The Star online. News. Opinion. Thursday September 20, 2007
COMMENTBy LOONG MENG YEE
TWO little girls have gripped the nation’s attention. One is lying nameless, battered and dead in the mortuary.
The other, the nation has not seen in life. But pictures of her cute face, her sweet smile and clear round eyes are piercing, searing an image of innocence in our minds.
Also, there is the worry about her health. Nurin Jazlin Jazimin has high blood pressure and needs medication, otherwise she can get a stroke.
There has been no inkling of where eight-year-old Nurin is despite a massive nationwide search since she went missing on Aug 20.
The SRK Desa Setapak pupil never returned home after going to the night market near her house in Wangsa Maju.
What happened to her? And to the little one who died such a horrible death? What about the 16 other kids under the age of nine who seemed to have “vanished” between January and July this year?
Stories about missing children, especially those abducted, have always tugged at the heartstrings of Malaysians.
We grieve along with the parents. We agonise over the safety of the missing children; we cringe at the thought that they may be hurt in terrible ways, or of them being smuggled out and forced to beg in neighbouring countries.
How we demand that these animals be caught, and sent to jail forever. In fact, under the law, killers must hang. The nation is seething with anger over the way the nameless girl was so brutally killed.
Sadly, she is not the first.
Remember Ang May Hong, Nurul Huda Abdul Ghani or Harirawati Saridi? They were also sexually assaulted and murdered.
May Hong, nine, was raped and strangled just 70m from her home in Jalan Ipoh, Kuala Lumpur in 1987.
Harirawati, 10, was raped and murdered in Kota Kinabalu on Jan 19, 2004.
Nine days later, Nurul Huda, also 10, was raped by a security guard in the toilet of the guardpost of Kampung Pekajang in Johor, just 400m away from her house.
Each time there is such an incident, we get angry and demand action.
Let the same anger fire our determination to find Nurin. She does not deserve any other fate except to be safe in her parents’ arms again.
Every time a child goes missing, the media automatically goes into top gear, churning out as much information as possible.
When this happens, many groups come forward to aid the police by organising searches, distributing leaflets and offering monetary reward for information.
True, the number of missing children who remained lost far outnumber the ones found.
However, all of us doggedly hang on to cases with happy endings to keep us going through the anxious wait.
We constantly tell ourselves Nurin will be found.
After all, Mohd Nazrin Shamsul Ghazali, Ahmad Firdaus Hakim Sharizal and Nur Karmila Mohd Shah Nawas Nantha were reunited with their families.
Their names may not register but the way they went missing and the search for them gripped the nation.
Mohd Nazrin, or Yin, was the five-year-old boy from Ipoh who wandered off from his parents while shopping at Sogo on March 31.
He was found two weeks later. A Myanmar family had sheltered him. The foreign couple later surrendered Yin because they claimed they finally saw his “gone missing” poster. Friends, strangers, taxi drivers, corporate bodies had all chipped in to find Yin.
Ahmad Firdaus was the famous missing case in 2004. Then a six-month-old infant, he was abducted from his babysitter’s house in Kampung Baru in Kuala Lumpur by an Indonesian woman in August.
Taxi driver Jaaman Tamby Chik had seen a picture of Ahmad and a photo fit of the abductor on television. To his horror, the wanted people were guests in his house.
He immediately contacted the child’s father, Sahrizal Mariwan. The baby was reunited with the family some 30 hours later.
As for 10-month-old Karmila, the maid took her from the house in Port Klang.
An elderly couple later handed Karmila to the police a few days later in 2005.
In all these cases, Malaysians rallied around the distraught families after acting on information from the media. Eventually, it had been the kind Malaysians that tipped off the police.
As Wanita MCA chairman Datuk Dr Ng Yen Yen put it: “Malaysia, rise to the occasion, live up to our reputation as caring nation. It is our duty to keep our children safe.
“If you see a terrified child in the arms of suspicious adults, reach out to the child. Or, if you see a child left alone on the streets, please help. The parents will be forever grateful because we choose to care.”
This Hari Raya, let it be a happy one for the Jazimin family.
Please help find Nurin.
Thursday 20 September 2007
2007 09: Children’s safety is parents’ prime responsibility
The Sun online. Speak Up! The Sun Says... Thu, 20 Sep 2007
The frequency of cases of children being sexually abused, especially after the body of a young girl was discovered in a bag in a Petaling Jaya shoplot on Monday, should be worrying, frightening and a cause of concern to everyone, particularly parents.
Evidently there are still beasts masquarading as men out there waiting to pounce on an unwary and unescorted child. There is no doubt that they are sick and have become beasts when they think nothing of sexually violating children whose safety and welfare are humanity’s responsibility.
But while we grieve for the poor unidentified child we cannot help but wonder why such depraved acts are still happening.
Of course the authorities can be criticised for allowing the system to foster such abominable creatures and the police for failing, however tough their crackdown, to spot and put them away.
But it is the parents who must bear the bulk of, if not all, the blame for their children being snatched away and abused. Images of mutilated and abused bodies of past victims found in guard houses, bushes and under bridges should remind them that the danger to their children is real.
Knowing the statistics and knowing that the beasts are out there waiting should be sufficient inducement for them to keep a watchful eye over their children and to monitor closely their whereabouts. There are no two ways about it.
The frequency of cases of children being sexually abused, especially after the body of a young girl was discovered in a bag in a Petaling Jaya shoplot on Monday, should be worrying, frightening and a cause of concern to everyone, particularly parents.
Evidently there are still beasts masquarading as men out there waiting to pounce on an unwary and unescorted child. There is no doubt that they are sick and have become beasts when they think nothing of sexually violating children whose safety and welfare are humanity’s responsibility.
But while we grieve for the poor unidentified child we cannot help but wonder why such depraved acts are still happening.
Of course the authorities can be criticised for allowing the system to foster such abominable creatures and the police for failing, however tough their crackdown, to spot and put them away.
But it is the parents who must bear the bulk of, if not all, the blame for their children being snatched away and abused. Images of mutilated and abused bodies of past victims found in guard houses, bushes and under bridges should remind them that the danger to their children is real.
Knowing the statistics and knowing that the beasts are out there waiting should be sufficient inducement for them to keep a watchful eye over their children and to monitor closely their whereabouts. There are no two ways about it.
2007 09: Gang-raped by friends after jam session
The Star online. News. Nation. Thursday September 20, 2007
JOHOR BARU: A 17-year-old girl who inhaled laughing gas while out with her friends was believed to have been gang-raped by three of them after she passed out.
The victim, a salesgirl, had been out on a jam session in the city and was on her way home with five of her friends.
Johor Baru (South) OCPD Asst Comm Zainuddin Yaakob said the victim lost consciousness after two of her friends had been dropped off in Permas Jaya.
“She only suspected something amiss when she regained consciousness at around 1am and found herself lying undressed in the minivan they were travelling in,” he said of the incident that occurred on Sept 12.
ACP Zainuddin said that one of the youths with her then ordered her to dress, but refused to answer her repeated queries about what he had done to her.
Shortly after that, the three youths dropped her off at the Johor Jaya Square terminal.
Afraid to go home, she spent the night at her friend’s house and only lodged a police report on Sept 15.
ACP Zainuddin said an 18-year-old suspect who was arrested on Sept 15 had since been remanded.
“We are still looking for four others to assist investigations,” he said.
Those with information regarding the case have been urged to contact the police hotline at 07 2212 999.
JOHOR BARU: A 17-year-old girl who inhaled laughing gas while out with her friends was believed to have been gang-raped by three of them after she passed out.
The victim, a salesgirl, had been out on a jam session in the city and was on her way home with five of her friends.
Johor Baru (South) OCPD Asst Comm Zainuddin Yaakob said the victim lost consciousness after two of her friends had been dropped off in Permas Jaya.
“She only suspected something amiss when she regained consciousness at around 1am and found herself lying undressed in the minivan they were travelling in,” he said of the incident that occurred on Sept 12.
ACP Zainuddin said that one of the youths with her then ordered her to dress, but refused to answer her repeated queries about what he had done to her.
Shortly after that, the three youths dropped her off at the Johor Jaya Square terminal.
Afraid to go home, she spent the night at her friend’s house and only lodged a police report on Sept 15.
ACP Zainuddin said an 18-year-old suspect who was arrested on Sept 15 had since been remanded.
“We are still looking for four others to assist investigations,” he said.
Those with information regarding the case have been urged to contact the police hotline at 07 2212 999.
Wednesday 19 September 2007
2007 09: The lost child – a common sight in shopping malls
The Star online. News. Nation. Wednesday September 19, 2007
PETALING JAYA: Children regularly get separated from their parents at shopping malls – and often, it is the case of adults allowing their children to wander off on their own.
But the child is usually reunited with the parents thanks to measures put in place by the management who are familiar with dealing with missing children cases.
1 Utama public relations executive Joey Choong said children seen without a guardian would be taken to the customer service counter.
“If parents come to us and report a missing child, our security guards will be alerted and will start looking for the child.
“If there’s a need, we also have recordings from the CCTV cameras which we can play back,” she said.
In the case of Muhammad Nazrin Shamsul Ghazali or Yin, five, the cameras helped in determining that a child had wandered out of the complex.
He was seen walking out of the Sogo department store in March and was missing for several days.
As an added precaution, Sunway Pyramid officials will question parents who show up to claim the child.
“A lost child will usually run to his or her parents as soon as they’re in sight but if we don’t see that happening, then we would be extra careful before handing the child over,” he said.
A representative from Sungei Wang Plaza said an announcement would be made every five minutes until the child is reunited with the parents.
“These cases don’t happen very often. Maybe only about two to three cases a month. It is more likely to happen during the festive season and school holidays,” she said.
Mid Valley Megamall assistant public relations manager Catherine Lim said about five cases of lost children were reported every month in the shopping mall.
“They’re not so much ‘missing’ children. Usually, it’s just a case of being separated from the parents,” she said.
In Penang, Gurney Plaza communications manager Pauline Teh said their security guards were trained to look out for children wandering aimlessly around the complex.
“We have a standard operating procedure when dealing with lost children. Once a lost child has been found, we will either take him or her to the information counter or security department and page for the parents,” she said.
PETALING JAYA: Children regularly get separated from their parents at shopping malls – and often, it is the case of adults allowing their children to wander off on their own.
