Three perished in warehouse inferno in Kg Mulaut

Three perished in warehouse inferno in Kg Mulaut
Remand of trio over shooting spree extended
Ministry to help rape victim, family of rapist – Jainab
14 illegals from Indonesia detained
Fans pay respects to Hoffman at New York apartment
Immigration, Wisma Putra tackling issue of Myanmar illegals rejected by their own country

Posted: 04 Feb 2014 04:32 PM PST

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN: Three people, two of them were reportedly locals, women, and one is a Malaysian, were killed in a raging blaze that ravaged a furniture warehouse Kg Mulaut near Kg Pasai 2, ©BRUDIRECT.COM reported.

There were around ten staff at the store when the fire broke out, and following evacuation of the building the workers noticed that three of their colleagues were missing.

Nearby, expat workers at a laundry and tailor shop were seen hurriedly removing their belongings as the fire began to rapidly spread from the furniture store.

A commotion was rife at the scene as the search for missing trio was made by fellow coworkers who also tried to reach them by phone, but to no avail.

A huge fireball could be seen and explosions were so loud that some people in Jangsak could hear the successive blasts. Six fire engines manned by twenty four personnel were dispatched to the scene as the police cordoned off the road during peak hour to ease the entry and exit emergency services.

Family members of the victims waited anxiously as the closest ones were brought into the incinerated warehouse to identify the remains of their beloved ones. Paramedics at the scene had to attend to some of the family members who were overwhelmed with sorrowful emotion.

The police added that DNA tests were being carried out to identify the victims. The nearby laundry and tailor shop were also burnt to the ground.

At least three other foreign workers survived the blaze and they sustained thermal injuries to their legs, face and arms. They were rushed by paramedics to hospital for immediate medical treatment.

According to family members at the scene, one of the victims started working at the warehouse for two weeks and joined his friend, who was also one of the three who perished in the incident. The third victim was believed to be a foreign national.

A Filipino employee by the name Fernando, who has been working at the store for two years, said they were resting after lunch when all of a sudden a fire broke out. Cars parked around the area were also caught fire and subsequently damaged as a result.

Yusof Daud, who lives next to the warehouse, said strong winds blowing into the direction of his residence caused the fire to spread to his kitchen and garage, burning his vehicles.

Md Hussein, who owned one of the tailoring shops, said that he lost nearly BND$30,000 worth of textiles and two sewing machines while Aqueel Ahmad, owner of a laundry nearby, tailoring and shoe repair shop, stated he may have lost tens of thousands worth of assets in the fire.

The Fire and Rescue Department said they received the distress call at 12.49pm and fire engines from Pangkalan Batu, Jerudong and Bandar Seri Begawan were dispatched to the scene.

The operation was led by Assistant Superintendant Hj Nordin Hj Buntan and they managed to extinguish the blaze in thirty three minutes. The cause of the blaze and the actual amount of losses are still under investigation.

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Remand of trio over shooting spree extended

Posted: 04 Feb 2014 04:20 PM PST

by Suraini Andokong. Posted on February 5, 2014, Wednesday

KOTA KINABALU: The Magistrate's Court here extended for two days an order to remand three local men, aged between 25 and 36, who police believe were involved in the drive-by shooting spree around the state capital recently.

Magistrate Herlina Muse granted the application to extend the remand period of the mechanic, tow truck driver and workshop owner, made by prosecuting officer Inspector Azaman Hamat.

The remand order was issued in chambers under Section 117 of the Criminal Procedure Code to facilitate police investigation into their alleged involvement in the shooting incident.

The case is being investigated under Section 32 of the Arms Act 1960 on offence for use and possession of arms and imitation arms in certain cases.

According to their counsel, P.J Perira, the suspects have just been released on police bail on February 4 from a six days remand at the Penampang police station.

However, the police had filed an application to extend the remand for another two days at the Karamunsing police station, he added.

In the incident on January 10 this year, a group of individuals believed to be teenagers caused unnecessary public alarm when they went around shooting at 46 premises in the state capital with what the police believed were air guns loaded with marbles.

The group was said to have moved around in three vehicles shooting at premises along their way with the air guns in the city centre, Inanam, Luyang and Penampang between 11.45pm on January 10 until 6am on January 11.

The premises affected were banks, hotels, beauty salons, restaurants, offices, a petrol station, car showrooms and shopping malls with losses estimated in the hundreds and thousands of ringgit.

No known casualty was however reported in the incident, which reportedly brought about some degree of panic and apprehension in the social media networks, i.e. Facebook and WhatsApp.

On January 29, this year, police arrested five individuals who they believe would be ableto assist them in the investigation of these cases.

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Ministry to help rape victim, family of rapist – Jainab

Posted: 04 Feb 2014 04:01 PM PST

by Jenne LajiunJenne Lajiun. Posted on February 5, 2014, Wednesday

KOTA KINABALU: The Community Development and Consumer Affairs ministry will render its support to the rape victim in the case involving restaurant manager, Riduan Masmud.

"I will issue instruction for counselling to be conducted for the victim and her family. If she wants to continue going to school, we will support her," said the minister, Datuk Jainab Ahmad Ayid, to The Borneo Post yesterday.

She said her ministry will also extend its support to the victim's family as they were poor.

"Perhaps we can help them with 1Azam to improve their standard of living," she said.

Additionally, Jainab said, her ministry will also extend its assistance to the family of the convicted rapist.

"We will help them because they are also victims…we will provide them with counselling and we don't want the public to view them negatively. We don't want his children and family to go through needless trauma due to the circumstances," she said.

