Malaysia Update

KUALA LUMPUR: If you spot a man stopping traffic with “Stop! Tapir is crossing the road” in Bukit Bintang or KLCC, do not be alarmed.

Rest assured, no tapir will be crossing the road; the man is a volunteer who will be at the nearest zebra crossing distributing flyers with information on the endangered species during a four-day campaign organised by Zoo Negara and KL Hop On Hop Off.

The volunteers will also be at Menara Hap Seng, Central Market, Chinatown and KL Sentral.

The campaign, which started yesterday, is in conjunction with World Tapir Day celebrated worldwide on April 27.


Environmental cause: Activists promoting public awareness on tapirs in Kuala Lumpur yesterday ahead of World Tapir Day next Monday.
According to Malaysian Zoological Society director Dr Mohamad Ngah, there are four species of tapir left on the planet, including local species tapirus indicus or its common name Malayan Tapir.

“The tapir is often overlooked because of its more ‘high-profile’ peers like the orang utan or the tiger, yet all these animals are equally important,” he said at the launch of the campaign at Zoo Negara yesterday.

Other “attractions” by volunteers include tapir mascots and a man sporting a sandwich board with relevant information on the species.

One flyer will entitle an individual to a RM2 discount for a Zoo Negara entrance ticket if the ticket is bought on KL Hop On Hop Off buses on Sunday.

The ticket enables the person to take the bus at the Bintang Walk bus stop next to the Lot 10 Shopping Complex at 11am on the same day. The buses will then ferry the passengers to the zoo for a World Tapir Day celebration.

Dr Mohamad said tapir-related activities have been lined up for visitors on the day including art exhibitions, a puppet show and “Tapir & You” 3D photography.

KL Hop On Hop Off managing director Syed Azhar Syed Nazir said that beginning April 18 until May 18, a ringgit off each bus ticket sold would be donated to the Zoo Negara Tapir Fund.

GEORGE TOWN: A 13-year old girl who was allegedly turned into a sex slave by her father and molested by her brothers for the past five years finally plucked up the courage to lodge a report on Wednesday.

The Form One pupil confided in her teachers the trauma she had been subjected to at her home since she was 9 years old.

Following the report, police arrested her 47-year-old father and her older brothers aged 15 and 17.

The father, an odd job labourer allegedly raped her on several occasions, while her brothers took turns to molest her.

The girl told police that the first time her father raped her was when she was 9 years old.
She said she had gone with her father to collect banana leaves when he raped her.

After that incident, she was paid between RM1 and RM2 by her father each time he sexually abused her.

The girl did not disclose this to her mother, who is a housewife, as she was afraid.

But on Wednesday, she decided to reveal all to her teacher, as she was afraid that her younger sisters, aged 7 and 9, would suffer the same fate. The victim has seven siblings.

Her teacher then took her to the Bukit Mertajam police station where a report was lodged.

State Criminal Investigation Department chief SAC II Wan Abdullah Tuanku Said said the girl was also raped in her house and in a secondary forest in Berapit.

He said all three suspects were picked up from their homes on Wednesday, adding that the case was classified as rape and molest.

In an unrelated development, Wan Abdullah said said police have also arrested a 19-year-old man for allegedly raping his 22-year-old girlfriend.

He said the suspect took advantage of the victim after taking her to a hotel room in George Town last March.

Wan Abdullah said the victim lodged a report on Wednesday and the police detained the suspect shortly after.

PEKAN: A 16-year-old schoolgirl was groped when she encountered an amorous bus conductor on a two-hour ride from Bandar Muadzam Shah to Lepar on Monday morning.

The girl, a Form Four student of SM Muadzam Shah, was travelling to a secondary school in Lepar when the 40-year-old conductor sat next to her and struck up a conversation.

When the man's attention turned, after innocently brushing her arms, to pawing and groping her breasts, the girl became frightened and got down with other passenger in Paloh Inai here.

A passenger, who had noticed her distress and teary face, helped call her family in Bandar Tun Razak.

