closer to the coastline.

”We need to avoid building the link on peat soil because of the request to build the highway close to the coast.

“In this case, elevated stretches may have to be built and this will increase costs,” he told reporters here on Saturday.

The West Coast Highway project was one of the six Public-Private Partnership initiatives announced by Datuk Seri Najib Razak to be carried out under the 10th Malaysia Plan on a build-operate-transfer basis. - Bernama

Saturday July 23, 2011

Two killed in highway crash

By SARBAN SINGH
newsdesk@thestar.com.my

SEREMBAN: A lorry driver and his attendant were killed when their vehicle ploughed into the rear of another lorry which was transporting brand new Proton vehicles at KM264.6 of the North-South Highway near here.

Driver M. Mayandi, 38, and B. Ravi, 23, were killed on the spot in the 6am incident yesterday due to massive head injuries.

A police spokesman said the lorry, transporting the eight Proton Personas, encountered a tyre malfunction, forcing its driver to stop the vehicle along the south-bound emergency lane, just before the Seremban toll plaza.

Wrecked: The Proton car carrier after being hit by the lorry in Seremban Friday.

Minutes later, the lorry driven by Mayandi, which was laden with rolls of steel wires crashed into the rear of the car carrier.

He said that Ravi was thrown out of the vehicle due to the impact while Mayandi was pinned to his seat in the mangled cabin of his lorry.

The victims were from Segamat and Simpang Renggam in Johor, respectively.

The crash caused a 30km traffic jam along the south-bound stretch as a few rolls of the steel wires and debris blocked traffic.

The damaged cars.

The attendant of the car-carrier, Mohd Izad Mohd Tap, 25, said he and the driver Mohd Zainal Bani 35, were on their way from Shah Alam to Segamat when their vehicle encountered a problem.

“We were in the midst of checking out the problem when we heard a loud crash at the rear. Both of us ran to safety and tried to find cover in a drain. Only then did we realise that another lorry had crashed into ours,” he said.

State traffic police chief ASP Abd Halil Hamzah said investigations were underway. The remains of the victims have been sent to the hospital for post-mortem before being released to their families.

Friday July 22, 2011

RM3mil goes up in smoke after fire at storage facility

GURUN: Foam used for car seats, fabric and machinery went up in smoke when fire destroyed a storage facility at a factory here, causing losses estimated around RM3mil.

A security guard noticed the fire at C.N.A. Manufacturing Sdn Bhd, which produces car seats for Naza vehicles, and immediately alerted the Fire and Rescue Department.

No one was injured in the 1.20pm incident yesterday.

The 150 workers at the facility, which is about 2km from the Naza factory in Gurun Industrial Park, were on their lunch break at that time.

Total meltdown: Firemen checking the burnt down storage facility at the C.N.A Manufacturing factory in Gurun, Kedah, yesterday. — G.C.TAN / The Star

Sungai Petani Fire Operations chief Osman Parmin said the department took about 15 minutes to bring the fire under control and prevent it from spreading to two buildings next to it.

Fire engines from Sungai Petani, Guar Chempedak, Yan and Alor Setar with 36 firemen put out the blaze.

Assisting them were 11 voluntary units with more than 50 personnel.

Wednesday July 20, 2011

Fire destroys rubber glove factory, RM107mil in losses reported

KULIM: A factory which manufactures rubber gloves suffered more than RM107mil in losses after it was destroyed in a fire at the Padang Meha Industrial area in Sungai Karangan, near here.

Several workers noticed the blaze at about 8.30am and alerted their colleagues.

Some 120 firemen, including volunteers, rushed to the scene in 20 fire engines from Butterworth, Tasek Gelugor, Bukit Mertajam, Kulim Hi-Tech Park and Sungai Petani.

It took them nearly two hours to put out the fire as low water pressure hampered their efforts.

Raging inferno: The fire engulfing the glove factory at the Padang Meha Industrial zone in Sungai Karangan, Kulim, yesterday. – Bernama

Hazmat personnel were also deployed to the scene.

Factory owner Datuk Eng Hock Sing, 47, said the factory, which had been in operation for the last 15 years, employed about 600 workers.

“I call upon the workers to be patient. We will try to resume operations within six months,” he said.

Eng was grateful that his workers escaped without injuries although he sustained losses estimated at more than RM107mil, including equipment, machinery and finished products which were due to be exported.

Padang Serai Barisan Nasional coordinator Dr Chin Tung Leong said he was saddened by the plight of the workers, adding that those who needed assistance could come to his office.