But the child is usually reunited with the parents thanks to measures put in place by the management who are familiar with dealing with missing children cases.
1 Utama public relations executive Joey Choong said children seen without a guardian would be taken to the customer service counter.
“If parents come to us and report a missing child, our security guards will be alerted and will start looking for the child.
“If there’s a need, we also have recordings from the CCTV cameras which we can play back,” she said.
In the case of Muhammad Nazrin Shamsul Ghazali or Yin, five, the cameras helped in determining that a child had wandered out of the complex.
He was seen walking out of the Sogo department store in March and was missing for several days.
As an added precaution, Sunway Pyramid officials will question parents who show up to claim the child.
“A lost child will usually run to his or her parents as soon as they’re in sight but if we don’t see that happening, then we would be extra careful before handing the child over,” he said.
A representative from Sungei Wang Plaza said an announcement would be made every five minutes until the child is reunited with the parents.
“These cases don’t happen very often. Maybe only about two to three cases a month. It is more likely to happen during the festive season and school holidays,” she said.
Mid Valley Megamall assistant public relations manager Catherine Lim said about five cases of lost children were reported every month in the shopping mall.
“They’re not so much ‘missing’ children. Usually, it’s just a case of being separated from the parents,” she said.
In Penang, Gurney Plaza communications manager Pauline Teh said their security guards were trained to look out for children wandering aimlessly around the complex.
“We have a standard operating procedure when dealing with lost children. Once a lost child has been found, we will either take him or her to the information counter or security department and page for the parents,” she said.
2007 09: Nurin Jazlin among 17 children still on police list of missing persons
The Star online. News. Nation. Wednesday September 19, 2007
PETALING JAYA: As the anguish continues for Nurin Jazlin’s parents Jazimin Abdul Jalil and Norazian Bistaman, there are at least 16 other parents out there anxiously awaiting news of their missing children.
Nurin is among the 17 children under the age of nine – 10 boys and seven girls – on the police’s list of missing persons.
These children seem to have “vanished” between January and July this year, and have yet to be found. Some left their homes, and like Nurin, never returned. Others were lured away by friends.
They are among the 34 cases (under nine years old) reported to the police until July. Sixteen of the cases involve boys and 18 others are girls. Police have so far found six boys and 11 girls.
“There were other reasons as well, such as the children running away because they were not interested in studying anymore and wanted freedom.
“Many also cited being scolded by their parents and they felt their parents did not understand them, or they felt their parents did not care for them,” said CID director Commissioner Datuk Christopher Wan Soo Kee.
“But the main reason for the missing children was family dispute. Ten cases involved one parent taking away the child without informing the other after the couple divorced,” he said.
Wanita MCA chief Datuk Dr Ng Yen Yen said society must accept that times have changed.
“We must re-look the value of trust. Urbanisation and progress bring development but also complicate society. We have all kinds of strangers around us and our children.
“The onus is on us, as parents, not to allow our children go out by themselves, even if it is to the grocery store. It is unfortunate, but we must also teach our children not to help strangers because the young ones are too innocent to differentiate between a ruse and a genuine cry for help,” said Dr Ng.
The Deputy Finance Minister said as harsh as it sounded, parents must also teach their children not to be trusting of strangers, teachers and even relatives.
“It has been proven that children have been terribly hurt by those closest to them. The bad person is not confined to the stranger on the street,” said Dr Ng.
She urged society to be caring enough to look out for all children.
“If you happen to come across a child in need, or one looking terrified as she is being held tightly by an adult, do not turn a blind eye, ask the child if he needs your help,” said Dr Ng.
Child psychologist and Suhakam commissioner Dr Chiam Heng Keng said adults could not expect children to have the ability to fend for themselves, or differentiate a “good” person from a “bad” one.
“Children below 10 are not mature enough to think rationally. In many advanced countries, the law forbids these children to be left alone at home or venture out on their own,” she said.
PETALING JAYA: As the anguish continues for Nurin Jazlin’s parents Jazimin Abdul Jalil and Norazian Bistaman, there are at least 16 other parents out there anxiously awaiting news of their missing children.
Nurin is among the 17 children under the age of nine – 10 boys and seven girls – on the police’s list of missing persons.
These children seem to have “vanished” between January and July this year, and have yet to be found. Some left their homes, and like Nurin, never returned. Others were lured away by friends.
They are among the 34 cases (under nine years old) reported to the police until July. Sixteen of the cases involve boys and 18 others are girls. Police have so far found six boys and 11 girls.
“There were other reasons as well, such as the children running away because they were not interested in studying anymore and wanted freedom.
“Many also cited being scolded by their parents and they felt their parents did not understand them, or they felt their parents did not care for them,” said CID director Commissioner Datuk Christopher Wan Soo Kee.
“But the main reason for the missing children was family dispute. Ten cases involved one parent taking away the child without informing the other after the couple divorced,” he said.
Wanita MCA chief Datuk Dr Ng Yen Yen said society must accept that times have changed.
“We must re-look the value of trust. Urbanisation and progress bring development but also complicate society. We have all kinds of strangers around us and our children.
“The onus is on us, as parents, not to allow our children go out by themselves, even if it is to the grocery store. It is unfortunate, but we must also teach our children not to help strangers because the young ones are too innocent to differentiate between a ruse and a genuine cry for help,” said Dr Ng.
The Deputy Finance Minister said as harsh as it sounded, parents must also teach their children not to be trusting of strangers, teachers and even relatives.
“It has been proven that children have been terribly hurt by those closest to them. The bad person is not confined to the stranger on the street,” said Dr Ng.
She urged society to be caring enough to look out for all children.
“If you happen to come across a child in need, or one looking terrified as she is being held tightly by an adult, do not turn a blind eye, ask the child if he needs your help,” said Dr Ng.
Child psychologist and Suhakam commissioner Dr Chiam Heng Keng said adults could not expect children to have the ability to fend for themselves, or differentiate a “good” person from a “bad” one.
“Children below 10 are not mature enough to think rationally. In many advanced countries, the law forbids these children to be left alone at home or venture out on their own,” she said.
2007 09: Five remanded over molest
The Star online. News. Nation. Wednesday September 19, 2007
IPOH: Five men have been remanded for three days until tomorrow for kidnapping and molesting a 19-year-old girl.
District CID chief Deputy Supt S. Glenn Anthony said the five suspects, aged between 20 and 30, were picked up here on Monday.
He said investigation on the case was ongoing.
On Sept 13, the girl was taken on a terror ride from Tanjung Rambutan here, where she was believed to have been molested.
IPOH: Five men have been remanded for three days until tomorrow for kidnapping and molesting a 19-year-old girl.
District CID chief Deputy Supt S. Glenn Anthony said the five suspects, aged between 20 and 30, were picked up here on Monday.
He said investigation on the case was ongoing.
On Sept 13, the girl was taken on a terror ride from Tanjung Rambutan here, where she was believed to have been molested.
2007 09: Runaway girls return home
The Star online. News. Nation. Wednesday September 19, 2007
By AUDREY EDWARDS
KUALA LUMPUR: They had people searching for them for more than 48 hours while they roamed more than 50km using public transport.
Yesterday, the three teens, Norashila Jaafar, Rosbazla Mohd Basri and Nursyakila Azlan, reported missing over the weekend, were reunited with their parents.
The search ended yesterday morning when Norashila called her mother to tell her she was under a bridge near Pantai Dalam here, more than 50km from her Bukit Beruntung home in Taman Bunga Raya.
Her grandfather, Othman Mohd Ali then went to get her with some friends.
Their families had lodged police reports and also had search parties out scouring the neighbouring areas and in Puchong Perdana after they received a telephone call from a man saying that the girls were there.
Rosbazla and Nursyakila were at a 24-hour cybercafe in Pantai Dalam after Norashila led the police to the building.
“My father nagged me. So, I decided to run away from home and the other two followed me,” she said when met by reporters at the Pantai police station.
Her parents Jaafar Abdullah, a driver, and trader Zaimah Othman were there to meet her. The parents and family members of Rosbazla and Nursyakila also waited for their daughters.
On Saturday night, Norashila, a student at SK Taman Bunga Raya 1, had told her parents that she was going for terawih prayers with her younger sibling.
She had taken RM50 belonging to her mother and her father’s mobile phone.
The next day, they took a KTM Komuter train from Rawang to the MidValley shopping mall, then a bus to Puchong Perdana and returned to MidValley later in the day where they met a boy, who was a friend of Nursyakila.
They then went to the cybercafe in Pantai Dalam via the KTM Komuter and spent the rest of their time there.
“We ate bread all the time. And we ran if we saw someone trying to follow us,” said Norashila.
At the police station yesterday, Zaimah, 34, was heard repeatedly asking her why she had run away.
The girls’ fathers said they did not face any problem with their daughters.
Norashila’s grandmother, Zainon Amoo, said she kept advising Jaafar and Zaimah not to pamper the child, adding that Norashila was given pocket money and almost anything she asked for.
Brickfields OCPD Asst Comm Sulaiman Junaidi cautioned parents to watch over their children at all times.
“They might think running away is an outlet to calm down. So, parents should do something.”
By AUDREY EDWARDS
KUALA LUMPUR: They had people searching for them for more than 48 hours while they roamed more than 50km using public transport.
Yesterday, the three teens, Norashila Jaafar, Rosbazla Mohd Basri and Nursyakila Azlan, reported missing over the weekend, were reunited with their parents.
The search ended yesterday morning when Norashila called her mother to tell her she was under a bridge near Pantai Dalam here, more than 50km from her Bukit Beruntung home in Taman Bunga Raya.
Her grandfather, Othman Mohd Ali then went to get her with some friends.
Their families had lodged police reports and also had search parties out scouring the neighbouring areas and in Puchong Perdana after they received a telephone call from a man saying that the girls were there.
Rosbazla and Nursyakila were at a 24-hour cybercafe in Pantai Dalam after Norashila led the police to the building.
“My father nagged me. So, I decided to run away from home and the other two followed me,” she said when met by reporters at the Pantai police station.
Her parents Jaafar Abdullah, a driver, and trader Zaimah Othman were there to meet her. The parents and family members of Rosbazla and Nursyakila also waited for their daughters.
On Saturday night, Norashila, a student at SK Taman Bunga Raya 1, had told her parents that she was going for terawih prayers with her younger sibling.
She had taken RM50 belonging to her mother and her father’s mobile phone.