They took her to a police station to lodge a report.
Pahang deputy criminal investigation chief Superintendent Nordin Mustapha said the bus conductor, who is married and from Kuantan, was detained at his workplace for allegedly outraging the girl's modesty.

"The girl was lucky because there were passengers on the bus. We hope others who suffer a similar experience will speak out or seek help from other passengers instead of suffering in silence."

In another incident, he said a motorcyclist molested a 21-year-old female motorcyclist on the road in Sungai Jerik, Felda Jengka, Maran, on Monday afternoon.

Nordin said the victim was riding alone along the lonely road when the man approached from behind.

When they were riding alongside each other, the man reached over to grope her breast.

"The woman slowed down. Luckily for her, an approaching car scared off the molester. She sped off to Bandar Jengka police station to lodge a report."

Police are looking for the man, believed to be in his 20s.

Some of the suspects who were ordered to be remanded by the Petaling Jaya Sessions Court on Wednesday. (Inset) Paremsvaran Ramu @ Veera who is sought by the police.

KUALA LUMPUR: A 7-year-old kidnap victim was released after his family paid a ransom of RM1 million last week.



(Inset) Paremsvaran Ramu @ Veera who is sought by the police.
However, within days of the boy's release, police arrested 14 suspects and recovered part of the ransom.

Investigations revealed that the kidnap was carried by a large gang which was broken up into four groups. Each group had specific roles to play and they were scattered across three states.

The boy was kidnapped early on April 10 when his mother was about to drop him off at school near his house in Bandar Utama.

Federal Criminal Investigation Department director Datuk Seri Bakri Zinin said a Proton Satria with four dark-skinned men stopped next to the mother's car.
The mother was pushed to the ground and the kidnappers, armed with sharp weapons, grabbed the boy before driving away with him.

Bakri said the mother tried to fight back but was injured. The kidnappers drove past the security post and were believed to have pointed the weapons at the guards who tried to stop the car.

The boy was believed to have been held in a condominium in Kepong for four days while the kidnappers negotiated with his businessman father over the ransom.

On April 14, the boy was released near the security post leading to his home in Bandar Utama some 30 minutes after the ransom of RM1 million was dropped off in front of a bank in Kepong Baru.

Acting on a tip-off, police began their first wave of arrests on April 21 where nine men and four women, between the ages of 19 and 70, were arrested at several undisclosed locations in Selangor.

Bakri said RM319,700 of the ransom was also recovered from this group. In follow-up operations, police picked up three other suspects in Bukit Fraser, Pahang, Juasseh, Negri Sembilan and Serdang, Selangor. Bakri said 14 of the suspects have been remanded while two others were released. Three of the suspects also have criminal records.

Initial investigations revealed that most of the suspects were car repossessors and security guards while the women in the gang were housewives.

Police believe that the oldest member of the gang, said to be a 70-year-old man, masterminded the kidnapping.

It was also learnt that police are probing the possibility that the suspects were linked to the security guards in the housing estate or were employees of the victim's father.

Bakri said they were looking for several other suspects. He said the boy was still traumatised but was safe with his parents.

Meanwhile, police are looking for Paremsvaran Ramu @ Veera (IC 830625-05-5259) to assist in the investigations.

Paremsvaran's last known address was at 587/18A, Jalan Waterfall, Taman Hijau, Rawang, Selangor. Those with information on his whereabouts can contact Assistant Superintendent Mohd Hasreeq Yunus at 03-79662222 or the nearest police station.

KUALA LUMPUR: Being located in the heart of the capital city did not give extra advantage to some schools.

This is true in the case of two schools which Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin visited yesterday.

He was upset to see how rundown SJK (T) Ladang Bukit Jalil was and the less than satisfactory state of SMK Setapak Indah.

The moment he arrived at the schools, Muhyiddin rolled up his sleeves and got down to work.

“I can observe for myself what the headmasters and principals have mentioned in their reports and at the same time look at the schools, too,” he said.


Face to face: Muhyiddin speaking to students of SMK Setapak Indah during his visit to the school Thursday.
After spending almost two hours at SJK (T) Ladang Bukit Jalil, Muhyiddin, who is also Education Minister, said he was sad to see the condition of the school.

