Fortune favours widow after 23 years of saving

Fortune favours widow after 23 years of saving

Fortune favours widow after 23 years of saving

Posted: 29 Dec 2013 08:02 AM PST

SEREMBAN:  IF  she had stuck to her decision to withdraw her RM20,000 savings of 23 years,  luck would not have  favoured Rokeah Mohd Sidek. 

Now, the 77-year-old from here has become an instant millionaire.

"I just could not believe my ears on hearing my name on the television last night (Saturday). I could not sleep a wink.

"I was shocked and cried, not for joy, but because the amount is too big for an elderly person like me and I now fear for my security," she said at her home here.

Rokeah was announced the winner of RM1 million in Bank Simpanan Nasional's (BSN) Premium Savings Certificate (SSP) draw held in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday.

The mother of four said she was watching the news on television with one of her sons when her name was announced.

"We exchanged glances and just sat there for a moment before I burst into tears. Minutes later ,we received calls from relatives and friends about the news.

"However, we could not verify it as there were no calls from BSN until noon today (yesterday)."

Rokeah, whose husband died of heart attack 31 years ago, had told one of her sons of her intention to withdraw her SSP savings last week.

"However, my son advised me against it, saying that the savings would benefit me in the long run."

Rokeah said last year, she received BSN's SSP monthly lucky draw of RM100 after 22 years of saving.

"However, I felt that the amount was too little after so many years of saving up. I wanted to invest the money in other funds in the hope of higher dividends.

"If not for my son's advice then, I would have withdrawn all the money and lost out on this bonanza."

Rokeah, who could not contain her tears during the interview, said she had been using her late husband's pension to save up for SSP every month.

She saved about RM400 every month in her SSP account.

"I did not know the privilege of saving with SSP until a BSN officer elaborated it to me, saying that I might receive a windfall one day if I was patient enough.

"I never thought that today was the day."

Rokeah said she would use some of the money to perform her haj pilgrimage for the second time and would hold a doa selamat ceremony.

"I still don't have plans on what to do with the rest of the money for the time being."

She also encouraged the people to inculcate the habit of saving up for a better future.

"Even though I have been a single mother for years and have been depending on my late husband's pension, I would find ways to save every month."

BSN Islamic Banking Department senior vice-president Mohd Sofi Mat Jahaya said Rokeah was the first person to receive BSN's SSP annual lucky draw of RM1 million since it started in 1978.

Previously, he said, the annual grand prizes comprised luxury cars. He said the RM1 million would be deposited into Rokeah's SSP account within a week.

"BSN will hold another monthly draw in Kuantan next month, where we will announce the prizes for the 2014 draws."

Rokeah Mohd Sidek, who could not contain her tears during the interview, has decided to use some of the money she won in BSN's Premium Savings Certificate draw to perform the haj and hold a 'doa selamat' ceremony. Pic by Hazreen Mohamad

Singaporean drowns in lake

Posted: 29 Dec 2013 08:01 AM PST

30 December 2013| last updated at 11:43PM
By ROHAIDA OMAR | news@nstp.com.my

KUALA KRAI: AN outdoor study trip for 23 students from the National University of Singapore turned into a tragedy when one of them drowned in a lake, hours after setting up their tents at Gunung Stong in Dabong,   Kelantan, on Saturday.

Panic struck the campers when Lee Jun Jie, 23, disappeared from the camping site at 7pm after arriving by train here about three hours earlier from Singapore.

Jeli Fire and Rescue Services station chief officer Soleh Nasir said a local tour guide made an emergency call to the station to report the incident at 7.17pm.

He said a search and rescue operation, involving nine fire-men from Jeli station, was immediately mounted. However, their efforts were hampered by the darkness when they arrived at the scene.

He said firemen from the scuba unit continued search operations in the morning before discovering the body in the lake at 9.50am yesterday.

"Rescuers immediately took his body to the district hospital for a post-mortem."

Lee, from Thoh Yi Drive in Singapore, was believed to be taking in the sights and doing some work outside the campsite before slipping into the lake at the base of the mountain, as the ground in the area was slippery.

A district police spokesman said the Singaporean students were believed to have arrived at Dabong railway station about 4pm on Saturday.

Efforts by newsmen to get more details of the incident from his friends and family members, who gathered at the hospital mortuary, proved futile, as they refused to speak.

When contacted, district police chief Superintendent Abdul Rahim Che Ghani confirmed that the student's death was caused by drowning, but declined to elaborate further.

