Golden chance to buy gold

Golden chance to buy gold

Golden chance to buy gold

Posted: 31 Dec 2013 08:02 AM PST

01 January 2014| last updated at 12:18AM
By ALIZA SHAH | news@nst.com.my

KUALA LUMPUR: JEWELLERS  here  recorded a 30 per cent increase in their sales after the public rushed to buy jewellery because of a drop in gold prices.

  The price of 916 gold  ranges between RM125 and RM130 per gramme while 999.9 gold is around RM127 per gramme.

  Malaysian Indian Goldsmiths and Jewellers Association president Abdul Rasull Abdul Razak said the price of gold was at the lowest  for the past three months.

  "The  fluctuation in the price of gold has been a  windfall to the public, who are scrambling to buy it."

  Rasull, who owns a jewellery store in Lebuh Ampang, said the drop in gold price had  attracted investors to buy.

  He said it was not known how long the price of gold would remain low but people who bought gold at higher prices should not be worried as the price of the metal would eventually increase.  

  "Many new gold mines being discovered around the world are among the reasons for the drop in gold price.

"However, the volume of  gold will someday be depleted if new mines are not found." he said.

  Another jeweller, Senthil Kumar, 33, said he  had more than three customers a day compared with  only one  before the price of gold dropped in October.   He said his customers were  interested in necklaces, bracelets and earrings.

  "The price of 916 gold is sold at only RM130 per gramme compared with RM180 three months ago, a price which people can't resist."

The low price of gold attracts many to buy the precious metal. Pic by Farizul Hafiz Awang

Man held after using M-16 rifle to rob shop

Posted: 31 Dec 2013 08:01 AM PST

01 January 2014| last updated at 12:16AM

State deputy police chief Datuk Mazlan Lazim said the man, 51, approached the shop at 8.15pm in a Proton Wira with two accomplices.

"While one man waited in the car, another fired a shot into the shop. His accomplice threatened a female cashier with a parang and took the money. Then the trio drove off," Mazlan said.

Police combed nearby areas following a report that the trio had been spotted at a restaurant not far from the shop.

"When they spotted a patrol car, they ran but we arrested one of them while the other two escaped on foot."

Mazlan said following checks, police seized the M-16 from the back seat of the car.

He said two of the men wore face masks when they walked towards the shop with two workers inside.

"The single shot hit a refrigerator before the other man went inside and placed the parang on the cashier's shoulders."

Mazlan said it was discovered that the M-16 was bought on credit for RM4,000 in Sungai Golok, Thailand. The trio were believed to have been plotting to rob a goldsmith shop next to the sundry shop but it was closed when they arrived.

"We believe that they were going to use the loot to pay for the M-16."

Sundry shop assistant Rozailan Irwan Mohd Jefriooi, 27, said the man with the rifle opened fire without warning.

"It was frightening as I was only two metres from where the bullet hit the fridge."

Restaurant worker Siham Abdul Aziz said the trio had ordered three plates of fried rice, two omelettes and drinks, which were being prepared when the patrol car arrived.

"Suddenly, all the three men started running before we could deliver their orders."

Police Forensics Unit personnel carrying the M-16 and other items in the car used by the robbers in Tanah Merah yesterday. STR/Pic by Nik Abdullah Nik Omar

Secret checks on stationers

Posted: 31 Dec 2013 08:00 AM PST

01 January 2014| last updated at 12:23AM

Its deputy minister, Datuk Ahmad Bashah Md Hanipah, said the ministry had not received any report of exorbitant price hikes for stationery and school books, including against school cooperatives.

"We have also engaged the Malaysia Competition Commission  to investigate  suppliers caught collectively hiking up   prices.  

"We urge the public to lodge complaints with the ministry if they come across any trader who has increased prices exorbitantly," he said after handing over school aid at SK Mergong here yesterday.

Last Friday, the Federation of Stationers and Booksellers Association of Malaysia announced that prices of stationery items were expected to go up by between 20 and 30 per cent  in the first quarter of next year.

It claimed this was due to increasing costs caused by the  implementation of minimum wages and higher transportation costs.


Related Articles

World scout HQ moves to KL

Posted: 31 Dec 2013 08:00 AM PST

01 January 2014| last updated at 12:19AM

  National scout chief Datuk Seri Paduka Dr Mohd Shafie Mohd Salleh said Kuala Lumpur was chosen from among 216 participant countries to be the new location of WOSM's headquarters.