The next day, they took a KTM Komuter train from Rawang to the MidValley shopping mall, then a bus to Puchong Perdana and returned to MidValley later in the day where they met a boy, who was a friend of Nursyakila.
They then went to the cybercafe in Pantai Dalam via the KTM Komuter and spent the rest of their time there.
“We ate bread all the time. And we ran if we saw someone trying to follow us,” said Norashila.
At the police station yesterday, Zaimah, 34, was heard repeatedly asking her why she had run away.
The girls’ fathers said they did not face any problem with their daughters.
Norashila’s grandmother, Zainon Amoo, said she kept advising Jaafar and Zaimah not to pamper the child, adding that Norashila was given pocket money and almost anything she asked for.
Brickfields OCPD Asst Comm Sulaiman Junaidi cautioned parents to watch over their children at all times.
“They might think running away is an outlet to calm down. So, parents should do something.”
2007 09: Child found sexually assaulted and killed
The Star online. News. Nation. Tuesday September 18, 2007
By RASHITHA A. HAMID
rashitha@thestar.com.my
PETALING JAYA: She was just a little girl. But that did not stop some sick monster from killing her after sexually assaulting her.
Her naked body was stuffed into a sports bag and left at the staircase of a shop lot in PJS1/48 Petaling Utama yesterday.
There were bruises on her neck, suggesting that she may have been strangled. There were also bruises on her hands.
The girl, said to be between six and nine, was initially feared to be eight-year-old Nurin Jazlin Jazimin who has been reported missing. But Nurin Jazlin’s parents, who rushed to the Hospital Kuala Lumpur mortuary, said it was not their daughter.
A supervisor with a book distributing company Cheng Yan Fang, 32, found the black-and-blue sports bag at 8.30am outside the premises. She thought the bag belonged to her employer who had just returned from Singapore.
Jack Yeoh Huat Lip, 51, the general manager of the company came in 30 minutes later and said the bag was not his.
When he opened it, he was horrified to see a pair of legs. He immediately called the police.
“Saturday was a half day and the office was closed yesterday,” Yeoh said, adding that the supervisor who left the office at 1pm on Saturday did not see anything near the staircase then.
Petaling Jaya police chief Asst Comm Arjunaidi Mohd confirmed a post mortem report that the killer had placed a cucumber and a brinjal in the girl’s private parts.
“She must have endured so much pain before she died,” he said.
Police believe the girl, whose identity has not been ascertained, had been dead for more than six hours before her body was found.
Police are appealing to those with missing daughters to call the district police headquarters here at 03-79562222. No arrest has been made yet.
......................................................
Women’s groups outraged over murder
The Star online. News. Nation. Tuesday September 18, 2007
KUALA LUMPUR: Women groups expressed outrage and shock over the brutal killing and sexual assault of a little girl whose body was found stuffed inside a sports bag in Petaling Utama.
Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO) executive director Ivy Josiah was shocked when contacted for a comment.
“I am just stunned. What about the family? How would they feel when they find out?” she said expressing her immediate concern.
“It is such a deliberate and cruel crime when we look at the circumstances of the case.
“Sexual assault and murder cases affecting young children are getting more and more prevalent, and we, the public must step up and help prevent such occurrences,” said Ivy.
She said that to achieve this, the public needed to be more aware and immediately report any suspicion of sexual abuse or violence to the authorities.
All Women’s Action Society (Awam) executive director Honey Tan urged the public to gather every resource to track down the killer.
Tan added that such violence was a worrying trend.
“Wemust start helping the people we know deal with their anxiety and stress, which would translate into violence,” she said.
Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Jalil described the incident as a cruel and despicable act.
“The police must go all out in their investigations and bring the culprit to justice,” she said.
By RASHITHA A. HAMID
rashitha@thestar.com.my
PETALING JAYA: She was just a little girl. But that did not stop some sick monster from killing her after sexually assaulting her.
Her naked body was stuffed into a sports bag and left at the staircase of a shop lot in PJS1/48 Petaling Utama yesterday.
There were bruises on her neck, suggesting that she may have been strangled. There were also bruises on her hands.
The girl, said to be between six and nine, was initially feared to be eight-year-old Nurin Jazlin Jazimin who has been reported missing. But Nurin Jazlin’s parents, who rushed to the Hospital Kuala Lumpur mortuary, said it was not their daughter.
A supervisor with a book distributing company Cheng Yan Fang, 32, found the black-and-blue sports bag at 8.30am outside the premises. She thought the bag belonged to her employer who had just returned from Singapore.
Jack Yeoh Huat Lip, 51, the general manager of the company came in 30 minutes later and said the bag was not his.
When he opened it, he was horrified to see a pair of legs. He immediately called the police.
“Saturday was a half day and the office was closed yesterday,” Yeoh said, adding that the supervisor who left the office at 1pm on Saturday did not see anything near the staircase then.
Petaling Jaya police chief Asst Comm Arjunaidi Mohd confirmed a post mortem report that the killer had placed a cucumber and a brinjal in the girl’s private parts.
“She must have endured so much pain before she died,” he said.
Police believe the girl, whose identity has not been ascertained, had been dead for more than six hours before her body was found.
Police are appealing to those with missing daughters to call the district police headquarters here at 03-79562222. No arrest has been made yet.
......................................................
Women’s groups outraged over murder
The Star online. News. Nation. Tuesday September 18, 2007
KUALA LUMPUR: Women groups expressed outrage and shock over the brutal killing and sexual assault of a little girl whose body was found stuffed inside a sports bag in Petaling Utama.
Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO) executive director Ivy Josiah was shocked when contacted for a comment.
“I am just stunned. What about the family? How would they feel when they find out?” she said expressing her immediate concern.
“It is such a deliberate and cruel crime when we look at the circumstances of the case.
“Sexual assault and murder cases affecting young children are getting more and more prevalent, and we, the public must step up and help prevent such occurrences,” said Ivy.
She said that to achieve this, the public needed to be more aware and immediately report any suspicion of sexual abuse or violence to the authorities.
All Women’s Action Society (Awam) executive director Honey Tan urged the public to gather every resource to track down the killer.
Tan added that such violence was a worrying trend.
“Wemust start helping the people we know deal with their anxiety and stress, which would translate into violence,” she said.
Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Jalil described the incident as a cruel and despicable act.
“The police must go all out in their investigations and bring the culprit to justice,” she said.
2007 09: Fate of killer teen on hold
The Star online. News. Courts. Tuesday September 18, 2007
PUTRAJAYA: The Federal Court has reserved its judgment on the prosecution’s appeal against a Court of Appeal’s decision to release a teenager detained in prison at the pleasure of the King for the murder of his tuition teacher’s daughter five years ago.
Chief Justice Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim, Court of Appeal president Justice Abdul Hamid Mohamad, Chief Judge of Malaya Justice Alauddin Mohd Sheriff, Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Justice Richard Malanjum and Federal Court judge Tan Sri Zaki Tun Azmi said they needed time to deliberate the matter as it involved the Federal Constitution.
The same panel also dismissed Karpal Singh’s application to recuse the Chief Justice and Justice Zaki from hearing the appeal.
The boy, who turned 18 last month, was freed on July 25 because Malaysia has no law that can sentence a child convicted of murder.
In 2003, the High Court found the boy guilty of murdering the 11-year-old girl at her house here, by stabbing her 20 times and slashing her four times with a sharp object on May 30, 2002, and ordered him to be detained at the pleasure of the King. The boy was 12 when he killed the girl.
On July 12, the Court of Appeal upheld the conviction but ruled that the sentencing was “unconstitutional” as Section 97(2) of the Child Act 2001, which provided for this sentence violated the doctrine of separation of powers by giving the Executive the judicial power to set the term to be served by a juvenile offender.
However, Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail argued that the Child Act 2001 was validly passed by Parliament and the High Court could pass a sentence allowed by the law.
That law said the only sentence for a juvenile convicted of murder was that he or she would have to be detained at the pleasure of the King.
The boy’s counsel Karpal Singh, however, had argued that the country operated on the doctrine of the separation of powers and the Federal Constitution clearly set out the different roles of the legislative, executive and judiciary.
“There is constitutional guarantee of these arms being independent of each other and it is the doctrine of separation of powers which pervades in the parts and chapters adverted to.”
He added in this case, the offence for murder carried a death sentence, so it was not punishable by law, as Section 97(2) and 97(4) of the Child Act was void.
PUTRAJAYA: The Federal Court has reserved its judgment on the prosecution’s appeal against a Court of Appeal’s decision to release a teenager detained in prison at the pleasure of the King for the murder of his tuition teacher’s daughter five years ago.
Chief Justice Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim, Court of Appeal president Justice Abdul Hamid Mohamad, Chief Judge of Malaya Justice Alauddin Mohd Sheriff, Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Justice Richard Malanjum and Federal Court judge Tan Sri Zaki Tun Azmi said they needed time to deliberate the matter as it involved the Federal Constitution.
The same panel also dismissed Karpal Singh’s application to recuse the Chief Justice and Justice Zaki from hearing the appeal.
The boy, who turned 18 last month, was freed on July 25 because Malaysia has no law that can sentence a child convicted of murder.
In 2003, the High Court found the boy guilty of murdering the 11-year-old girl at her house here, by stabbing her 20 times and slashing her four times with a sharp object on May 30, 2002, and ordered him to be detained at the pleasure of the King. The boy was 12 when he killed the girl.
On July 12, the Court of Appeal upheld the conviction but ruled that the sentencing was “unconstitutional” as Section 97(2) of the Child Act 2001, which provided for this sentence violated the doctrine of separation of powers by giving the Executive the judicial power to set the term to be served by a juvenile offender.
However, Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail argued that the Child Act 2001 was validly passed by Parliament and the High Court could pass a sentence allowed by the law.
That law said the only sentence for a juvenile convicted of murder was that he or she would have to be detained at the pleasure of the King.
The boy’s counsel Karpal Singh, however, had argued that the country operated on the doctrine of the separation of powers and the Federal Constitution clearly set out the different roles of the legislative, executive and judiciary.
“There is constitutional guarantee of these arms being independent of each other and it is the doctrine of separation of powers which pervades in the parts and chapters adverted to.”
He added in this case, the offence for murder carried a death sentence, so it was not punishable by law, as Section 97(2) and 97(4) of the Child Act was void.