Management Council for the Term 2011/2012

MEMBERS / COMPANY
Mr Xavier Vincent / MSIG Insurance (Malaysia) Bhd
Mr Rubendran Subramaniam / Kurnia Insurans (M) Bhd
Mr Anbarasu Sithambaram / Multi-Purpose Insurans Bhd
Mr Avery Lee / Malaysian Assurance Alliance Bhd
Mr Foo Jee Meng / AXA Affin General Insurance Bhd
En Faizal Affendy Nasrul / Malaysian Reinsurance Berhad
Mr Kanagasabai Krishnan / Tokio Marine Insurance (Malaysia) Bhd
Mr Mahendran a/l Arumugam / Munich Re, Malaysia Branch
Mr Michael Gopalan / Oriental Capital Assurance Bhd
Mr Reginikanth Murugiah / Allianz General Insurance Company Malaysia Bhd
En Shahrol Hizal Bin Saharundin / RHB Insurance Bhd
Mr Teng Kok Wai / Chartis Malaysia Insurance Bhd
En Yusb Ishaq / Berjaya Sompo Insurance Berhad

Thursday August 11, 2011

Residents living in fear of house collapse

RESIDENTS of Taman Cuepacs in Segambut, Kuala Lumpur, are living in fear of their homes collapsing after cracks appeared in the walls, reported Malaysia Nanban.

A resident, P. Vijaykumar, said seven houses were affected, adding that no action had been taken to repair their homes.

He said this was despite numerous complaints forwarded by them to the various authorities and political leaders.

Vijaykumar said many residents were losing sleep over the condition of their homes, claiming that some had even moved out or sold off their houses.

> Tamil Nesan reported that a teenager in New Delhi suffered serious eye injuries after the battery of his handphone exploded when he was trying to recharge it.

It was reported that the youth, Monu Sharma, 18, had recently bought the handphone from a reputable shop.

Monu, who was alone in his room when the incident happened, said he had switched off the handphone before charging it all night.

“In the morning, when I tried to switch it on, it did not work. When I tried to remove the battery, there was a blast and something hit my eyes.

“The battery had exploded into pieces and the phone was completely burnt,” he claimed.

Monu's neighbours rushed to his aid after hearing the explosion and called the police.

Police said preliminary inquiry showed that the battery had exploded due to overheating

Thursday August 11, 2011

25 stolen cars recovered

By TEH ENG HOCK
enghock@thestar.com.my

PORT KLANG: Twenty-five stolen cars worth about RM2mil have been recovered after being shipped off to Europe as furniture parts.

Selangor Customs director Datuk Azis Yacub said the cars, all of a particular Japanese make, were smuggled out in five containers marked as “wooden furniture parts” and left for Cyprus on June 25.

“The Customs Department, with the cooperation of the shipping company, managed to track the ship transporting the containers.

“At that time, the ship was berthed in Haifa Port, Israel, and we instructed all the containers to be brought back to Malaysia,” he told reporters yesterday.

He said the containers arrived at Westport on July 27 and a scan revealed images of cars.

Huge haul: Some of the recovered cars being displayed at the Selangor Customs headquarters in Port Klang yesterday. A 35- year-old man has been detained in connection with the case, while two more suspects are being sought.

A physical check was conducted last Thursday and each container was found to contain five cars.

“Three cars were parked on the base of the container, while two were suspended with ropes,” said Azis.

A 35-year-old man has been detained in connection with the case, while two more suspects are being sought.

Under the Customs Act, the maximum penalty for making a false declaration is a RM500,000 fine or five years' jail or both.

State CID chief Senior Asst Comm Mohd Adnan Abdullah said the 25 cars were reported missing in June, with 20 reports lodged in Selangor, three in Kuala Lumpur, and one each in Malacca and Negri Sembilan.

“The syndicate sends the stolen cars to Hong Kong, Thailand, Dubai and Cyprus,” he revealed.

The syndicate is the same one from which police recovered 98 stolen cars at a warehouse in Kampung Black Water near Banting on June 29.

Four men were arrested during the raid three months ago, said SAC Mohd Adnan.

Thursday August 11, 2011

Falling coconut tree kills 56-year-old boatman

KUALA TERENGGANU: A boatman died in a freak accident after a coconut tree toppled and crashed on him while he was riding his motorcycle.

Che Abd Rashid Deraman, 56, was killed on the spot in the incident which occurred at 2.45pm in Kampung Baru Seberang Takir here yesterday.

The deceased was on his way home after buying food when the 20m tree toppled onto him during a brief storm.

Che Abd Rashid, who just welcomed his second grandson a month ago, suffered serious head injuries.

