The Star Online. News. Nation. Thursday August 9, 2007
PETALING JAYA: Welfare organisation Shelter Home will provide legal aid to the 700-odd juveniles in Kajang Prison.
Its executive director, James Nayagam, said the bulk of the juveniles were facing very minor offences, and most were held under remand.
“Some of the boys have been stuck in prison for three years because their cases, like Jeff Lee’s, have been postponed umpteen times.
“If no one fights for them or at least takes into consideration their suffering, they will definitely be socially lost forever.
“These are young boys who have committed minor offences being thrown among hardcore criminals. What do you think each passing day in jail would do to them?” asked Nayagam.
He said the organisation has assembled a legal team that would be going out immediately and approach as many juveniles as it could.
While he admitted that not all imprisoned juveniles were totally “innocent,” Nayagam is determined to do what he can to give help to those who deserve it.
“A recent research conducted by Shelter showed that 80% of child offenders came from broken homes and were very socially disturbed.
“One must understand that it is a vicious cycle. If we do not help them now, they give up hope on life and will certainly find difficulty in finding a job or even a life partner for that matter in future,” Nayagam said.
Monday, 13 August 2007
Thursday, 9 August 2007
2007 08: Two students quizzed about fire in school
The Star Online. News. Nation. Wednesday August 8, 2007
BANTING: Two Form One students allegedly set fire to a wooden rack at the SMK Methodist Telok Datok in what is believed to be a case of revenge.
They are believed to have retaliated against the school’s afternoon session supervisor who had punished them earlier.
Teachers who had gathered for an assembly noticed thick smoke billowing from the room on the first floor of the school’s main block.
They rushed there and doused the flames.
A report was lodged and police picked up two boys, aged 12 and 13, for questioning but released them on bail pending investigations.
It is learnt that the two had approached a fellow student and asked him if he would like to join them in setting the room on fire but the latter laughed it off thinking that they were only joking.
The two students were spotted entering the school compound with a bottle believed to be filled with petrol.
Kuala Langat OCPD Supt Zulkifli Mohamed, who confirmed the arrest, said police had classified the case under Section 435 of the Penal Code for mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to cause damage.
BANTING: Two Form One students allegedly set fire to a wooden rack at the SMK Methodist Telok Datok in what is believed to be a case of revenge.
They are believed to have retaliated against the school’s afternoon session supervisor who had punished them earlier.
Teachers who had gathered for an assembly noticed thick smoke billowing from the room on the first floor of the school’s main block.
They rushed there and doused the flames.
A report was lodged and police picked up two boys, aged 12 and 13, for questioning but released them on bail pending investigations.
It is learnt that the two had approached a fellow student and asked him if he would like to join them in setting the room on fire but the latter laughed it off thinking that they were only joking.
The two students were spotted entering the school compound with a bottle believed to be filled with petrol.
Kuala Langat OCPD Supt Zulkifli Mohamed, who confirmed the arrest, said police had classified the case under Section 435 of the Penal Code for mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to cause damage.
2007 08: School says sorry for caning that left bruises
The Star Online. News. Nation. Monday August 6, 2007
SUNGAI Petani's SMK Sin Min issued a statement to apologise to parents after two disciplinary teachers caned 30 students for flouting rules and bruised some students' buttocks, China Press reported.
The bruising led to upset parents demanding an explanation from the school.
The case, which was reported in Chinese newspapers, received public attention and many versions of the incident were circulated among the Chinese community, causing hurt to teachers and students, the paper quoted the statement.
School authorities, after chairing a meeting with the school's board of directors and the parent-teacher association on Friday, said it regretted the incident and apologised to the parents.
It also said caning students who had flouted disciplinary rules was one of the approaches used by the school for many years to discipline students.
SMK Sin Min principal Lok Kin Hong said that to avoid a recurrence of such an incident, students who are to be caned more than once would not receive the canings on the same day.
On Wednesday, 30 Form One students were caned for not submitting their homework, talking in the class and attending classes without textbooks.
Three of them suffered bruises and their parents confronted the school over the incident.
SUNGAI Petani's SMK Sin Min issued a statement to apologise to parents after two disciplinary teachers caned 30 students for flouting rules and bruised some students' buttocks, China Press reported.