2007 09: Mum: Still no action after rape report lodged in 2001
The Star online. News. Courts. Saturday September 15, 2007
By CHELSEA L.Y. NG
KUALA LUMPUR: The father of an eight-year-old rape victim lodged a report in July 2001 against her assailants but, until now, no one has been charged in court, the High Court heard.
The girl’s mother, who filed a suit against the police and the Government, testified yesterday that her husband had since been murdered while her elder son and she had been assaulted for refusing to withdraw the police report.
“The rape incident happened on July 12, 2001.
“Until today, my daughter has not gone to any court to testify about the rape,” she said.
Asked by her counsel M. Manoharan as to why police did not take any action, the 32-year-old mother of four said:
“I have asked the police about why there was no action taken against the suspects and they told me they had not caught anyone and investigations was still ongoing,” she said.
She said she could not understand why the suspects were not caught as they had repeatedly broken into her flat unit to harass her.
She said her husband had once quarrelled with a policeman at the Sentul police station about the lack of protection given to his family despite the continuous harassment by the suspects following the rape report.
“During the quarrel, the policeman tore the statement recorded from me while saying ‘You think we have nothing better to do?”‘
Earlier when cross-examined by senior federal counsel Amarjeet Singh, the woman denied that she had concocted her story in court and in the 15 police reports lodged between July and October 2001.
The housewife said she had no choice but to sue the police who failed to protect her family after the rape report on July 12, 2001.
In the suit, she named two OCPDs, the city police chief, the Inspector-General of Police and the Government as defendants. She is seeking RM450,500 in special damages.
The defendants denied the allegations and claimed that police surveillance was carried out near her house for the purpose of protecting her and her family.
The hearing before Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat continues on Dec 5.
By CHELSEA L.Y. NG
KUALA LUMPUR: The father of an eight-year-old rape victim lodged a report in July 2001 against her assailants but, until now, no one has been charged in court, the High Court heard.
The girl’s mother, who filed a suit against the police and the Government, testified yesterday that her husband had since been murdered while her elder son and she had been assaulted for refusing to withdraw the police report.
“The rape incident happened on July 12, 2001.
“Until today, my daughter has not gone to any court to testify about the rape,” she said.
Asked by her counsel M. Manoharan as to why police did not take any action, the 32-year-old mother of four said:
“I have asked the police about why there was no action taken against the suspects and they told me they had not caught anyone and investigations was still ongoing,” she said.
She said she could not understand why the suspects were not caught as they had repeatedly broken into her flat unit to harass her.
She said her husband had once quarrelled with a policeman at the Sentul police station about the lack of protection given to his family despite the continuous harassment by the suspects following the rape report.
“During the quarrel, the policeman tore the statement recorded from me while saying ‘You think we have nothing better to do?”‘
Earlier when cross-examined by senior federal counsel Amarjeet Singh, the woman denied that she had concocted her story in court and in the 15 police reports lodged between July and October 2001.
The housewife said she had no choice but to sue the police who failed to protect her family after the rape report on July 12, 2001.
In the suit, she named two OCPDs, the city police chief, the Inspector-General of Police and the Government as defendants. She is seeking RM450,500 in special damages.
The defendants denied the allegations and claimed that police surveillance was carried out near her house for the purpose of protecting her and her family.
The hearing before Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat continues on Dec 5.
2007 09: Woman: Cops harassed me after rape report
The Star online. News. Courts. Friday September 14, 2007
By CHELSEA L.Y. NG
KUALA LUMPUR: A housewife lodged a report after her eight-year-old daughter was raped but instead of giving her protection, policemen harassed her, she told the High Court.
She told Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat yesterday that the police’s inaction led to her then nine-year-old son being assaulted and finally her husband being murdered in October 2001.
“My son and husband were attacked by the thugs so that the rape report would be withdrawn,” she said to questions by her counsel M. Manoharan.
The 32-year-old mother of four said she had not choice but to sue the police who failed to protect her family after the rape report on July 12, 2001.
In the suit, she named two OCPDs, the city police chief, the Inspector-General of Police and the Government as defendants.
She is seeking RM450,500 in special damages.
The defendants denied the allegations and claimed that police surveillance was carried out near her house for the purpose of protecting her and her family.
The woman said that after her husband’s death, she had to give up her last child, a daughter, for adoption as she could not afford to raise the four children by herself.
“My husband was a rubbish scavenger. After his death, I was not harassed by the thugs anymore but by the police,” she said.
The woman said that following her husband’s death, she was asked to go to the Sentul police station and from there brought to the courthouse near Dataran Merdeka here.
“The policemen told me that I had lodged a false police report and I would be charged in court,” she said.
She added that she was later asked to sign a paper, the contents of which she could not understand.
The policemen then took her back to Sentul and left her at a bus stop, she said.
“One of them told me that since the paper had been signed, they would not look for me anymore,” she said.
Cross-examined by senior federal counsel Amarjeet Singh, the woman denied that she had concocted the rape story.
The hearing continues today.
By CHELSEA L.Y. NG
KUALA LUMPUR: A housewife lodged a report after her eight-year-old daughter was raped but instead of giving her protection, policemen harassed her, she told the High Court.
She told Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat yesterday that the police’s inaction led to her then nine-year-old son being assaulted and finally her husband being murdered in October 2001.
“My son and husband were attacked by the thugs so that the rape report would be withdrawn,” she said to questions by her counsel M. Manoharan.
The 32-year-old mother of four said she had not choice but to sue the police who failed to protect her family after the rape report on July 12, 2001.
In the suit, she named two OCPDs, the city police chief, the Inspector-General of Police and the Government as defendants.
She is seeking RM450,500 in special damages.
The defendants denied the allegations and claimed that police surveillance was carried out near her house for the purpose of protecting her and her family.
The woman said that after her husband’s death, she had to give up her last child, a daughter, for adoption as she could not afford to raise the four children by herself.
“My husband was a rubbish scavenger. After his death, I was not harassed by the thugs anymore but by the police,” she said.
The woman said that following her husband’s death, she was asked to go to the Sentul police station and from there brought to the courthouse near Dataran Merdeka here.
“The policemen told me that I had lodged a false police report and I would be charged in court,” she said.
She added that she was later asked to sign a paper, the contents of which she could not understand.
The policemen then took her back to Sentul and left her at a bus stop, she said.
“One of them told me that since the paper had been signed, they would not look for me anymore,” she said.
Cross-examined by senior federal counsel Amarjeet Singh, the woman denied that she had concocted the rape story.
The hearing continues today.
2007 09: Toddler dies after parents deported to Philippines
The Star online. News. Nation. Thursday September 13, 2007
By RUBEN SARIO
KOTA KINABALU: A two-year-old toddler whose parents were deported to the Philippines has died of suspected physical abuse here.
Police in Penampang district have detained the boy's 50-year-old grandmother and 14-year-old cousin in connection with the incident.
Penampang police chief Deputy Supt Madang Usat said the boy identified only as Evin died at the Queen Elizabeth hospital here on Sept 5.
He said hospital officials alerted police soon after Evin's death at about 1.30pm on that day due to breathing difficulties and the case was initially classified as sudden death.
However, following a post mortem, police were told that the toddler had sustained internal injuries indicating that he had been physically abused.
DSP Madang said police detained Evin's grandmother, a holder of the IMM13 identification document for refugees, when she came to the hospital to claim the body on Sept 11.
He said Evin's cousin was detained at a restaurant along Jalan Tuaran at about 11pm on the same day. Both the grandmother and cousin were remanded under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder.
DSP Madang said the toddler had been staying with the grandmother and cousin at an apartment in Beverly Hills here since his parents’ deportation to the Philippines.
By RUBEN SARIO
KOTA KINABALU: A two-year-old toddler whose parents were deported to the Philippines has died of suspected physical abuse here.
Police in Penampang district have detained the boy's 50-year-old grandmother and 14-year-old cousin in connection with the incident.
Penampang police chief Deputy Supt Madang Usat said the boy identified only as Evin died at the Queen Elizabeth hospital here on Sept 5.
He said hospital officials alerted police soon after Evin's death at about 1.30pm on that day due to breathing difficulties and the case was initially classified as sudden death.
However, following a post mortem, police were told that the toddler had sustained internal injuries indicating that he had been physically abused.
DSP Madang said police detained Evin's grandmother, a holder of the IMM13 identification document for refugees, when she came to the hospital to claim the body on Sept 11.
He said Evin's cousin was detained at a restaurant along Jalan Tuaran at about 11pm on the same day. Both the grandmother and cousin were remanded under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder.
DSP Madang said the toddler had been staying with the grandmother and cousin at an apartment in Beverly Hills here since his parents’ deportation to the Philippines.
2007 09: Mum remembers missing eight-year-old daughter’s wish
The Star online. News. Nation. Thursday September 13, 2007
NURIN Jazlin Jazimin, who went missing Aug 22, wanted a strawberry cake for her eighth birthday which fell on Tuesday, Utusan Malaysia reported.
She made the request to her mother Norazian Bistaman, 35, a few months ago.
“The request is still buzzing in my ears,” Norazian said at her home in Wangsa Maju.
Unlike previous years when the house was filled with joy on her birthday, this time it was filled with emptiness.
When reporters from the daily visited the family on Tuesday, they found Norazian resting with six-year-old daughter Nurin Jazina, while her husband Jazimin Abdul Jalil had taken their other child out.
Nurin Jazlin, a Year Two pupil of SK Desa Setapak, failed to return home after going to the pasar malam alone at 8.30pm on Aug 22.
NURIN Jazlin Jazimin, who went missing Aug 22, wanted a strawberry cake for her eighth birthday which fell on Tuesday, Utusan Malaysia reported.
She made the request to her mother Norazian Bistaman, 35, a few months ago.
“The request is still buzzing in my ears,” Norazian said at her home in Wangsa Maju.
Unlike previous years when the house was filled with joy on her birthday, this time it was filled with emptiness.
When reporters from the daily visited the family on Tuesday, they found Norazian resting with six-year-old daughter Nurin Jazina, while her husband Jazimin Abdul Jalil had taken their other child out.
Nurin Jazlin, a Year Two pupil of SK Desa Setapak, failed to return home after going to the pasar malam alone at 8.30pm on Aug 22.
2007 09: Girl changed after assault
The Star online. Metro. North. Thursday September 13, 2007
By K. KASTURI DEWI
PENANG: She used to be a very happy and ac-tive child but these days Loh Irene Khancana, 12, is short-tempered, does not want to leave her house and is even afraid of going to school.