Rescue workers carrying the body of Singaporean Lee Jun Jie down Gunung Stong in Kuala Krai yesterday. Pic courtesy of the Civil Defence Department

RTD to deploy volunteers to nab road offenders

Posted: 29 Dec 2013 08:01 AM PST

30 December 2013| last updated at 11:45PM
By LOGHUN KUMARAN | news@nst.com.my

IPOH: THE Road Transport Department (RTD) will place volunteer squads at 157 spots along highways and federal roads to keep an eye on motorists who break traffic regulations from next year.

RTD director-general Datuk Seri Ismail Ahmad said the department would mobilise 1RTD Youth Squads in addition to its personnel to monitor traffic movements as well as offenders.

He said initially, the squads would be mobilised during the Op Selamat campaign for Chinese New Year between Jan 24 and Feb 9.

They will be placed every 30km along major federal and state roads nationwide, including highway rest and recreation areas.

The volunteer squads would allow RTD to have more eyes on the road, he said, adding it would give the agency's road safety campaigns more bite.

"The 1RTD Youth Squads will be looking out for motorists who commit offences along important routes, such as overtaking dangerously and running through red lights.

"They will snap pictures and record the registration plate number of those committing the offence before reporting to the RTD control post so that appropriate action would be taken.

"We hope that the public will be wary of the extra eyes and ears on the roads. I believe the presence of the squads will dissuade motorists from breaking the law," he said at the launch of the 1RTD Youth Squad for Perak here yesterday.

Ismail said the initiative would be a permanent addition to the RTD's road safety campaigns, adding that the department was targeting 300,000 volunteers by the end of next year. So far, over 21,000 volunteers had signed up.

Ismail said the initiative would also raise public awareness on road safety.

He said the squads would be able to increase road safety perception from the current 30 per cent to 75 per cent.

"Previously, the RTD worked alone in enforcing road safety but we hope that we can increase the effectiveness of our safety campaigns by working together with the public."

Asked if the 157 spots identified by RTD were accident-prone, Ismail said they were identified for enforcement of road safety campaigns.

The Road Transport Department will mobilise 1RTD Youth Squads in addition to its personnel during the Op Selamat campaign for Chinese New Year between Jan 24 and Feb 9.

PM: Check eligibility for claims

Posted: 29 Dec 2013 08:01 AM PST

30 December 2013| last updated at 11:52PM
By ADIB POVERA | news@nst.com.my

KUALA LUMPUR: PRIME Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak yesterday urged civil servants   affected by the  floods to check with the Finance Ministry if they were   eligible for  insurance claims   for damages and losses involving their properties.

"Civil servants who were flood victims can contact the ministry for more information on the insurance claims," said Najib, who is also finance minister, on Twitter.

In a statement to Bernama on Thursday, the ministry asked civil servants, who have housing loan accounts with the Treasury Department, to submit claims if they were flood victims in Pahang, Terengganu and Johor.

The ministry said the insurance policy covered damages to building structures, such as walls, floors, roofs and ceilings, as well as burst water tanks, adding that other costs covered under the policy included injuries inflicted upon the claimers from accidents in their houses and losses due to burglary during the floods.

The ministry said flood victims forced to rent houses or stay in hotels while their houses were being repaired were entitled to reimbursements of certain amounts from the expenses incurred under the insurance coverage.

Early this month, Pahang, Terengganu, Kelantan and Johor were inundated by floods, following heavy rain and the overflowing of rivers in several areas, forcing thousands of residents to be relocated and incurring property losses.

The floods, said to have hit Kuantan in Pahang and Kemaman in Terengganu the worst, forced more than 60,000 people to seek shelter at 140 flood evacuation centres.

Pahang was the worst-affected state, with close to 40,000 people relocated to temporary relief shelters, followed by Terengganu, with about 20,000 victims evacuated.

The floods also caused several areas to be cut off from electricity for several days.

Meanwhile, on his Facebook page yesterday, Najib wrote that the new year would be more meaningful with the Visit Malaysia Year 2014 (VMY 2014) campaign.

"The new year is just around the corner and it will be more meaningful with the Visit Malaysia Year celebration.

"I learned that preparations for the campaign are ongoing at 37 entry points to welcome tourists.

"Together, let us open our doors and welcome tourists with a smile and selamat datang greetings."

Najib also shared several pictures of promotional activities by Tourism Malaysia for VMY 2014 on the Facebook page.