The bruising led to upset parents demanding an explanation from the school.
The case, which was reported in Chinese newspapers, received public attention and many versions of the incident were circulated among the Chinese community, causing hurt to teachers and students, the paper quoted the statement.
School authorities, after chairing a meeting with the school's board of directors and the parent-teacher association on Friday, said it regretted the incident and apologised to the parents.
It also said caning students who had flouted disciplinary rules was one of the approaches used by the school for many years to discipline students.
SMK Sin Min principal Lok Kin Hong said that to avoid a recurrence of such an incident, students who are to be caned more than once would not receive the canings on the same day.
On Wednesday, 30 Form One students were caned for not submitting their homework, talking in the class and attending classes without textbooks.
Three of them suffered bruises and their parents confronted the school over the incident.
2007 08: Youths languishing in prison for minor offences
The Star Online. News. Nation. Sunday August 5, 2007
KUALA LUMPUR: A 19-year-old youth from Sabah has been languishing in prison for six months because his single mother is unable to post the court bail of RM1,000.
For his offence of not carrying his MyKad, Jeff Lee Kwong Yeung faces a fine of between RM3,000 and RM20,000 but his case has been postponed several times since he was first charged in court on Feb 5.
To complicate matters, the MyKad number Jeff gave was found to belong to someone else and his fingerprints are being verified to ascertain his identity ahead of his next court hearing on Aug 24.
Jeff, who is being remanded in Kajang Prison, is but one of the 2,718 male juveniles aged 14-20 who are at the Kajang, Sungai Buloh and Simpang Renggam jails as of May.
Many are there for petty crimes, including peddling illegal software, traffic offences and stealing handphones.
Some are also there for serious crimes such as murder, rape, assault and robbery.
James Nayagam, the executive director of Shelter Homes feels that courts need to be informed that youths with petty offences could be detained in Tunas Bakti boarding schools or other boarding schools and not necessarily in prison.
“Very often, the parents cannot afford to post bail and the detention period depends on how soon the courts can dispose of their case,” said James.
Even when they are released, the juveniles suffer all their lives as there is a social stigma attached to having been in prison, he added.
He also questioned the rationale of placing juveniles who commit minor offences together with those who commit serious ones.
“It is like placing them in a lion’s den,” he said during the recent Sixth National Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect here.
If youths are detained in prison for serious offences, there has to be a timeframe for their cases to be heard, he added.
The period of detention should be no longer than the jail sentence itself, unlike the case of a 16-year-old boy who was detained for six months for selling illegal DVDs when the jail sentence was only three months.
James started working with juveniles in Kajang Prison three years ago and there were 350 juveniles there then. Today, the number has swelled to 650 juveniles.
The youngest prisoner James has come across was an eight-year-old. There are three categories of remanded juveniles – those remanded under the pleasure of the ruler, those convicted for other crimes and those awaiting trial. Adult prisoners, however, are separated from juveniles.
A matter of concern is the fact that some juveniles have been in jail for a long time while waiting to be tried in court.
“Cases have been postponed for six months just because someone didn’t turn up in court. Meanwhile, the youths are being exposed to other criminals,” said James.
Malaysian Bar Council president Ambiga Sreenevasan said it all boiled down to the issue of backlogged cases, and called on affected parents to inform the council so they could push for reform.
.............................................................
Youth detained for not producing MyKad free at last
The Star Online. News. Nation. Tuesday August 7, 2007
KUALA LUMPUR: A 19-year-old youth who had been languishing in Kajang Prison for six months and seven days for failing to produce his MyKad to the police for inspection was freed today.
Jeff Lee Kwong Yong had pleaded guilty in a magistrate's court here on Feb 5 to the offence but the sentencing was set for May 16 pending statement of facts. The case was postponed another five times for various other reasons, including mismatch of his MyKad number, unavailability of a probation report and a fingerprints report on him.
Lee, from Sabah, was finally handed his sentence today, with magistrate Tasnim Abu Bakar imposing a jail term of six months and seven days for the offence under the National Registration Regulations 1990. She ordered his jail term to run from the date of arrest on Jan 31.
The case was originally slotted for Aug 24 but was brought forward after the Bar Council, through its Criminal Law committee chairman Datuk V. Sithambaram, requested for an earlier date.