She also complains of giddiness, is hard of hearing and suffers from bouts of pain on the left side of her head.
Last month, Loh received 60 stitches on the left side of her head when an 11-year-old boy whacked her on the head with a stick.
She was playing with two of her friends in a playground at Padang Tembak in Air Itam be-tween 5pm and 7pm on Aug 3 when the incident happened.
“The boy was lighting firecrackers and throwing them at me and my friends.
“We asked him to stop and when he didn’t, both my friends wanted to pick a fight with him but I managed to stop them.
“All of a sudden, I felt something hard on my head and when I turned around, I saw the boy standing behind me holding a very big stick,” she said at the press conference called by state DAP legal bureau chief Jagdeep Singh Deo.
Also present was Loh’s mother M. Jahindi, 42, a hotel employee.
Loh said a neighbour sent her to the Penang Hospital and a CT scan on the brain showed that she suffered from frontal bone fracture haemorrhage.
She was admitted from Aug 3 to Aug 7 and is due to go for an operation on Nov 19 to replace the brain’s frontal bone.
Loh said she only knew the boy from school and did not have any misunderstanding with him.
Jahindi said she lodged a police report at the Kampung Baru police station on the same day.
“My daughter was supposed to return to school on Sept 7 but she is still afraid, in case she sees the boy in school,” she said.
Jahindi also said that her daughter managed to sit her Ujian Penilaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) but could not remember anything.
“The boy’s parents and the boy came to visit my daughter. His parents apologised but the boy refused,” she added.
George Town OCPD Asst Comm Azam Abd Hamid said police would wait for the outcome of the investigations before deciding on the next course of action.
By K. KASTURI DEWI
PENANG: She used to be a very happy and ac-tive child but these days Loh Irene Khancana, 12, is short-tempered, does not want to leave her house and is even afraid of going to school.
She also complains of giddiness, is hard of hearing and suffers from bouts of pain on the left side of her head.
Last month, Loh received 60 stitches on the left side of her head when an 11-year-old boy whacked her on the head with a stick.
She was playing with two of her friends in a playground at Padang Tembak in Air Itam be-tween 5pm and 7pm on Aug 3 when the incident happened.
“The boy was lighting firecrackers and throwing them at me and my friends.
“We asked him to stop and when he didn’t, both my friends wanted to pick a fight with him but I managed to stop them.
“All of a sudden, I felt something hard on my head and when I turned around, I saw the boy standing behind me holding a very big stick,” she said at the press conference called by state DAP legal bureau chief Jagdeep Singh Deo.
Also present was Loh’s mother M. Jahindi, 42, a hotel employee.
Loh said a neighbour sent her to the Penang Hospital and a CT scan on the brain showed that she suffered from frontal bone fracture haemorrhage.
She was admitted from Aug 3 to Aug 7 and is due to go for an operation on Nov 19 to replace the brain’s frontal bone.
Loh said she only knew the boy from school and did not have any misunderstanding with him.
Jahindi said she lodged a police report at the Kampung Baru police station on the same day.
“My daughter was supposed to return to school on Sept 7 but she is still afraid, in case she sees the boy in school,” she said.
Jahindi also said that her daughter managed to sit her Ujian Penilaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) but could not remember anything.
“The boy’s parents and the boy came to visit my daughter. His parents apologised but the boy refused,” she added.
George Town OCPD Asst Comm Azam Abd Hamid said police would wait for the outcome of the investigations before deciding on the next course of action.
2007 09: ‘Special squads to help ‘street children’ of Johor
The Star online. News. Nation. Wednesday September 12, 2007
By HAMDAN RAJA ABDULLAH
MUAR: Special squads will be formed by the state to help “street children” found loitering in Johor Baru.
The squads will help and guide these children and provide then with skills training.
State Women, Family and Community Development Committee chairman Dr Robia Kosai said NGOs, organisations and the public would be asked to join hands with the state in the effort.
She said the children, mostly aged between 11 and 19, had been roaming the city, including in the wee hours, although many had parents.
“We want to save these children before they get into trouble and become a nuisance. Plans are under way to set up special squads to help guide, train and advise these children,” she said.
Dr Robia said the state government had set up a special committee to handle the issue, adding that juvenile court advisers in all districts would also be roped in.
She said some of the children were known to be sniffing glue, engaging in casual sex and other immoral activities.
She said these children would usually leave their homes after their parents had gone to bed.
A recent raid in Johor Baru by the Welfare Department resulted in 50 such wayward children being rounded up, she said, adding that most were dropouts.
“We welcome views from the public on how best to tackle this problem. We have to act fast,” she added.
By HAMDAN RAJA ABDULLAH
MUAR: Special squads will be formed by the state to help “street children” found loitering in Johor Baru.
The squads will help and guide these children and provide then with skills training.
State Women, Family and Community Development Committee chairman Dr Robia Kosai said NGOs, organisations and the public would be asked to join hands with the state in the effort.
She said the children, mostly aged between 11 and 19, had been roaming the city, including in the wee hours, although many had parents.
“We want to save these children before they get into trouble and become a nuisance. Plans are under way to set up special squads to help guide, train and advise these children,” she said.
Dr Robia said the state government had set up a special committee to handle the issue, adding that juvenile court advisers in all districts would also be roped in.
She said some of the children were known to be sniffing glue, engaging in casual sex and other immoral activities.
She said these children would usually leave their homes after their parents had gone to bed.
A recent raid in Johor Baru by the Welfare Department resulted in 50 such wayward children being rounded up, she said, adding that most were dropouts.
“We welcome views from the public on how best to tackle this problem. We have to act fast,” she added.
2007 09: Man rapes stepdaughter due to 'emotional distress'
The Star online. News. Nation. Tuesday September 11, 2007
By M. MAGESWARI
KUALA LUMPUR: A taxi driver, who raped his stepdaughter, claimed it was due to emotional distress after a month-long squabble with his wife.
He was sentenced to 12 years' jail and ordered to be whipped five times.
The Indonesian, with Malaysian PR status, was ordered to serve his jail term from the date of arrest on April 16, last year.
Before sentencing him, Sessions Court judge Datin Anita Harun said she was sad to come across a situation where the man's family still ask to give him a second chance for his actions.
At the start of court proceedings on Tuesday, the girl who was seated in the public gallery, cried and wiped her tears with her hands when a court interpreter read the facts of the case. She sobbed further upon hearing the court verdict and had to step out of the courtroom where she was consoled by her mother.
According to the facts of the case, the 45-year-old man raped his stepdaughter in their house in Cheras after she returned from school at about 4.30pm on April 14 last year.
The 12-year-old girl was said to have entered her room to do her schoolwork. The accused went inside her room and pulled her into his bedroom.
She tried to fight back but to no avail. In his second attempt, he succeeded in pulling down her trousers, before raping her.
When she left his bedroom, he told her not to tell her mother, who was away working at a factory.
The next day, the girl told her mother and lodged a police report a day later.
Pleading for leniency earlier, lawyer Shaun Tan Kee Shaan said the accused had a squabble with his wife for a month and that his client has suffered emotional distress during the period.
Tan said the accused had raped the girl due to his mental state at that time.
DPP Nor Asma Ahmad, however, pressed for a deterrent sentence saying that the accused was supposed to protect the girl, but instead had ruined her future.
"The girl suffered trauma because of his sinful actions," she said, adding that the court had to take into account that elements of force were present in the case.
She said the court had to take judicial notice that incest was rampant in the country and that it could clearly be seen from the statistics released by the police that there is continuous increase in the number of rape cases each year.
By M. MAGESWARI
KUALA LUMPUR: A taxi driver, who raped his stepdaughter, claimed it was due to emotional distress after a month-long squabble with his wife.
He was sentenced to 12 years' jail and ordered to be whipped five times.
The Indonesian, with Malaysian PR status, was ordered to serve his jail term from the date of arrest on April 16, last year.
Before sentencing him, Sessions Court judge Datin Anita Harun said she was sad to come across a situation where the man's family still ask to give him a second chance for his actions.
At the start of court proceedings on Tuesday, the girl who was seated in the public gallery, cried and wiped her tears with her hands when a court interpreter read the facts of the case. She sobbed further upon hearing the court verdict and had to step out of the courtroom where she was consoled by her mother.
According to the facts of the case, the 45-year-old man raped his stepdaughter in their house in Cheras after she returned from school at about 4.30pm on April 14 last year.
The 12-year-old girl was said to have entered her room to do her schoolwork. The accused went inside her room and pulled her into his bedroom.
She tried to fight back but to no avail. In his second attempt, he succeeded in pulling down her trousers, before raping her.
When she left his bedroom, he told her not to tell her mother, who was away working at a factory.
The next day, the girl told her mother and lodged a police report a day later.
Pleading for leniency earlier, lawyer Shaun Tan Kee Shaan said the accused had a squabble with his wife for a month and that his client has suffered emotional distress during the period.
Tan said the accused had raped the girl due to his mental state at that time.
DPP Nor Asma Ahmad, however, pressed for a deterrent sentence saying that the accused was supposed to protect the girl, but instead had ruined her future.
"The girl suffered trauma because of his sinful actions," she said, adding that the court had to take into account that elements of force were present in the case.
She said the court had to take judicial notice that incest was rampant in the country and that it could clearly be seen from the statistics released by the police that there is continuous increase in the number of rape cases each year.
2007 09: Johor plans to save street children
The Star online. News. Nation. Tuesday September 11, 2007
By HAMDAN RAJA ABDULLAH
MUAR: The Johor Government is looking into undertaking effective measures to help save street children who are becoming a social problem for Johor Baru.
State Women, Family and Community Development Committee chairman Dr Robia Kosai said families, society and non-governmental organisations would also be asked to help expedite the project.
Speaking to reporters here she said the children, aged between 11 and 19, had been roaming the city, including in the wee hours of the night, and that many had parents.
"We have decided to save these children before they are lured into vices, drug addiction or turned into vagabonds and become a public nuisance.
"Plans are underway to even set up special groups of people to help guide, train and advise them towards clean living," she said at a dinner held at the Muar Golf Club here on Monday.
Dr Robia said the state had set up a special committee to look after the welfare of such children besides having teams of juvenile court advisers at all the districts.
