Malaysia Update

MEXICO CITY: Governments around the world rushed yesterday to check the spread of a new type of swine flu that has killed up to 81 people in Mexico and infected around a dozen in the United States.

Mexicans huddled inside their homes while US hospitals tracked patients with flu symptoms and other countries imposed health checks at airports as the World Health Organisation warned the virus had the potential to become a pandemic.

Announced on Friday, the outbreak has snowballed into a monster headache for the country, already grappling with a violent drug war and economic slowdown, and has quickly become one of the biggest global health scares in years.

In New Zealand, 10 pupils from an Auckland school that had just returned from Mexico were being treated for influenza symptoms in what health authorities said was a likely case of swine flu.

"We are monitoring minute by minute the evolution of this problem across the whole country," President Felipe Calderon said as health officials counted suspected infections in six states from the tropical south to the northern border.
The flu is spreading in the United States. Eleven cases were confirmed in California, Kansas and Texas, and eight schoolchildren in New York City caught a type A influenza virus that health officials say is likely to be the swine flu.

The new flu strain, a mixture of various swine, bird and human viruses, poses the biggest risk of a large-scale pandemic since avian flu surfaced in 1997, killing several hundred people.

A 1968 "Hong Kong" flu pandemic killed about one million people globally.

New flu strains can spread quickly because no one has natural immunity and a vaccine takes months to develop.

Health Minister Jose Angel Cordova said the swine flu had killed at least 20 and possibly as many as 81 people in Mexico, and more than 1,300 people were being tested for suspected infection.

Most of the dead were aged 25 to 45, a worrying sign because a hallmark of past pandemics has been high fatalities among healthy young adults.

In the crowded capital of 20 million people, museums were closed and public events scrapped, from concerts to a running race.

People hoarded bottled water and canned food, churchgoers were told to stay home and follow Sunday services on television and bewildered tourists were made to wear surgical face masks.

Trendy districts were quiet on Saturday night as authorities closed 70 per cent of nightclubs, along with stadiums and movie theatres. At least one open bar stationed medics at its doors to check clients' throats and take their temperatures.

All schools in the city, Mexico State and San Luis Potosi are to be closed until May 6 and some companies planned to have employees work from home.

LONDON Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas was charged with improper conduct by the Football Association on Friday over allegations that he spat at a member of Hull's coaching staff following an FA Cup match.

The 21-year-old Fabregas was not playing in his team's 2-1 win on March 17 but faces two charges, one for walking onto the field of play and the other for spitting at or toward assistant manager Brian Horton.

Hull manager Phil Brown was also charged for comments he made to the media after the match concerning referee Mike Riley.

Fabregas, who could be banned or fined, has denied he spat at anybody.

He was handed Arsenal's captaincy this season after William Gallas was stripped of the armband for comments made about teammates.

The pair have until May 12 to respond to the charges

Sergeant Abdullah Ibrahim with a marine police patrol boat used for operations in Sandakan.

He had been the scourge in the waters off the east coast of Sabah, the Philippines and Indonesia until he had a run-in with Sergeant Abdullah Ibrahim, writes FADHAL A. GHANI.

MOLOY Hijang was as ruthless as they come and this pirate had successfully evaded the marine police of Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesia for more than a decade.

Ironically, it was small pickings on that day in Oct 7, 1996, that ended his reign of terror.

Fishermen Ibrahim Albani, 31, and Aripuddin Bachok, 38, were checking their fish traps at Pulau Tobanka, off Sandakan, about 8.30pm when Moloy, also known as Moloy Uwah, and three other pirates came in two speedboats.

The fishermen did not have any valuables on them but Moloy was not to be denied. The pirates unhitched the fishermen's outboard engine and made off with it.
A police report was lodged in Sandakan and the marine police informed of the pirates' last location.

The marine police patrol boat, with corporal Abdullah Ahmad in command and Abdullah Ibrahim, then a corporal, and four constables set out early the next morning.

It was not long before Moloy and his men were spotted in the waters off Segama at 7am.

The marine police boat came up close and Abdullah Ibrahim, using a megaphone, ordered the pirates to surrender.

However, the pirates opened fire. Luckily, none of the marine police officers were injured.

"The bullets whizzed past me. It was a close shave," said Abdullah Ibrahim who joined the force on Aug 15, 1981.

Meanwhile, the pirates headed towards the Philippines at full throttle with the marine police patrol boat giving chase.

"Before this, I had been involved in two sea battles with pirates and I put all this experience to use to apprehend Moloy and his men," said Abdullah Ibrahim.

"I was not only in charge of the patrol boat but I also doubled up as the engineer and I had to back up my men with a machine gun."

The four marine police officers were armed with M-16s.

The sea was rough, the waves were heavy and visibility was poor during the high-speed chase.

"We had to circle their boats to prevent them from escaping. In the one kilometre or so, we managed to circle them several times.

"Each time we circled them, a gun battle erupted and in the end, we shot dead Moloy and another pirate."

The other boat managed to escape into Philippines waters.

Marine police recovered an assortment of explosive devices, an M-16 rifle equipped with a grenade launcher, a Browning pistol, ski masks, binoculars and the outboard engine they had stolen.

For bringing down the fearful pirate, the Batu Pahat-born Abdullah Ibrahim was awarded the police Bravery Medal on May 1, 1998.

Abdullah Ibrahim, who has been with Sandakan marine police since Jan 1, 1983, is married with five children between the ages of 4 and 17.

Today, the 47-year-old Abdullah Ibrahim heads the Engineering Maintenance Department at the Sandakan base.

KUALA LUMPUR: The Umno su preme council has decided to leave the decision on whether to contest the Penanti by-election to its political bureau.

Party president Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, who heads the bureau, however, declined to say when it would decide on the matter.

“We know when we are meeting. Do I have to tell you?” he told reporters after chairing his first supreme council meeting since the party elections on March 26.

The Penanti by-election has to be held following the resignation of its assemblyman Mohd Fairus Khairud din on April 16.

Barisan leaders have expressed support for Najib’s previous statement that the coalition might not field a candidate as it would “a sheer waste” of funds.

Najib said an elected representative should not resign for frivolous reasons after a year of being elected.

“The principle is that we must adhere to our aku janji (pledge) to the voters who elected us.

“We cannot use our position to resign when we have stood for election with the pledge to serve the people for a term,” he said.

Najib also announced the setting-up of a special committee to handle proposed amendments to the party constitution for tabling at a special assembly in October.

The proposed amendments were aimed at making the party’s election process more open, transparent and democratic, he said.

During the meeting, Najib ex plained the reasons for the abolition of the Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development Ministry and the liberalisation of the 27 services sub-sectors.

On the liberalisation of the sub-sectors, Najib said it was done after two years of thorough study by the International Trade and Industry Ministry then headed by Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

“We found that it was good and acceptable to all parties, including the bumiputras involved in the sub-sectors.

“It is also in line with changes undertaken by Asean member countries. We were the last one to open up the services sector,” he added.

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.