This followed a front-page report by The Star on Aug 5, highlighting Lee's plight. He was reported to be one of 2,718 male juveniles aged 14-20 who are at the Kajang, Sungai Buloh and Simpang Renggam jails as of May.
Yesterday Sithambaram questioned the many delays saying that it was unfortunate for his client to be detained for such a period for a minor offence.
He said his client lost his wallet together with his MyKad a day before his arrest and had wanted to lodge a police report over the matter before he was arrested.
He said he forgot the exact number of his MyKad adding that the police should have checked his particulars from his former employer.
Sithambaram said the move gave the police force and judiciary a bad name.
Sithambaram said the Bar Council was grateful to the court for bringing the case forward in view of public interest and fair justice.
Lee, who is a former cook, was charged with failing to show his MyKad to policewoman Seri Ariani Mahmud for inspection at Jalan Sultan here at 3pm on Jan 31.
KUALA LUMPUR: A 19-year-old youth from Sabah has been languishing in prison for six months because his single mother is unable to post the court bail of RM1,000.
For his offence of not carrying his MyKad, Jeff Lee Kwong Yeung faces a fine of between RM3,000 and RM20,000 but his case has been postponed several times since he was first charged in court on Feb 5.
To complicate matters, the MyKad number Jeff gave was found to belong to someone else and his fingerprints are being verified to ascertain his identity ahead of his next court hearing on Aug 24.
Jeff, who is being remanded in Kajang Prison, is but one of the 2,718 male juveniles aged 14-20 who are at the Kajang, Sungai Buloh and Simpang Renggam jails as of May.
Many are there for petty crimes, including peddling illegal software, traffic offences and stealing handphones.
Some are also there for serious crimes such as murder, rape, assault and robbery.
James Nayagam, the executive director of Shelter Homes feels that courts need to be informed that youths with petty offences could be detained in Tunas Bakti boarding schools or other boarding schools and not necessarily in prison.
“Very often, the parents cannot afford to post bail and the detention period depends on how soon the courts can dispose of their case,” said James.
Even when they are released, the juveniles suffer all their lives as there is a social stigma attached to having been in prison, he added.
He also questioned the rationale of placing juveniles who commit minor offences together with those who commit serious ones.
“It is like placing them in a lion’s den,” he said during the recent Sixth National Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect here.
If youths are detained in prison for serious offences, there has to be a timeframe for their cases to be heard, he added.
The period of detention should be no longer than the jail sentence itself, unlike the case of a 16-year-old boy who was detained for six months for selling illegal DVDs when the jail sentence was only three months.
James started working with juveniles in Kajang Prison three years ago and there were 350 juveniles there then. Today, the number has swelled to 650 juveniles.
The youngest prisoner James has come across was an eight-year-old. There are three categories of remanded juveniles – those remanded under the pleasure of the ruler, those convicted for other crimes and those awaiting trial. Adult prisoners, however, are separated from juveniles.
A matter of concern is the fact that some juveniles have been in jail for a long time while waiting to be tried in court.
“Cases have been postponed for six months just because someone didn’t turn up in court. Meanwhile, the youths are being exposed to other criminals,” said James.
Malaysian Bar Council president Ambiga Sreenevasan said it all boiled down to the issue of backlogged cases, and called on affected parents to inform the council so they could push for reform.
.............................................................
Youth detained for not producing MyKad free at last
The Star Online. News. Nation. Tuesday August 7, 2007
KUALA LUMPUR: A 19-year-old youth who had been languishing in Kajang Prison for six months and seven days for failing to produce his MyKad to the police for inspection was freed today.
Jeff Lee Kwong Yong had pleaded guilty in a magistrate's court here on Feb 5 to the offence but the sentencing was set for May 16 pending statement of facts. The case was postponed another five times for various other reasons, including mismatch of his MyKad number, unavailability of a probation report and a fingerprints report on him.
Lee, from Sabah, was finally handed his sentence today, with magistrate Tasnim Abu Bakar imposing a jail term of six months and seven days for the offence under the National Registration Regulations 1990. She ordered his jail term to run from the date of arrest on Jan 31.