She said it had been reported that some of the children had picked up bad habits such as glue sniffing, indulged in wild sex, and some became rape victims.
She said many of the children had parents who did not care for them while some parents did not realise their children's activities after dark, adding that, these children would leave the house after the parents went to bed.
She said a recent raid carried out in Johor Baru by Welfare Department officers managed to round up about 50 such children whose ages ranged between 11 and 19.
She said since most did not attend schools, the state planned to provide them with skills training courses to equip them with work knowledge for their future.
"We are now calling for the public, especially non-governmental organisations, to give their views on ways to protect and care for such children.
"We have to act fast before the street children become a social problem to society," she added.
By HAMDAN RAJA ABDULLAH
MUAR: The Johor Government is looking into undertaking effective measures to help save street children who are becoming a social problem for Johor Baru.
State Women, Family and Community Development Committee chairman Dr Robia Kosai said families, society and non-governmental organisations would also be asked to help expedite the project.
Speaking to reporters here she said the children, aged between 11 and 19, had been roaming the city, including in the wee hours of the night, and that many had parents.
"We have decided to save these children before they are lured into vices, drug addiction or turned into vagabonds and become a public nuisance.
"Plans are underway to even set up special groups of people to help guide, train and advise them towards clean living," she said at a dinner held at the Muar Golf Club here on Monday.
Dr Robia said the state had set up a special committee to look after the welfare of such children besides having teams of juvenile court advisers at all the districts.
She said it had been reported that some of the children had picked up bad habits such as glue sniffing, indulged in wild sex, and some became rape victims.
She said many of the children had parents who did not care for them while some parents did not realise their children's activities after dark, adding that, these children would leave the house after the parents went to bed.
She said a recent raid carried out in Johor Baru by Welfare Department officers managed to round up about 50 such children whose ages ranged between 11 and 19.
She said since most did not attend schools, the state planned to provide them with skills training courses to equip them with work knowledge for their future.
"We are now calling for the public, especially non-governmental organisations, to give their views on ways to protect and care for such children.
"We have to act fast before the street children become a social problem to society," she added.
2007 09: Teen to identify cops who beat him
The Star online. News. Nation. Monday September 10, 2007
IPOH: Police have asked a 15-year-old boy to identify two policemen who allegedly beat him up after he was caught selling pirated CDs in Hutan Melintang.
Human Rights Commission of Malaysia commissioner Datuk N. Siva Subramaniam said the teenager had gone to the Teluk Intan district police station recently to attend an identification parade.
IPOH: Police have asked a 15-year-old boy to identify two policemen who allegedly beat him up after he was caught selling pirated CDs in Hutan Melintang.
Human Rights Commission of Malaysia commissioner Datuk N. Siva Subramaniam said the teenager had gone to the Teluk Intan district police station recently to attend an identification parade.
2007 09: Mummy’s boys vs brats
The Star Online. New. Opinion. Friday September 7, 2007
Why Not?By RASLAN SHARIF
The government's plan to allow mothers five years off to give their full attention to the child in that crucial first year will need further refining if it is not to be a Catch-22 offer.
SHORTLY after a meeting the other day, I received a message detailing, if I remember correctly, at least half a dozen unanswered calls on my part. The calls were all from my wife.
I had switched off the phone so as not to disturb the proceedings of the meeting, which was the reason (and seemed like a good one too) that she couldn’t get through to me.
But, later, I realised that maybe I should have simply put it on silent mode.
Within less than a minute of switching the phone back on and receiving the SMS of missed calls, my wife was on the line with me. There was this pressing matter that required urgent clarification, and this was made clear to me in no uncertain terms.
After the usual exchange of pleasantries (along the lines of, “How come your phone so hard to get?”), she got to the matter at hand: one of her colleagues had heard an item on the radio that said working women were being allowed to take up to five years off to look after their children.
It seems the office was abuzz with the news, and my wife, being married to a journalist, was as usual more than happy to try and find out more.
I gave her the good news that Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak had indeed announced such a thing earlier in the day – and the not so good as far as my wife and her colleagues were concerned – that it was only for women in the civil service.
The “bad news” had dampened some of the excitement at the office, but everyone was still happy that some women now had the option of taking extended leave for the sake of their children.
It would be an understatement to say that the mother-child interaction in the first few years of a child’s life is crucial to his or her later development, and a significant body of scientific evidence attests to this fact.
Currently, women in the civil service are allowed maternity leave of 60 days with full pay five times during their tenure of employment.
After the 60 days they can opt for 90 days’ unpaid leave.
All in all, this amounts to a mere five months, which is a drop in the ocean of a child’s maternal needs in the early years of life, especially in the first year.
Children who experience non-maternal care for more than 20 hours per week in their first year of life are at elevated risk of developing insecure attachments to their mothers, says a 2005 paper on The Effect of Maternal Labour Participation on Child Development in the University of Chicago’s Journal of Labour Economics.
In addition, “children who experience large amounts of early non-maternal care have also been found to be more physically and verbally aggressive.”
It is good that under the latest move, women who plan to have five children can allocate up to a year of leave for each of them.
This would at least ensure that these mothers are able to give their full attention to the child in that crucial first year. Those who plan to have less than five children can set aside even more time for each.
Najib said the move was aimed at providing flexibility for women who want to give more attention to the care of their children.
The objective, he added, was to ensure that attention was given to a child’s early education “because with proper guidance, nurturing and love, the child will become a better person.”
No one can argue with that.
As far as men are concerned, this might mean we could end up with a nation of Mummy’s boys, but I’m betting that most people would prefer such men over “physically and verbally aggressive” ones who had enjoyed little of mother’s love.
Jokes aside and the importance of early mother-child interaction clearly not being in question, why not get the private sector to follow suit with a similar move, as my wife asked after being informed that this was a civil service perk?
Her point is that unless they are of a different species altogether, the children of private sector employees would also benefit greatly from more of mum’s attention.
Again, it would be difficult to argue against that.
The Government could provide tax incentives for companies that put in place similar extended leave schemes. In fact, it might not even have to, as the leave would be unpaid.
But ironically, “unpaid leave” brings us to the crux of the matter. It is a phrase that made many of the dozens of working women I’ve spoken to in the last few days go “hmmm” after the initial enthusiasm over the move.
Reactions to the move suggest that many women feel that long periods of unpaid leave are financially unsustainable.
It’s almost a Catch-22 situation, as exemplified by the response of a 25-year-old clerk and mother-to-be, who told the The Star that she would only take a few months of unpaid leave, since “now that we have a new addition to the family, we need to ensure we have enough, especially for the baby.”
Is there a solution?
Perhaps. If the overarching objective of the move is to enable working women to spend more time with a child in the first one or two years of the child’s life, in recognition of the crucial importance of such an arrangement to the child’s development, then the issue of pay should be a matter that comes a distant second for the Government.
This means that women who opt for extra time off from work should be paid at least part, if not all, of their salary.
No doubt, it would cost the Government more, but if we wanted to, we could see and regard it as an investment. And it would be a sound investment too as, after all, aren’t the children our future?
Star Online editor Raslan Sharif has two intelligent, adorable and very high-maintenance children who he hopes will make it big some day and be able to look after two intelligent, adorable and very high-maintenance parents.
Why Not?By RASLAN SHARIF
The government's plan to allow mothers five years off to give their full attention to the child in that crucial first year will need further refining if it is not to be a Catch-22 offer.
SHORTLY after a meeting the other day, I received a message detailing, if I remember correctly, at least half a dozen unanswered calls on my part. The calls were all from my wife.
I had switched off the phone so as not to disturb the proceedings of the meeting, which was the reason (and seemed like a good one too) that she couldn’t get through to me.
But, later, I realised that maybe I should have simply put it on silent mode.
Within less than a minute of switching the phone back on and receiving the SMS of missed calls, my wife was on the line with me. There was this pressing matter that required urgent clarification, and this was made clear to me in no uncertain terms.
After the usual exchange of pleasantries (along the lines of, “How come your phone so hard to get?”), she got to the matter at hand: one of her colleagues had heard an item on the radio that said working women were being allowed to take up to five years off to look after their children.
It seems the office was abuzz with the news, and my wife, being married to a journalist, was as usual more than happy to try and find out more.
I gave her the good news that Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak had indeed announced such a thing earlier in the day – and the not so good as far as my wife and her colleagues were concerned – that it was only for women in the civil service.
The “bad news” had dampened some of the excitement at the office, but everyone was still happy that some women now had the option of taking extended leave for the sake of their children.
It would be an understatement to say that the mother-child interaction in the first few years of a child’s life is crucial to his or her later development, and a significant body of scientific evidence attests to this fact.
Currently, women in the civil service are allowed maternity leave of 60 days with full pay five times during their tenure of employment.
After the 60 days they can opt for 90 days’ unpaid leave.
All in all, this amounts to a mere five months, which is a drop in the ocean of a child’s maternal needs in the early years of life, especially in the first year.
Children who experience non-maternal care for more than 20 hours per week in their first year of life are at elevated risk of developing insecure attachments to their mothers, says a 2005 paper on The Effect of Maternal Labour Participation on Child Development in the University of Chicago’s Journal of Labour Economics.
In addition, “children who experience large amounts of early non-maternal care have also been found to be more physically and verbally aggressive.”
It is good that under the latest move, women who plan to have five children can allocate up to a year of leave for each of them.
This would at least ensure that these mothers are able to give their full attention to the child in that crucial first year. Those who plan to have less than five children can set aside even more time for each.
Najib said the move was aimed at providing flexibility for women who want to give more attention to the care of their children.
The objective, he added, was to ensure that attention was given to a child’s early education “because with proper guidance, nurturing and love, the child will become a better person.”
No one can argue with that.
As far as men are concerned, this might mean we could end up with a nation of Mummy’s boys, but I’m betting that most people would prefer such men over “physically and verbally aggressive” ones who had enjoyed little of mother’s love.
Jokes aside and the importance of early mother-child interaction clearly not being in question, why not get the private sector to follow suit with a similar move, as my wife asked after being informed that this was a civil service perk?
Her point is that unless they are of a different species altogether, the children of private sector employees would also benefit greatly from more of mum’s attention.
Again, it would be difficult to argue against that.
The Government could provide tax incentives for companies that put in place similar extended leave schemes. In fact, it might not even have to, as the leave would be unpaid.
