LAHAD DATU TRIAL: Commandos could not guard all areas

LAHAD DATU TRIAL: Commandos could not guard all areas

LAHAD DATU TRIAL: Commandos could not guard all areas

Posted: 15 Jan 2014 08:07 AM PST

16 January 2014| last updated at 12:07AM
By AVILA GERALDINE | news@nst.com.my

KOTA KINABALU: THE High Court was told that the establishment of five reconnaissance teams for the purpose of cordoning off Kampung Tanduo where armed intruders were holed up was not successful.

VAT 69 officer Superintendent Mancha Laga, who led one of the teams, said the mission could not be carried out effectively because the vast area was surrounded by oil palm trees, bushes, and the distance between each team.

  Mancha was testifying on the sixth day of hearing against 30 people charged with offences linked to the armed incursion in Kampung Tanduo and the March 2 Simunul attack in Semporna.

  During cross-examination by counsel Rowiena Rashid, who represented Pabblo Alie and Mancha agreed the setting up of the teams was to ensure that areas  surrounding Kampung Tanduo were guarded to prevent armed intruders from escaping.

"However, the teams cannot guard the area shoulder to shoulder due to geographical factors," he said, agreeing with Rowiena that it was impossible to fully guard the village.

  When re-examined by deputy public prosecutor Abdul Wahab Mohamed, Mancha said there was a possibility that the armed intruders  escaped to other areas after the gunfight ended on March 1 which killed two VAT 69 personnel and 12 gunmen.

  Abdul Wahab: You had said "yes, they ran toward Tanduo". Was it just Tanduo?

  Mancha: Yes, but they ran in a scattered manner and I believe the intruders ran to other places apart from Tanduo.

  Abdul Wahab: Am I right to say that the direction where the intruders ran was still within Sectors A,B,C,D and E?

  Mancha: I believe the armed intruders ran to Sectors C and D.

  He said that because of the  terrain and swampy area, it was difficult for the team to track the gunmen.

   When asked by Abdul Wahab why  he did not inspect houses at Kampung Tanduo after the skirmish, he said there was no instruction to do so, adding that the situation was unsafe as there were  gunmen within the skirmish area.

4-day remand for pretender sultan

Posted: 15 Jan 2014 08:01 AM PST

16 January 2014| last updated at 12:09AM

The order to detain the 56-year-old businessman till Jan 18 beginning yesterday, was issued by magistrate's court assistant registrar, V. Kanasan, at the Ayer Keroh Court complex at 9.45am.

Kanasan said he ordered the remand due to the nature of the alleged offence and its sentencing.

"After hearing the explanation from both sides of the party, we've decided that since the offence is not punishable for more than 14 years imprisonment, the remand period is sufficient. Police can appeal for an extension of three more days."

A team of plainclothes policemen, headed by investigating officer Kumares Raja Ratnam, brought Noor Jan to the court complex at 9.30am yesterday.

He was in the same red and black checkered shirt and khaki pants and a black hat he wore when police arrested him at 10.50am on Tuesday at the Anjung Batu Jetty in Umbai, Jasin, as he was about to board a boat for an "investiture" with his followers in Pulau Besar.

Present in court were state Criminal Investigation Department chief Assistant Commissioner Raja Shahrom Raja Abdullah and his deputy, Superintendent P. R. Gunarajan.

Noor Jan, represented by counsel who only wanted to be known as Hanif, was brought out of the court at 10.05am after the remand was granted. He was then in the orange police lock-up uniform.

Noor Jan, of Kampung Teluk Perang in Parit, Perak, had last month claimed to be the rightful sultan of Malacca, saying his claims was endorsed by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Nov 25. ICJ has denied the claim.

On Jan 8, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Idris Haron said the state government had dismissed Noor Jan's claims after the latter wrote to him to discuss the matter.

Noor Jan Tuah, who claims to be the sultan of Malacca, being escorted out of the Ayer Keroh Court complex yesterday. Pic by Rasul Azli Samad

Heavy rain belts 3 states

Posted: 15 Jan 2014 08:01 AM PST

KOTA KINABALU: HEAVY rain wreaked havoc in Sabah's west coast yesterday, bringing landslides and flash floods at various areas and rendering roads impassable.

The relocation of thousands of people were affected following continuous downpour until yesterday morning.

Landslides were recorded at KM6.1 of Jalan Tamparuli-Kiulu, KM32 of Jalan Penampang-Tambunan and four separate stretches at the hilly Jalan Kokol area in Menggatal.