The case was originally slotted for Aug 24 but was brought forward after the Bar Council, through its Criminal Law committee chairman Datuk V. Sithambaram, requested for an earlier date.
This followed a front-page report by The Star on Aug 5, highlighting Lee's plight. He was reported to be one of 2,718 male juveniles aged 14-20 who are at the Kajang, Sungai Buloh and Simpang Renggam jails as of May.
Yesterday Sithambaram questioned the many delays saying that it was unfortunate for his client to be detained for such a period for a minor offence.
He said his client lost his wallet together with his MyKad a day before his arrest and had wanted to lodge a police report over the matter before he was arrested.
He said he forgot the exact number of his MyKad adding that the police should have checked his particulars from his former employer.
Sithambaram said the move gave the police force and judiciary a bad name.
Sithambaram said the Bar Council was grateful to the court for bringing the case forward in view of public interest and fair justice.
Lee, who is a former cook, was charged with failing to show his MyKad to policewoman Seri Ariani Mahmud for inspection at Jalan Sultan here at 3pm on Jan 31.
Monday, 6 August 2007
2007 08: Mum held after teacher spots bruises on pupil’s back
The Star Online. News. Nation. Saturday August 4, 2007
JOHOR BARU: A teacher who spotted bruises on the back of one of her 11-year-old pupils lodged a report alleging that the boy had been abused.
The boy’s mother, who is in her 30s, has been detained for suspected child abuse.
Johor Baru (North) OCPD Asst Comm Ruslan Hassan said the mother was picked up from her home in Kulai on Thursday.
“We have questioned the boy's mother as there were bruises on the boy's back. We have since released her on bail,” he said.
JOHOR BARU: A teacher who spotted bruises on the back of one of her 11-year-old pupils lodged a report alleging that the boy had been abused.
The boy’s mother, who is in her 30s, has been detained for suspected child abuse.
Johor Baru (North) OCPD Asst Comm Ruslan Hassan said the mother was picked up from her home in Kulai on Thursday.
“We have questioned the boy's mother as there were bruises on the boy's back. We have since released her on bail,” he said.
2007 08: 12yr-old among 6 youths arrested for gang-rape
The Star Online. News. Nation. Saturday August 4, 2007
JOHOR BARU: A 12-year-old school dropout was among six teenagers detained for allegedly abducting and gang-raping a factory worker here.
He and the five other suspects, aged 16 to 19, were picked up in a series of raids soon after the incident occurred at about 11.40pm on Friday.
The 30-year-old victim and a 24-year-old female friend were riding home on a scooter in Taman Nusa Damai, Pasir Gudang Friday night, when a lorry is believed to have overtaken them before forcing their off the road.
The suspects grabbed the victim when she fell off the scooter, bundled her into their lorry and drove off, leaving her friend behind.
The victim was later brought to a secluded area in Pasir Gudang before being gang raped.
The victim’s friend managed to alert the Sri Alam police.
A police task force was immediately set up headed by Sri Alam CID Chief Deputy Supt Mohd Nor Rasid and officers from the state police headquarters.
Combing the surrounding housing estates, they managed to locate the lorry in Taman Nusa Damai and rescued the woman eight hours after her abduction.
However upon seeing the police car, the suspects managed to flee.
Police rushed the victim to the hospital and started their hunt for the suspects, who were picked up in a series of raids around Kota Masai.
State acting police chief Senior Asst Comm I Datuk Mohd Mokhtar Mohd Shariff said the suspects would be remanded on Sunday.
He said they were being investigated under Sections 376 and 365 of the Penal Code for rape and abduction.
They have been sent to the hospital to have their urine and blood tested for drugs and alcohol.
JOHOR BARU: A 12-year-old school dropout was among six teenagers detained for allegedly abducting and gang-raping a factory worker here.
He and the five other suspects, aged 16 to 19, were picked up in a series of raids soon after the incident occurred at about 11.40pm on Friday.
The 30-year-old victim and a 24-year-old female friend were riding home on a scooter in Taman Nusa Damai, Pasir Gudang Friday night, when a lorry is believed to have overtaken them before forcing their off the road.
The suspects grabbed the victim when she fell off the scooter, bundled her into their lorry and drove off, leaving her friend behind.