“Although the Government has provided aid, the school infrastructure is not very good. It is also hot and uncomfortable for the pupils and teachers,” he said.

At the end of his visit, Muhyiddin announced that the school would be relocated to another piece of land nearby.

“Work to construct the new school building on the 0.4ha land will start once the tender has been awarded,” he said.

The school, which was presently partially aided, he added, would become fully aided once it was constructed on government land.

The work was expected to take 18 months, he said, adding that teachers and pupils should be able to start the new school year there in 2011.

The allocation for the project was almost RM2mil and more than RM1mil had already been approved, he added.

SJK (T) Ladang Bukit Jalil headmistress Tamilselvi Suppiah said the 75-year-old school was originally built on estate land, and had six classrooms for 92 pupils from Years One to Six, and 14 teachers.

“Our enrolment figures started to drop after the school was affected by floods 13 times in the last two years,” she said.

At SMK Setapak Indah, Muhyiddin said the building was structurally safe despite cracks and some subsiding of the soil.

Work to repair these would be carried out immediately, he said, adding that the Public Works Department would also conduct a detailed study on the matter.

Former Penang deputy chief minister 1 Mohammad Fairus Khairuddin says he is not power crazy

PUTRAJAYA: Embattled Penang politician Mohammad Fairus Khairuddin is having second thoughts about quitting as state assemblyman, creating a huge poser as to whether the anticipated Penanti by-election will proceed.

The Parti Keadilan Rakyat representative said he might stay on, now that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission has said it did not have enough grounds to charge him with corruption.

Fairus resigned as Penang deputy chief minister 1 and Penanti assemblyman last week amid allegations over illegal quarrying operations.

He expressed confidence that the Pakatan Rakyat leadership would reassess his position.

"I'm sure the leadership will hear out what the people of Penanti have to say," he told the New Straits Times in a telephone interview.
If Fairus plans to return as Penanti assemblyman, he has until Monday to get the Penang speaker to notify the Election Commission on the resignation retraction, as the EC has to announce the vacancy in 10 days after being given the notice of vacancy.

If he misses the date, even if he is keen to stay on, he will not be able to do so as the law prohibits elected representatives who have resigned to contest for the next five years.

If the EC is notified of his retraction before the deadline, there will be no by-election in Penanti.

"He has every right to change his mind and remain as assemblyman, as he was rightfully chosen by the voters in Penanti," said EC deputy chairman Datuk Wan Ahmad Wan Omar.

Fairus, who sounded visibly relieved, asked that the MACC statement which absolved him of the allegations be read to him.

"I thank God for bringing out the truth. Truth always prevails. I am just a leader for my voters, not one who is power crazy or out to enrich myself."

Fairus had said he wanted to resign to further his studies.

Yesterday, he conceded that he was also pressured to let go of his positions following the probes initiated against him.

"True, that was one of the reasons. When the baseless allegations were levelled against me, I felt that I needed to be given space for the issue to be cleared.

"It was not that I was afraid to face the consequences of the chalked-up claims, but rather to reflect the traits of a genuine leader," he said.

The MACC said the decision to clear Fairus was reached after all statements in the investigation reports were studied and the investigation papers referred to the commission's legal and prosecution unit, which subsequently found that the statements offered no grounds for prosecution.

The attorney-general, who was informed of the findings, agreed with the decision not to prosecute Fairus.

MACC Investigations Department director Deputy Commissioner Datuk Shukri Abdull said investigations revealed that Fairus' scope of duties and responsibilities under his portfolio had no direct link to the Penang quarry industry.

(Apart from chairing the state Religious Affairs Committee, Fairus was also chairman of the Entrepreneur Development, Cooperatives, Information and Community Relations Committee.)

Shukri said probes showed that Fairus was merely tasked with handling investigations into a case that involved the alienation of land at Lot 954 and 955 in Mukim 20 of the Seberang Prai Tengah district.

Shukri also said the commission would send a team to Penang to conduct studies in promoting transparency and accountability as well as on the procedures and ethics in accepting contributions and donations.

He said the commission would propose that the findings of this study be implemented by all states and ministries.