State Public Works Department director Datuk John Anthony said all roads except Jalan Kokol were expected to be passable by yesterday evening.

Road widening was done at Jalan Tamparuli-Kiulu which saw 40,000 people from 60 villages affected due to roads being cut off.

In Tamparuli, around 50 pupils from Sekolah Kebangsaan Bawang escaped harm when one of the school's three wooden blocks slipped due to a mudslide. A school guard heard a rumbling noise from the nearby hill and alerted teachers and pupils to evacuate the building, just minutes before the mudslide hit.

The school will be closed temporarily as the district Fire and Rescue Department has deemed the soil at the nearby hill as unstable which may cause new landslides.

In Kota Belud, more than 5,000 people from 16 villages were affected, adding on to the 150 people from eight villages who have already been relocated to the temporary relief centre at Dewan Tun Said.

The affected areas included Kg Pangkalan Abai, Kg Dongoi, Kg Pirasan, Kg Lebak Moyoh and Kg Tempasuk 1. In Kinabatangan, roads to Kampung Litang and Tidung were also cut off due to floods. More than 3,000 students were affected when their schools in Kota Kinabalu, Kota Belud, Tuaran and Sipitang were closed down temporarily due to floods.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman assured that all district offices had been alerted to monitor the flood-prone areas and those with landslide.

Meanwhile in Pahang, a second wave of floods hit Pekan yesterday, forcing 120 pupils from Sekolah Kebangsaan Temai to skip classes and instead rescue school equipment. The water rose to 0.5 meters after the nearby Sungai Pahang overflowed its banks, inundating three classrooms, a hall and the school canteen.

Teachers and pupils were seen moving the furniture, including replacement chairs and tables which they had only received earlier this month, to the upper floors.

The 1Malaysia Development Berhad Foundation brought cheer to some 900 pupils at Sekolah Kebangsaan Permatang Badak in Kuantan yesterday when they distributed school uniforms, shoes and stationery supplies.

The foundation's programme head Erant Fatiehah Othman said the assistance was part of the relief effort to help the pupils and their parents who were still recovering from the aftermath of the recent floods, which resulted extensive losses and damages.

In Kelantan, 10 schools remained closed yesterday following the second wave of flood, forcing 4,840 students to skip their classes.

State education director Hussain Awang said eight of the schools were located in Pasir Mas while another two in Tumpat.

He said the schools included SK Bendang Pak Yong, SK Bakong, SK Sri Rantau Panjang 1, SK Gelang Mas, SMK Rantau Panjang and SABK Al-Falah Siram.

772 flood victims were still at the relief centres in Pasir Mas as at 5pm yesterday compared with 2,145 on Tuesday.

A state National Security Council operations centre spokesman said less rain has caused flood situation in the state to slightly improved since Monday.

The spokesman said only Sungai Golok was measured above the danger level at 5pm yesterday while the rest were recorded below alert mark. Additional reporting by Sharifah Mahsinah Abdullah

One of the highway users was left walking down the road as a landslide occurred at Km32 Jalan Penampang-Tambunan in Menggatal, Sabah. Pic by Mohd Adam Arinin

'40-year-old defence pact still relevant'

Posted: 15 Jan 2014 08:01 AM PST

16 January 2014| last updated at 12:12AM

In fact, United Kingdom First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Sir George Zambellas expressed hope that more could be done in future among member countries -- the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia and Singapore.

He said the FPDA, which is about mutual confidence and support, is still relevant.

"The FPDA, through professionalism and cooperation, had enabled the region to receive the very best security support.

"The arrangement is helpful and I think it should be continued."

Zambellas said this during his inaugural visit to the Lumut naval base here yesterday.

He was asked if the FPDA was still relevant after having been around for the past four decades.

Under the FPDA, the five-member nations undertake to consult immediately in the event of a threat of an armed attack on Malaysia or Singapore "for the purpose of deciding what measures should be taken jointly or separately".

To another question if it was possible for the UK to assist Malaysia in the event it faced difficult tasks in terms of security in the future as it did in the past, Zambellas said: "Every modern challenge is dealt with in a modern way and today's techniques are very much about deescalating, about de-risking and cooperation.

"Intervention is always an unattractive solution.

"Therefore, mutual support in pursuant of common security is the way we do business."

He said both the UK and Malaysia have a long historic connection and strategic partnership that both countries could be proud of.

"Seeing Malaysia as a strong independent nation is a wonderful manifestation of your journey in the world's development."