The victim was later brought to a secluded area in Pasir Gudang before being gang raped.
The victim’s friend managed to alert the Sri Alam police.
A police task force was immediately set up headed by Sri Alam CID Chief Deputy Supt Mohd Nor Rasid and officers from the state police headquarters.
Combing the surrounding housing estates, they managed to locate the lorry in Taman Nusa Damai and rescued the woman eight hours after her abduction.
However upon seeing the police car, the suspects managed to flee.
Police rushed the victim to the hospital and started their hunt for the suspects, who were picked up in a series of raids around Kota Masai.
State acting police chief Senior Asst Comm I Datuk Mohd Mokhtar Mohd Shariff said the suspects would be remanded on Sunday.
He said they were being investigated under Sections 376 and 365 of the Penal Code for rape and abduction.
They have been sent to the hospital to have their urine and blood tested for drugs and alcohol.
2007 08: Sex romps when parents are away
The Star Online. News. Nation. Friday August 3, 2007
FIVE schoolgirls and several boys held no-holds-barred sex romps when their parents were not at home, Harian Metro reported.
The girls, aged 13 to 17, allegedly gave their bodies willingly to the boys, who grouped under the names “Geng Apache,” “Pangkah Shell” and “Budak Shell,” the tabloid said.
The boys favoured these girls from three schools in Putrajaya over others because they are said to be promiscuous and need not be “forced” into having sex.
Sources told the paper that the girls were so daring that they carried out their exploits at either their or the boys' homes after school and when the parents were not at home.
However, their illicit activities were exposed after 25 schoolboys were caught smoking and sniffing glue in two houses at Precincts 9 and 11, Putrajaya.
Several of the boys confessed that they had had sex with the girls over the past few months without any of their families knowing about it.
Sources said no action had so far been taken against either the boys or the girls, because no police report has been made.
FIVE schoolgirls and several boys held no-holds-barred sex romps when their parents were not at home, Harian Metro reported.
The girls, aged 13 to 17, allegedly gave their bodies willingly to the boys, who grouped under the names “Geng Apache,” “Pangkah Shell” and “Budak Shell,” the tabloid said.
The boys favoured these girls from three schools in Putrajaya over others because they are said to be promiscuous and need not be “forced” into having sex.
Sources told the paper that the girls were so daring that they carried out their exploits at either their or the boys' homes after school and when the parents were not at home.
However, their illicit activities were exposed after 25 schoolboys were caught smoking and sniffing glue in two houses at Precincts 9 and 11, Putrajaya.
Several of the boys confessed that they had had sex with the girls over the past few months without any of their families knowing about it.
Sources said no action had so far been taken against either the boys or the girls, because no police report has been made.
2007 08: Tuition teacher nabbed in connection with alleged rape of pupil
The Star Online. News. Nation. Thursday August 2, 2007
KOTA KINABALU: A tuition teacher, with two wives, was arrested in connection with the alleged rape of his 11-year-old pupil at Pulau Gaya off the city here.
Kota Kinabalu deputy police chief Supt Rowell Marong said the 42-year-old suspect was nabbed by the girl’s cousin on the island on Tuesday and handed over to the police who have since detained the teacher for investigations.
The suspect is alleged to have lured the girl to his house for extra class and allegedly raped her in his house in Kg Pondo around 8pm on Friday.
The girl complained to her grandmother about the incident and her elder cousin then took the girl to lodge a police report.
KOTA KINABALU: A tuition teacher, with two wives, was arrested in connection with the alleged rape of his 11-year-old pupil at Pulau Gaya off the city here.
Kota Kinabalu deputy police chief Supt Rowell Marong said the 42-year-old suspect was nabbed by the girl’s cousin on the island on Tuesday and handed over to the police who have since detained the teacher for investigations.
The suspect is alleged to have lured the girl to his house for extra class and allegedly raped her in his house in Kg Pondo around 8pm on Friday.
The girl complained to her grandmother about the incident and her elder cousin then took the girl to lodge a police report.
2007 08: Victim of bullying slashes classmate
The Star online. News. Nation. Wednesday August 1, 2007
SHAH ALAM: A Form Two boy of SMK Section 24/2 here slashed his classmate in the back in an alleged retaliation to constant bullying.