  "It is an honour for us to be chosen as the new location for the WOSM headquarters.

  "Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who is the Malaysian Scouts president, will make an  announcement soon."

   Shafie said the WOSM committee have appointed consultants to scout for a suitable location for the headquarters.

   He said Malaysia had sent a letter to convey the nation's intent to have the headquarters here.

  He was speaking during the closing ceremony of the Baden Powell evaluation awards at the Malay-sian Scouts Training Centre  recently.

  Shafie, who was  formerly higher education minister, conferred the highest award for scouts, the "Baden Powell Award", on 21 senior scouts, known as Rover Scouts.

Polytechnics lose underdog image

Posted: 31 Dec 2013 08:00 AM PST

01 January 2014| last updated at 12:20AM

   Director-general of Polytechnic Education  Department  Datuk Mohlis Jaafar said there was growing interest in parents to send their children to polytechnics.

   "We  have 32 polytechnics with about 40,000 intake capacity each year. But we receive an average about 160,000 applications every year,"    Mohlis  said yesterday adding polytechnic graduates had high employability rate.

   On an average, he said, 76 per cent of polytechnic students were employed after graduation, with some polytechnic programmes achieving 80 to 90 per cent graduate employability and a few even recorded 100 per cent.

   "Those who do not secure jobs immediately upon graduation will usually be employed within one or two years."

  Polytechnic graduates with skills in hotel catering, he said, were highly in demand and so were those with engineering expertise.

   Earlier, Mohlis congratulated winners of the Seoul International Invention Fair (SIIF) 2013, which saw five polytechnic teams win various awards for their innovative products.

   Mechanical engineering lecturer Zalaida Talib took home the semi- grand prize award for her creation called Agriculture Auger, a machine to dig holes to plant tree saplings.

   She came up with the idea while  planting 1,000 gaharu or agarwood trees as well as tongkat ali five years ago.

  The other winners were Ruslan Abd Jalil from Politeknik Merlimau who won the gold award; Mohd Fathurrahman Kamarudin from Politeknik Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah, Jitra, Kedah (gold); Mohd Zin Hassan from  Politeknik Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah, Selangor (silver) and Noraini Naseran from  Politeknik Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah, Selangor (bronze).

   Mohlis said about 70 inventions from polytechnics had been applied at various stages in the society and efforts were being made to commercialise these products.

   "For instance, a product called the solar grass-cutter has attracted the interest of a company to consider commercialising it. Ongoing modifications are being made to improve the product."

Businessman's assault case against Zahid struck out

Posted: 31 Dec 2013 08:00 AM PST

01 January 2014| last updated at 12:14AM

Judge Vernon Ong made the order in chambers yesterday after lawyers representing both parties met him.

Zahid's lawyer, Datuk Saseedharan Menon, told reporters that the court had upheld an out-of-court settlement between both parties on July 18 after a mediation process despite a request from Amir Bazli's lawyer, Karpal Singh, to reopen the case in a letter dated Oct 10.

The court had then fixed Dec 5 to hear the suit.

"Karpal had alleged that Amir Bazli was not satisfied with the mediation process.

"But on Dec 5, Karpal failed to bring his client to court."

The court later fixed a final adjournment to yesterday but Amir Bazli was again absent.

"Since (the settlement) on July 18, Amir Bazli has not given any statement to the mainstream or alternative media saying that he was not satisfied with the mediation process.

"Until today, he has not been present in court (on Dec 5 and yesterday)," he said, adding that this had led to the striking out of the suit.

Amir Bazli had filed a suit against Ahmad Zahid on July 4, 2007, claiming damages, alleging that Ahmad Zahid had punched him in the face on Jan 16, 2006.

In his statement of claim, he said that as a result of the assault, his nose was broken and his left eye became swollen.

In his defence, Ahmad Zahid denied assaulting and threatening Amir Bazli. He filed a counterclaim against the latter, seeking damages for distress, embarrassment and anxiety suffered by him, and also damages for libel over publication of the alleged incident after Amir Bazli spoke to the media.

On July 18, both parties agreed to settle the matter out of court after a 90-minute mediation process in front of Selangor Mediation Centre chief Judge Rohani Ismail.