Bystander Moharizal Mohamad, 30, said he realised the mishap after hearing a loud thumping noise during the storm.

“When I looked for the source of the noise, I was shocked to see the victim’s body covered by the tree,” he said.

Meanwhile, the victim’s wife Wan Mariam Wan Ibrahim, 58, said her husband had gone out to buy food as well as to do a little shopping.

“He bought some kuih for us and a pair of trousers for himself.

“I never thought that he would be gone, at least not this way,” she said in between sobs.

Wan Mariam added that the victim had many plans for Hari Raya, including bringing his grandchildren to visit out-of-town relatives.

“He loved his grandchildren very much and they adored him too.

“Our home will not be as joyful as before as the pillar of our family’s strength is gone,” she said.

Thursday August 11, 2011

Equipment theft at Tuaran substation causes blackout

KOTA KINABALU: More than 1,200 people in Tuaran district suffered a blackout for several hours after thieves stole almost all the equipment of a substation here.

Also affected was a five-star resort located about 30km from here.

Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd general manager for corporate services Wan Maria Othman Lee said the theft on Saturday had cost the utility firm RM110,000 in losses.

“Our technical crew swung into action and power was restored in stages from about 3.18pm on the same day,” she said yesterday.

The incident was the latest in theft and vandalism of electrical infrastructure resulting in blackouts.

On July 19, several thousand consumers in Tuaran and Sepanggar near here had to endure several hours of blackout after vandals burnt underground electricity cables near Kampung Malawa in Sepanggar.

Published: Thursday August 11, 2011 MYT 12:35:00 PM
Updated: Thursday August 11, 2011 MYT 1:43:57 PM

Safety supervisors a must for construction sites

ALOR SETAR: All construction companies will be required to appoint Site Safety Supervisors (SSS) from Jan 1 next year due to the high rate of fatal accidents at sites.

Occupational Safety and Health Department Director-General Datuk Johari Basri said between January and May this year, there had been 17 cases of fatal accidents. There were 66 cases last year.

"For companies with projects worth RM20mil and above, they have to have a full-time SSS, as well as a Safety and Health Officer.

"They are required to check on the safety of the machinery or the construction site and only after they are found safe can the workers be allowed to continue their work at the site," he told reporters at the closing of a briefing and dialogue on Safety and health here.

He said companies which failed to abide by the regulation could be fined RM1,000.

A total of 9,136 construction sites are registered with the department. - Bernama

Published: Thursday August 11, 2011 MYT 2:38:00 PM

Fire wipes out Machan town in S'wak

KANOWIT: A pre-dawn fire Thursday razed to the ground the entire town of Machan, comprising 10 units of double-storey coffee and retail shops.

A man in his 70s suffered burns when he tried to save his belongings in the 2.40am fire, community leader Kapitan Leong Khing Hee said.

Machan, which is about a 20-minute drive from here, is at the heart of an oil palm growing area in the district.

Leong said the residents of the town, assisted by their Iban neighbours, faced great difficulty in fighting the blaze and trying to save the shops, which are more than 50 years old.

"We were greatly hampered by the low water pressure due to the current dry season. We do not have suitable pumps to draw water from the nearby Machan river," he said.

Leong said the injured man had been admitted to the Kanowit district hospital.

An officer of the Kanowit Fire and Rescue Department, Douglas Graji, said his office received a call about the fire at 3.14am.

"Fourteen of us (firemen) immediately rushed to the scene. We were later joined by 10 fire-fighters from Sibu. We managed to bring the fire under control 30 minutes later," he said. - Bernama

Published: Wednesday August 10, 2011 MYT 11:26:00 AM
Updated: Wednesday August 10, 2011 MYT 11:29:39 AM

Pahang MB: Cameron Highlands landslide due to water retention

KUANTAN: The preliminary report on the landslide at Sungai Ruil Orang Asli settlement in Cameron Highlands shows that water retention due to heavy rainfall was the cause of the tragedy.

Pahang Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob said the landslide that killed seven people on Aug 7 has been categorised as a natural disaster.

“The preliminary report said too much water retention on the hill due to heavy rainfall caused the landslide. I thought it was due to development but it was actually a disaster,” he told reporters here Wednesday.

Adnan said the state government would contribute RM10,000 each to the families of those who died in the landslide and RM3,000 to those injured.

The state government and Rural and Regional Development Ministry plan to relocate the villagers to a safer place.