It was reported that VMY 2014 will see an influx of 28 million visitors, who will generate RM76 billion in income for the country.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and Pahang Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob (left), accompanied by Fire and Rescue Department personnel, inspecting Kampung Lamir in Pekan, Pahang, earlier this month. Pic by Muhd Asyraf Sawal

Floods likely to hit Sabah

Posted: 29 Dec 2013 08:01 AM PST

30 December 2013| last updated at 11:39PM
By AVILA GERALDINE | news@nst.com.my

KOTA KINABALU:  FLOODS are expected to hit Sabah as the Meteorological Department has predicted  heavy rains and thunderstorms  the first few days into the new year.

The department said isolated thunderstorms and rains were likely to hit Sandakan, Kudat, the west coast and the interior of the state until Saturday.

Sea condition is expected to be rough, with wave heights of 3.5m to 4.5m and wind speed of between 50km/h and 60km/h, especially in the waters off Kota Kinabalu-Mengalum, Kudat-Mengayau and Labuan.

As the people of Sabah prepare to usher in the New Year, the Fire and Rescue Department is geared up to respond to emergencies.

State Operations and Rescue Unit assistant director Mohd Zahar Abdullah said there were 850 fire and rescue personnel from 21 stations throughout the state.

He said all personnel were on standby and their annual leave had been frozen.

"We have made sure all equipment, including boats, are fit to be used in our rescue operations."

Zahar advised the public to take precaution by switching off their homes' main power panel to avoid any untoward incident in the event of floods.

He advised fishermen from going out to sea.

Meanwhile, Bernama reported that continuous rain had caused floods in Miri, Bintulu, Betong and Sri Aman in Sarawak, with some areas inundated between 0.5m and 1m in floodwaters.

A spokesman at the state Flood Disaster Operations room said two families in the interior of Miri were evacuated to a relief centre in Marudi.

In Bintulu, seven residential areas were inundated in 0.5m-deep waters.

In Sri Aman, the areas affected were the Lancaster King Longhouse, Bujau Longhouse, Rumah Ujang, Kampung Sekait and Kampung Melayu Baru.

In Betong, only Kampung Lalang was affected.

Marudi town in Sabah is inundated Water level rising in Marudi town, Sabah, after a downpour yesterday.

PKR man hauled up over email

Posted: 29 Dec 2013 08:01 AM PST

30 December 2013| last updated at 11:48PM
By KALBANA PERIMBANAYAGAM | news@nst.com.my

KUALA LUMPUR: POLICE yesterday hauled up PKR strategic director Rafizi Ramli over an email that mentioned possible bomb blasts in five locations here during the illegal rally planned for New Year's Eve.

Federal Criminal Investigation Department director Datuk Hadi Ho Abdullah said Rafizi was interrogated at the Dang Wangi police station at 11.35am.

The Pandan member of parliament had agreed to cooperate with police in their investigations of the email allegedly sent by an individual.

"Rafizi was accompanied by two lawyers. He was cooperative although he had exercised his right not to answer some of the questions."

Rafizi was accompanied by lawyer and Padang Serai MP N. Surendran and lawyer Latheefa Koya. They came out of the police station two hours later to meet the press.

"Having Rafizi's statement recorded is part of our investigations. We are far from making any conclusion as there are other aspects to be looked into," Hadi said, adding that police viewed the email as a serious matter.

He said police had received 1,151 reports against the proposed rally so far.

The email urged Rafizi to inform party members to avoid five key locations here on New Year's Eve as minor explosions were expected in these areas.

The areas mentioned were the traffic junctions at Sogo and Puduraya, the roundabout near Masjid Negara, Masjid Jamek LRT station and Bank Negara KTM area.

The email also mentioned that a "social media team" would record the explosions and upload them on YouTube.

Hadi said police were trying to find out the origin of the email.

He, however, questioned why Rafizi was pointing fingers at pro-Umno bloggers for circulating the email if he did not know its origin.

Rafizi said he was shocked when police called him up to have his statement recorded.

While denying he was one of the rally's organisers, he urged police to take action against social media users and pro-Umno bloggers for spreading rumours.

Surendran said it was the people's right to hold or participate in peaceful assemblies.

He said stopping the gathering was tantamount to breaking the law.

On Friday, the police listed four non-governmental organisations -- Kumpulan Gerakan Turun Kos Sara Hidup (Turun), Solidariti Mahasiswa Malaysia (SMM), Jingga 13 and Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia -- as allegedly planning to "cause trouble" during New Year's Eve celebrations.

PKR arti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) strategic director Rafizi Ramli talking to the press outside the Dang Wangi police station yesterday.