But ironically, “unpaid leave” brings us to the crux of the matter. It is a phrase that made many of the dozens of working women I’ve spoken to in the last few days go “hmmm” after the initial enthusiasm over the move.
Reactions to the move suggest that many women feel that long periods of unpaid leave are financially unsustainable.
It’s almost a Catch-22 situation, as exemplified by the response of a 25-year-old clerk and mother-to-be, who told the The Star that she would only take a few months of unpaid leave, since “now that we have a new addition to the family, we need to ensure we have enough, especially for the baby.”
Is there a solution?
Perhaps. If the overarching objective of the move is to enable working women to spend more time with a child in the first one or two years of the child’s life, in recognition of the crucial importance of such an arrangement to the child’s development, then the issue of pay should be a matter that comes a distant second for the Government.
This means that women who opt for extra time off from work should be paid at least part, if not all, of their salary.
No doubt, it would cost the Government more, but if we wanted to, we could see and regard it as an investment. And it would be a sound investment too as, after all, aren’t the children our future?
Star Online editor Raslan Sharif has two intelligent, adorable and very high-maintenance children who he hopes will make it big some day and be able to look after two intelligent, adorable and very high-maintenance parents.
2007 09: Robbers slash villager who shouted at them
The Star Online. Metro. South & East. Thursday September 6, 2007
By HAMDAN RAJA ABDULLAH
TANGKAK: Three armed robbers, believed to be Indonesians, slashed the ear of a villager after the victim's daughter cried out during an attempted rape on her in Kampung Sengkang near Bukit Gambir.
The incident happened when Buserin Haron, 50, who was also beaten with iron rods on the head and back, shouted at the robbers when one of them tried to rape his 15-year-old daughter early Monday.
He said the robbers, armed with a handgun, a parang and two iron rods had earlier robbed him and his family of some jewellery, four handphones and RM3,000.
“We were asleep when the three men, all wearing black jackets and black pants, suddenly stood before me at about 1.30am.
“They threatened to injure us with the parang if we put up a fight, before robbing us,” he said when met at his house later in the day.
Buserin said that one of them tried to rape his daughter after they couldn’t find anything else to take, but she screamed, prompting him to shout at the robbers.
He said the robbers then turned on him with iron rods and the one with the parang slashed at his ear, before making off in his car.
He said someone called for an ambulance and he was rushed to the Bukit Gambir clinic for treatment, including receiving several stitches for the cut on his ear.
Muar CID chief Deputy Supt Khoo Leng Huat said police found the car near a temple not far from the village.
“We have sent out teams to track the robbers,” he added.
By HAMDAN RAJA ABDULLAH
TANGKAK: Three armed robbers, believed to be Indonesians, slashed the ear of a villager after the victim's daughter cried out during an attempted rape on her in Kampung Sengkang near Bukit Gambir.
The incident happened when Buserin Haron, 50, who was also beaten with iron rods on the head and back, shouted at the robbers when one of them tried to rape his 15-year-old daughter early Monday.
He said the robbers, armed with a handgun, a parang and two iron rods had earlier robbed him and his family of some jewellery, four handphones and RM3,000.
“We were asleep when the three men, all wearing black jackets and black pants, suddenly stood before me at about 1.30am.
“They threatened to injure us with the parang if we put up a fight, before robbing us,” he said when met at his house later in the day.
Buserin said that one of them tried to rape his daughter after they couldn’t find anything else to take, but she screamed, prompting him to shout at the robbers.
He said the robbers then turned on him with iron rods and the one with the parang slashed at his ear, before making off in his car.
He said someone called for an ambulance and he was rushed to the Bukit Gambir clinic for treatment, including receiving several stitches for the cut on his ear.
Muar CID chief Deputy Supt Khoo Leng Huat said police found the car near a temple not far from the village.
“We have sent out teams to track the robbers,” he added.
Tuesday 4 September 2007
2007 09: Alarming rise in teenage smokers
The Star Online. News. Nation. Monday September 3, 2007
KOTA KINABALU: Teenagers in Sabah are taking up smoking at alarmingly high rate and some are having sex as early as the age of 10.
A research by health officials among suburban teenagers in Telipok near here found that 30.3% admitted to being regular smokers, which is double the national average of 16% and above the global average of 20%.
“Nearly, a third of the teenaged respondents admitted to be smokers. It seems to be a common trend among Sabah teenagers.
“Even more worrying is that the number of young girls taking up smoking has doubled from 4% to 8% in the last 10 years,” Sabah Health Department deputy director Dr Mohd Yusof Ibrahim said at the launching of the Telipok Teen Health Clinic here on Saturday.
The recent research was conducted by the Telipok Health Clinic on the periphery of the city to gauge the problem of smoking as well as the sexual habits of teenagers, which is to be used as a yardstick by the department for its various public health campaigns.
The study also noted that 1.8% of the teenagers admitted to having premarital sex with a few disclosing that they had done so at the age of 10.
“Premarital sex among teenagers, however, seems considerably lower,” he said, in explaining that it could be due to many respondents’ reluctance to answer direct questions on the matter.
Dr Yusof, however, said based on indirect questions like if they (teenagers) were aware of their friends being smokers or had sex showed a higher average with 66.4% saying they had at least one friend who was a smoker and 16.9% having knowledge of one their friends having sex.
Dr Yusof did not mention the number of teenagers interviewed.
He said the Health Ministry found that 40% of the HIV patients in the country were below the age of 29 and in Sabah, 80% of the HIV infected teenagers had contracted it through unhealthy sexual practices.
KOTA KINABALU: Teenagers in Sabah are taking up smoking at alarmingly high rate and some are having sex as early as the age of 10.
A research by health officials among suburban teenagers in Telipok near here found that 30.3% admitted to being regular smokers, which is double the national average of 16% and above the global average of 20%.
“Nearly, a third of the teenaged respondents admitted to be smokers. It seems to be a common trend among Sabah teenagers.
“Even more worrying is that the number of young girls taking up smoking has doubled from 4% to 8% in the last 10 years,” Sabah Health Department deputy director Dr Mohd Yusof Ibrahim said at the launching of the Telipok Teen Health Clinic here on Saturday.
The recent research was conducted by the Telipok Health Clinic on the periphery of the city to gauge the problem of smoking as well as the sexual habits of teenagers, which is to be used as a yardstick by the department for its various public health campaigns.
The study also noted that 1.8% of the teenagers admitted to having premarital sex with a few disclosing that they had done so at the age of 10.
“Premarital sex among teenagers, however, seems considerably lower,” he said, in explaining that it could be due to many respondents’ reluctance to answer direct questions on the matter.
Dr Yusof, however, said based on indirect questions like if they (teenagers) were aware of their friends being smokers or had sex showed a higher average with 66.4% saying they had at least one friend who was a smoker and 16.9% having knowledge of one their friends having sex.
Dr Yusof did not mention the number of teenagers interviewed.
He said the Health Ministry found that 40% of the HIV patients in the country were below the age of 29 and in Sabah, 80% of the HIV infected teenagers had contracted it through unhealthy sexual practices.
2007 09: Boy found loitering at Bangsar LRT station
The Star Online. News. Nation. Sunday September 2, 2007
KUALA LUMPUR: Do you know this boy (pic) or his parents?
The boy, who is believed to be about eight years old, was found loitering on the ground floor of the Bangsar LRT station at about 4pm on Friday.
Brickfields Deputy OCPD Supt Arjunaidi Mohamed said a police team picked up the boy, who was clad in a pair of brown shorts and blue T-shirt, after receiving a tip-off.
“He converses well in Mandarin and Bahasa Malaysia and also speaks a little English but refuses to give his name and address or talk about his family.
“The only thing he has told us is that he is eight years old, but we are not sure of this,'' he added.
Supt Arjunaidi said proprietors of the shops at the LRT station also did not know who the boy was.
“We sent him for a medical check-up and he was found to be all right,'' he said.
He added that there were no marks or bruises to show that he had been abused.
Supt Arjunaidi said all police stations had been alerted but no one had come forward or lodged a missing person's report fitting the boy's description.
He said the boy would be kept at the Brickfields police headquarters for the time being.
“If no one comes to claim him, then we will send him to the Welfare Department,'' he added.
Anyone with information on the boy can call the Rakan Cop helpline at 03-2115 9999.
.............................................................
Runaway back with parents, father says child is hyperactive
The Star Online. News. Nation. Monday September 3, 2007
KUALA LUMPUR: The boy who was found loitering at Bangsar LRT station on Friday has been reunited with his parents.
The father of Ng Koh Chai, 11, believed to be a hyperactive child, said he had run away from home before but to nearby places. Friday was the first time that he “ventured” to the city.
The father, who did not want to be named, said his son needed special attention as he was very active.
“We never let him out of our sight. However, on Friday, we may have been a little bit careless and taken our eyes off him until he managed to run away again,” he said at the University Malaya Medical Centre where the boy has been admitted for observation.
He said he lodged a missing persons report at the Klang police station after discovering that the boy had disappeared.
“I only came to know my son’s whereabouts from a family friend who watched the news,” he said.
Koh Chai and his father, a vegetable seller, were placed in a special room at the hospital and heavily guarded by security guards to prevent reporters who had gathered in front of the paediatric ward, talking to them.
Brickfields deputy OCPD Supt Arjunaidi Mohamed said Klang police had taken over the case.
Koh Chai was found loitering on the ground floor of the Bangsar LRT station at about 4pm.
A police team picked up the boy, clad in a pair of brown shorts and blue T-shirt, after receiving a tip-off.
He conversed well in Mandarin and Bahasa Malaysia and also spoke a little English but refused to give his name and address or talk about his family, when the police questioned him.
KUALA LUMPUR: Do you know this boy (pic) or his parents?
The boy, who is believed to be about eight years old, was found loitering on the ground floor of the Bangsar LRT station at about 4pm on Friday.
Brickfields Deputy OCPD Supt Arjunaidi Mohamed said a police team picked up the boy, who was clad in a pair of brown shorts and blue T-shirt, after receiving a tip-off.
“He converses well in Mandarin and Bahasa Malaysia and also speaks a little English but refuses to give his name and address or talk about his family.
“The only thing he has told us is that he is eight years old, but we are not sure of this,'' he added.
Supt Arjunaidi said proprietors of the shops at the LRT station also did not know who the boy was.
“We sent him for a medical check-up and he was found to be all right,'' he said.
He added that there were no marks or bruises to show that he had been abused.