It is understood that the suspect had hidden a folding knife in his school bag and had waited in the classroom until recess at about 10am before attacking the alleged bully. Both are 14.
A classmate, who came to the aid of the victim, was injured near his ear when the suspect turned on him, too.
The victims were sent to the Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital in Klang, where they were given outpatient treatment.
The school's discipline teacher has lodged a police report. Police have recovered the knife that was allegedly used in the attacks.
It is learnt that the first victim suffered a 3cm long cut in his back.
Shah Alam OCPD Asst Comm Noor Azam Jamaludin, said the suspect had been picked up for questioning.
“The boy is underage so we also called the parents to the police station,” he said, adding that the boy was expected to be released soon.
SHAH ALAM: A Form Two boy of SMK Section 24/2 here slashed his classmate in the back in an alleged retaliation to constant bullying.
It is understood that the suspect had hidden a folding knife in his school bag and had waited in the classroom until recess at about 10am before attacking the alleged bully. Both are 14.
A classmate, who came to the aid of the victim, was injured near his ear when the suspect turned on him, too.
The victims were sent to the Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital in Klang, where they were given outpatient treatment.
The school's discipline teacher has lodged a police report. Police have recovered the knife that was allegedly used in the attacks.
It is learnt that the first victim suffered a 3cm long cut in his back.
Shah Alam OCPD Asst Comm Noor Azam Jamaludin, said the suspect had been picked up for questioning.
“The boy is underage so we also called the parents to the police station,” he said, adding that the boy was expected to be released soon.
2007 08: Molest victim still in a trauma
The Star Online. News. Nation. Wednesday August 1, 2007
ALOR STAR: The teacher involved in an alleged molest case last week has been temporarily transferred to a district education office. But the 16-year-old victim is still too traumatised to return to school.
The victim had to undergo medical counselling because she turns hysterical whenever she sees men.
A psychiatrist from the Alor Star Hospital had given her medical leave until tomorrow.
The girl had initially sought treatment at the Jitra Hospital, but her case was referred to Alor Star Hospital because the doctor felt she needed specialist attention.
The victim also dreads returning to school because of taunts by teachers who supported the alleged perpetrator.
“My friends told me the teachers are saying things about me. They also defended the bad person,” she said when met yesterday.
The victim was also too afraid to sleep because the alleged perpetrator kept appearing in her nightmares, she said.
The victim’s sister said they had to take the girl for medical counselling on Sunday.
The doctor also prescribed sleeping pills.
“We are giving her all our support at home. But she fears stepping out of the house. The sight of men makes her scream. She is so traumatised,” said the 22-year-old sister.
The victim lodged a police report last Wednesday, claiming that the teacher had molested her in a small room inside the art room at school.
She claimed that the teacher gave her RM15 after caressing her cheek, breasts and thigh.
Kubang Pasu OCPD Supt Mohd Karim Abu confirmed that a report had been lodged.
ALOR STAR: The teacher involved in an alleged molest case last week has been temporarily transferred to a district education office. But the 16-year-old victim is still too traumatised to return to school.
The victim had to undergo medical counselling because she turns hysterical whenever she sees men.
A psychiatrist from the Alor Star Hospital had given her medical leave until tomorrow.
The girl had initially sought treatment at the Jitra Hospital, but her case was referred to Alor Star Hospital because the doctor felt she needed specialist attention.
The victim also dreads returning to school because of taunts by teachers who supported the alleged perpetrator.
“My friends told me the teachers are saying things about me. They also defended the bad person,” she said when met yesterday.
The victim was also too afraid to sleep because the alleged perpetrator kept appearing in her nightmares, she said.
The victim’s sister said they had to take the girl for medical counselling on Sunday.
The doctor also prescribed sleeping pills.
“We are giving her all our support at home. But she fears stepping out of the house. The sight of men makes her scream. She is so traumatised,” said the 22-year-old sister.
The victim lodged a police report last Wednesday, claiming that the teacher had molested her in a small room inside the art room at school.
She claimed that the teacher gave her RM15 after caressing her cheek, breasts and thigh.
Kubang Pasu OCPD Supt Mohd Karim Abu confirmed that a report had been lodged.
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