Tuesday July 26, 2011

Rewired to reduce fire risks

By CHRISTOPHER TAN
christan@thestar.com.my

THE RM1.13mil rewiring works along the corridors of Block A and B of the Kampung Melayu low-cost flats in Air Itam, Penang, are now completed.

State Town and Country Planning, Housing and Arts Committee chairman Wong Hon Wai said the wiring works which included the rewiring of 496 units in Block A and changing of the electrical switch box in the units of Block A, started eight-months ago and were completed in June.

“There are however 48 units in Block A and five units of shops in the same area whose owners refused to undergo some rewiring,” he said.

Wong, who is also the Air Itam assemblyman, said the owners might have recently changed or rewired their units on their own and thus, felt the move unnecessary.

“The state is concerned over the residents’ welfare since the wiring has not been maintained since the units were first completed in the 1970s.

Feeling safer: Steven and his wife Santana Mary, 64, taking a closer look at the new electrical switch box in their unit at the Kampung Melayu flats

“We rewired the units in Block A first because the block was built in the early 1970s while Block B was built in the late 1970s.”

Wong said the state had decided to do the rewiring for the two blocks of flats to avoid the risk of fire.

“As the number of electrical appliances increases in every household, it is important to have a safe wiring network installed,” he said during the handing over of the project’s maintenance work from Public Works Department to the State Secretariat Housing Department at the low-cost flats on Sunday.

Wong also said claims that the Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng had sidelined the Malays here was a lie.

“The area in Kampung Melayu consists of 75% Malay, 20% Chinese and 5% Indian. This project is an example that we have been taking care of the people’s welfare.

“The state treasurer had also approved the repainting of Block A and B of the Kampung Melayu flats whereby the state will bear 80% of the cost of painting.”

Private companies had banked in a sum of RM80,000 to the State Secretariat as part of their corporate social responsibility for the repainting of the flats.

Wong said the Penang Development Corporation would be providing him an implementation timeline on the repainting works in about two weeks and the repainting was scheduled to commence after Hari Raya.

Retiree Steven Joseph, 70, said the move to rewire the units in Kampung Melayu flats was a good one.

“We can now feel secure that there will be less risk of a fire due to wiring complications,” he said.

Published: Saturday July 30, 2011 MYT 1:18:00 PM
Updated: Saturday July 30, 2011 MYT 3:34:06 PM

Fire at HKL started by patient

KUALA LUMPUR: A mental patient used a lighter to start a fire at the mental patient isolation room of the Emergency Department at Kuala Lumpur Hospital (HKL) early Friday.

Health director-general Datuk Dr Hasan Abdul Rahman said the cause of the fire at 12.30am was traced after studying footage of closed-circuit television (CCTV) in the room.

“Hospital staff used fire extinguishers to put out the fire and save the mental patient but he died as the fire spread quickly,” he said in a statement here on Saturday.

He said other patients and Emergency Department staff were evacuated until the fire was put out by the Fire and Rescue Department at 12.55am.

Before the fire, the aggressive mental patient was taken by police accompanied by two family members to the Emergency Department at 10.15 pm.

The patient was placed at mental patient isolation room in accordance with the standard operating procedures for aggressive mental patients.

The fire disrupted the department's services for 94 minutes and resumed at 1.20am as it only destroyed the isolation room.

“No other patients or medical staff was injured in the fire. A post-mortem on the body found the cause of death was soot inhalation.”

Dr Hasan said only the mental patient died and not two as reported by some newspapers as the two had died from road accidents.

“The ministry regrets the fire and sympathise with family members of the deceased and will make improvements if investigation finds weaknesses in handling of the case,” he added.-Bernama

Saturday August 6, 2011

Robbers set fire to shop after failing to crack safe

JOHOR BARU: Frustrated robbers are believed to have set fire to a three-storey prayer paraphernalia shop in Taman Nusa Bestari here after failing to break open the safe in the premises.

It was learnt the fire began from a back room on the third floor and spread to the second floor at around 5am on Friday, setting ablaze the products in the shop.

Shop owner Yan Quan said he suspected robbers set the fire in anger after failing to pry open the safe where petty cash was kept.

It was understood a large pair of scissors and pliers were found near the safe.

Yan, who had been operating the shop for five years, said the incident had affected his business during the Hungry Ghost festival which started last Monday.

“Now I have to look for suppliers to meet the demand for prayer items from my regular customers,” Yan said, adding he was glad no one was injured.

Johor Baru Fire and Rescue Department operations commander Raja Saiful Iswandi Raja Hassan said they received a distress call at around 6am and arrived 10 minutes later.

“We managed to put out the fire and also prevented it from spreading to the neighbouring premises,” he said.