Supt Arjunaidi said all police stations had been alerted but no one had come forward or lodged a missing person's report fitting the boy's description.
He said the boy would be kept at the Brickfields police headquarters for the time being.
“If no one comes to claim him, then we will send him to the Welfare Department,'' he added.
Anyone with information on the boy can call the Rakan Cop helpline at 03-2115 9999.
.............................................................
Runaway back with parents, father says child is hyperactive
The Star Online. News. Nation. Monday September 3, 2007
KUALA LUMPUR: The boy who was found loitering at Bangsar LRT station on Friday has been reunited with his parents.
The father of Ng Koh Chai, 11, believed to be a hyperactive child, said he had run away from home before but to nearby places. Friday was the first time that he “ventured” to the city.
The father, who did not want to be named, said his son needed special attention as he was very active.
“We never let him out of our sight. However, on Friday, we may have been a little bit careless and taken our eyes off him until he managed to run away again,” he said at the University Malaya Medical Centre where the boy has been admitted for observation.
He said he lodged a missing persons report at the Klang police station after discovering that the boy had disappeared.
“I only came to know my son’s whereabouts from a family friend who watched the news,” he said.
Koh Chai and his father, a vegetable seller, were placed in a special room at the hospital and heavily guarded by security guards to prevent reporters who had gathered in front of the paediatric ward, talking to them.
Brickfields deputy OCPD Supt Arjunaidi Mohamed said Klang police had taken over the case.
Koh Chai was found loitering on the ground floor of the Bangsar LRT station at about 4pm.
A police team picked up the boy, clad in a pair of brown shorts and blue T-shirt, after receiving a tip-off.
He conversed well in Mandarin and Bahasa Malaysia and also spoke a little English but refused to give his name and address or talk about his family, when the police questioned him.
2007 09: Student in coma after having spiked drink
The Star Online. Nation. News. Thursday August 30, 2007
TAIPING: A Form Two student is in a coma at Taiping Hospital after allegedly drinking bottled fruit juice laced with an unidentified chemical.
Muhammad Shamil Izwan Ahmad Shukri, 14, of SM Agama Addiniah in Cangkat Jering, was suspected to have consumed the drink at his school hostel on Monday.
Perak police chief Deputy Commissioner Datuk Zulkifli Abdullah said police did not rule out the possibility that there was a murder attempt and was interviewing students and teachers from the school.
“We want to know if the boy was asked to drink the weed killer or had accidentally consumed it,” he added.
The boy's police constable father, Ahmad Shukri Ayob, 40, said he received a call from the hostel warden informing him that his son had been sent to Taiping Hospital for suspected poisoning.
Ahmad Shukri, from Pengkalan Hulu near Baling, said he and his wife Nor Syadat Man, 34, rushed to the hospital, arriving at 1.30am to find their son in a coma at the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit.
“I was told by the doctor on duty that my son has a 50-50 chance of surviving,” he said.
He and the school authorities lodged separate police reports after an empty bottlewas found near the boy.
The principal, Ustaz Wan Mu’az Wan Ahmad, said 24 of Muhammad Shamil’s schoolmates had their statements taken by the police and investigations were going on.
“We have asked the students to tell the police everything they know. We’re not certain how the poisoning occurred and the fruit juice has been sent for analysis,” he said yesterday.
.............................................................
Form Two schoolboy held for attempted murder
The Star Online. Nation. News. Monday September 3, 2007
TAIPING: A Form Two student from a religious school in Changkat Jering here has been detained by police for attempted murder in connection with the case of a student who slipped into a coma after drinking water laced with weedkiller at the school hostel.
Larut Matang OCPD Asst Comm Raja Musa Raja Razak said the 14-year-old boy was arrested on Sunday evening when he returned to his hostel after spending the weekend with his family.
“He was produced before a magistrate today and he is being remanded for six days until Saturday to facilitate investigations,” said ACP Raja Musa, adding that the boy was being investigated under Section 307 of the Penal Code.
ACP Raja Musa said the boy had been sent to a special lock-up for juveniles at a police station in Pokok Assam.
ACP Raja Musa said the boy became remorseful after a teacher from SM Agama Adinniah told him that Muhammad Shamil Izwan Ahmad Shukri, who went into a coma last Monday night, had regained consciousness.
He said had also seized a plastic cup, a gourd and a plastic drink container to facilitate investigations. However, he said, the Chemistry Department had yet to identify the liquid found in the seized items.
"ACP Raja Musa did not rule out the possibility that the substance which Muhammad Shamil was allegedly forced to drink had been purchased from a shop.
ACP Raja Musa also said that so far only one suspect had been picked up.
On the notes scribbled by Muhammad Shamil from his hospital bed , ACP Raja Musa said the notes, which had been handed over to the police by the boy’s father, would be used in the investigation.
In the scribbled notes, Muhammad Shamil had named one of his hostel mates as the person who forced him to drink from a cup before he became unconscious.
Meanwhile the boy’s father, Ahmad Shukri Ayob, a police constable based in Pengkalan Hulu said he was glad that his son was recovering.
“He can talk a little bit but he is still weak,” he said, adding that a tube inserted into his mouth had also been taken out on Monday.
Muhammad Shamil, the third of Ahmad Shukri’s five children, was rushed to Taiping hospital last Monday night when he collapsed after drinking water suspected to have been laced with a weedkiller.
TAIPING: A Form Two student is in a coma at Taiping Hospital after allegedly drinking bottled fruit juice laced with an unidentified chemical.
Muhammad Shamil Izwan Ahmad Shukri, 14, of SM Agama Addiniah in Cangkat Jering, was suspected to have consumed the drink at his school hostel on Monday.
Perak police chief Deputy Commissioner Datuk Zulkifli Abdullah said police did not rule out the possibility that there was a murder attempt and was interviewing students and teachers from the school.
“We want to know if the boy was asked to drink the weed killer or had accidentally consumed it,” he added.
The boy's police constable father, Ahmad Shukri Ayob, 40, said he received a call from the hostel warden informing him that his son had been sent to Taiping Hospital for suspected poisoning.
Ahmad Shukri, from Pengkalan Hulu near Baling, said he and his wife Nor Syadat Man, 34, rushed to the hospital, arriving at 1.30am to find their son in a coma at the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit.
“I was told by the doctor on duty that my son has a 50-50 chance of surviving,” he said.
He and the school authorities lodged separate police reports after an empty bottlewas found near the boy.
The principal, Ustaz Wan Mu’az Wan Ahmad, said 24 of Muhammad Shamil’s schoolmates had their statements taken by the police and investigations were going on.
“We have asked the students to tell the police everything they know. We’re not certain how the poisoning occurred and the fruit juice has been sent for analysis,” he said yesterday.
.............................................................
Form Two schoolboy held for attempted murder
The Star Online. Nation. News. Monday September 3, 2007
TAIPING: A Form Two student from a religious school in Changkat Jering here has been detained by police for attempted murder in connection with the case of a student who slipped into a coma after drinking water laced with weedkiller at the school hostel.
Larut Matang OCPD Asst Comm Raja Musa Raja Razak said the 14-year-old boy was arrested on Sunday evening when he returned to his hostel after spending the weekend with his family.
“He was produced before a magistrate today and he is being remanded for six days until Saturday to facilitate investigations,” said ACP Raja Musa, adding that the boy was being investigated under Section 307 of the Penal Code.
ACP Raja Musa said the boy had been sent to a special lock-up for juveniles at a police station in Pokok Assam.
ACP Raja Musa said the boy became remorseful after a teacher from SM Agama Adinniah told him that Muhammad Shamil Izwan Ahmad Shukri, who went into a coma last Monday night, had regained consciousness.
He said had also seized a plastic cup, a gourd and a plastic drink container to facilitate investigations. However, he said, the Chemistry Department had yet to identify the liquid found in the seized items.
"ACP Raja Musa did not rule out the possibility that the substance which Muhammad Shamil was allegedly forced to drink had been purchased from a shop.
ACP Raja Musa also said that so far only one suspect had been picked up.
On the notes scribbled by Muhammad Shamil from his hospital bed , ACP Raja Musa said the notes, which had been handed over to the police by the boy’s father, would be used in the investigation.
In the scribbled notes, Muhammad Shamil had named one of his hostel mates as the person who forced him to drink from a cup before he became unconscious.
Meanwhile the boy’s father, Ahmad Shukri Ayob, a police constable based in Pengkalan Hulu said he was glad that his son was recovering.
“He can talk a little bit but he is still weak,” he said, adding that a tube inserted into his mouth had also been taken out on Monday.
Muhammad Shamil, the third of Ahmad Shukri’s five children, was rushed to Taiping hospital last Monday night when he collapsed after drinking water suspected to have been laced with a weedkiller.
2007 09: Newborn abandoned in hospital compound
The Star Online. News. Nation. Wednesday August 29, 2007
BUKIT MERTAJAM: A newborn, wrapped in a sarong, was found abandoned in the Seberang Jaya Hospital compound near here.
Central Seberang Prai OCPD Asst Comm Mohd Anil Shah Abdullah said a security guard on his routine check early Monday morning spotted the baby boy.
“The guard found the baby on a concrete table at about 4.15am and went looking for the mother at about 4.55am,” he said.
ACP Mohd Anil Shah said that after failing to find the parent, the security guard informed the police at about 7.55am.
He said the baby was healthy. The boy, who was kept for observation at the hospital, will be handed over to the welfare department soon.
ACP Mohd Anil Shah urged the public with information on the baby to call the district police acting CID chief Asst Supt S. Subra-maniam at 019-6351119 or the nearest police station.
BUKIT MERTAJAM: A newborn, wrapped in a sarong, was found abandoned in the Seberang Jaya Hospital compound near here.
Central Seberang Prai OCPD Asst Comm Mohd Anil Shah Abdullah said a security guard on his routine check early Monday morning spotted the baby boy.
“The guard found the baby on a concrete table at about 4.15am and went looking for the mother at about 4.55am,” he said.
ACP Mohd Anil Shah said that after failing to find the parent, the security guard informed the police at about 7.55am.
He said the baby was healthy. The boy, who was kept for observation at the hospital, will be handed over to the welfare department soon.
ACP Mohd Anil Shah urged the public with information on the baby to call the district police acting CID chief Asst Supt S. Subra-maniam at 019-6351119 or the nearest police station.
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