On another development, Zambellas said the HMS Daring which provided humanitarian support to the people of the Philippines following the recent typhoon was to visit Malaysia soon.

United Kingdom First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Sir George Zambellas (left) inspecting the guard of honour at the Lumut naval base in Perak yesterday. Pic by L. Manimaran

Royalty distributes goodies

Posted: 15 Jan 2014 08:01 AM PST

16 January 2014| last updated at 12:06AM

Yesterday, Tuanku Muhriz's consort Tuanku Aishah Rohani Mahmud, presented gifts and goodies to single mothers and the disabled registered with the Social Welfare Department at the Semarak Kasih programme.

Recipient Hafizah Talib, 50, a single mother who is taking care of her 11 children, said she had been getting financial aid from JKM.

"I am glad to have received the aid to support my kids though two of them had just started work but this is not enough as I have nine others who need to be fed."

It was a similar story for Che Yah Samsudin, 78, who is taking care of her paralysed 79-year-old husband.

"My husband is wheelchair bound, so taking care of him is extremely difficult as I am old as well," she said, adding that her seven children worked odd jobs and they also had to support their own families.

Che Yah, who is from Kampung Bukit Senaling, said she would use the monthly aid she received from JKM to buy medicine for her ailing hubby. Models from Kraft Collection Boutique paraded the latest in fashion and jewellery,

They were also entertained to a variety of Malay traditional performances by the Yayasan Negri Sembilan dancers.The state's famed traditional games such as konda-kondi and batu Seremban added gaiety to the festival.

Tunku Ampuan Besar Negeri Sembilan, Tengku Aishah Rohani Tengku Besar Mahmud distributing gifts to JKM aid recipients at Seri Menanti. Pic by Hazreen Mohamad


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'Azmin was not ousted'

Posted: 15 Jan 2014 08:01 AM PST

16 January 2014| last updated at 12:10AM
By EUNICE AU | euniceau@nst.com.my

SHAH ALAM: THE decision to discontinue the service of Azmin Ali as a Selangor State Development Corporation (PKNS) board member was made by its outgoing general manager, Datuk Othman Omar, who is serving the board on a month-to-month basis, and not by the state government, said  Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim.

In denying reports that he had dropped Azmin, who is also Bukit Antarabangsa member of parliament and PKR vice-president, on Jan 10 because of personal conflict, Khalid said it was neither the party's nor the state executive council's decision.

He said the exco had accepted the decision based on a letter sent by Othman to Azmin.

"If you read the exco minutes (on Dec 4), no one was ousted. A letter was given by PKNS general manager (Othman) to Azmin, and he (Azmin) accepted it. So, the exco has to accept the decision," he said after chairing the weekly exco meeting here yesterday.

Khalid said the state government would produce the minutes and letter in two weeks.

Othman had denied the reports that Azmin had been sacked from his post, saying Azmin's service had not been extended for a new term. He was quoted as saying that the state government had let go of Azmin to allow new faces to take on the responsibility of PKNS board members.

Othman had confirmed that PKNS sent the letter to Azmin last Friday.

On Othman's contract as PKNS general manager, Khalid dismissed claims that it was not renewed because of personal reasons. He said Othman's contract had been renewed on a month-to-month basis. The state exco decided that it was not in the best interests of PKNS to have a general manager whose contract was on a month-to-month basis.

Khalid also said the exco decided that it was "in the best interests of the state to pick someone with better temperament to manage and organise a government corporation".

Othman said he would issue a statement tomorrow.

On the issue of Selayang GiatMara centre, Khalid said the management had, in fact, been given a year to improve its building and facilities for trainees. He said the centre, which was built on state land illegally, was not managed well.

"The state government will monitor the the building. If it is not up to our expectations, the management will have to relocate and vacate the premises."

The management had been given until Dec 10 to comply, failing which the state government would take over and repair the building, he said.

On the free 20 cubic metres of water enjoyed by consumers in the state, Khalid said the scheme would be continued even after the takeover of four water concessionaires by the federal and state governments.

He reiterated that the state government's stand on the ban on use of the word "Allah" among non-Muslims was in line with the Selangor Non-Islamic Religions (Control of Propagation amongst Muslims) Enactment 1988.

On whether the act would be amended, he said the matter would be examined.

"At this stage, as the administrator, we will abide by it."

Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim at a press conference after chairing the weekly state executive council meeting in Shah Alam yesterday. Pic by Asyraf Bokhar