Aside from that, her ministry will also see what it can do to help the rapist's family economically as it is understood that the rapist was the main breadwinner of his family, she said.

As for the sentence meted out to Riduan, Jainab congratulated those who were involved in addressing the issue.

"The court has dealt with the rapist…this was a complicated case but the law is very clear in its stand when it deals with the rape of an underage person," she said.

At this juncture, Jainab also issued a reminder to parents to monitor their children's use of the internet, and in particular, social network websites. She reminded that children could be easily manipulated and abused by people on the internet as they were naive.

She also called on children to not be overly trusting of people they meet online and to limit their use of the technology.

Two days ago, the Sessions Court ordered Riduan to be jailed for 12 years and to receive two lashes of the cane for raping an underage girl, whom he later married.

The girl, who was 12 years and six months old, was raped inside a car by the roadside near the Kionsom Waterfall in Inanam at about 10am on February 17, last year.

The offence was classified as statutory rape as the victim was under 16 years old under Section 376(1) of the Penal Code and is punishable with a jail term of up to 20 years and also liable to whipping upon conviction.

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14 illegals from Indonesia detained

Posted: 04 Feb 2014 03:59 PM PST

TAWAU: The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) detained fourteen Indonesians trying to sneak into Tawau yesterday from Sungai Melayu.

District enforcement chief Anor Hj Jaafar said an MMEA boat was patrolling Tawau waters at about 10:30am when it came across a speedboat from Sungai Melayu, Sebatik Island, that was heading for Tawau town.

He said all fourteen passengers comprising seven men and four women aged between 20 to 40-years-old, two boys aged 4 and 3-years-old and a 2-year-old girl were Indonesians, including the skipper who was also detained.

He said all the detainees will be investigated under the Immigration Act 1959/63 for failure to produce valid identification documents.

He said public awareness on the offense of bringing illegal immigrants in is still lacking, causing such cases to occur in Sabah waters especially Tawau.

Anor said Tawau's geographic location which is near to Indonesia also caused the incident to be rampant following many routes for them to enter the country's border.

He urged the public to help curb the activity by channeling information to the MMEA hotline at 089-752 115/089-750 116.

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Fans pay respects to Hoffman at New York apartment

Posted: 04 Feb 2014 03:28 PM PST

Subdued fans laid roses, photographs and beer outside the apartment of Oscar-winning American actor Philip Seymour Hoffman on Tuesday two days after his death from a suspected overdose.

The results of an autopsy on the 46-year-old star are expected to be made public as early as Tuesday, but tests have already concluded that Hoffman was in possession of heroin when he died.

The sudden death of the 46-year-old father of three young children, hailed by many as the finest character actor of his generation, has shocked Hollywood and devastated his family.

In a career spanning more than 20 years and 50 films, Hoffman mesmerized filmgoers with his portrayal of some of the most repellent and yet electrifying characters of the silver screen.

"Your 'Death of a Salesman' was the most magical night I've had at the theater. Rest in peace," said an anonymous, handwritten note laid with a white rose on the step of his New York building.

Hoffman was nominated for his third Tony Award for his portrayal of Willy Loman, the main character in American playwright Arthur Miller's work which he performed on Broadway in 2012.

Police said he was found on the bathroom floor, a syringe in his arm, wearing shorts and a T-shirt, in the apartment he rented at 53 Bethune Street in the West Village.

According to US media, at least 50 envelopes of heroin littered the $10,000 a month rental.

A solitary policewoman stood guard outside the address on Tuesday as a trickle of fans continued to bring bouquets, candles, photos and even a toy snowman.

Forest Young, a 38-year-old designer and amateur actor, left a bunch of flowers and stood in silence for a long time without speaking.

"I came to pay respect. I hope he will be remembered for his work and also the commitment he gave to the craft, his movies and the way he touched people," he told AFP.

"You cannot ask more than that from an artist. I'm really sad but hopefully it will be give some kind of inspiration to me."

Young says he was aware that Hoffman struggled with addiction.

"I think all the great artists explore the edges of human condition. They do so because they can," he said.

Hoffman had admitted in May to falling off the wagon more than a year previously, after two decades of sobriety, starting with prescription pills and escalating to snorting heroin.

Anna Zekan, a 22-year-old dance student, stopped to take photographs and said she could not believe he was gone.

An admirer of his many films, she said "Capote" — for which he won an Oscar in March 2006 — was her favorite.

"He was very public about his struggle but you never expect anything to happen to someone who is so succesful and is working so well," she said.

In the West Village, one of the most expensive neighborhoods in Manhattan, Hoffman kept a low profile and was respected as a doting father to his three young children.

His partner, designer Mimi O'Donnell, who reportedly kicked him out around Christmas because of his drug addiction, lives with their children nearby on Jane Street.

He often used to take his children to the Chocolate Bar, a small, warm, smart cafe on Eighth Avenue, where staff said politely but firmly that they did not want to comment.

On Monday, Australian actress Cate Blanchett, who starred with Hoffman in "The Talented Mr Ripley" was seen arriving at Jane Street laden with gifts for the Hoffman children.

The actor was last seen on Saturday and O'Donnell raised the alarm when he failed to show up to see his children on Sunday.

She was quoted by US media as saying he was high when she last saw him and spoke to him on Saturday.

Broadway announced that it would dim its lights for one minute at 7:45 pm on Wednesday in memory of the celebrated actor.-AFP

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Immigration, Wisma Putra tackling issue of Myanmar illegals rejected by their own country

Posted: 04 Feb 2014 03:22 PM PST

PUTRAJAYA: The Immigration Department and Wisma Putra are working closely in tackling the issue of illegal Myanmar immigrants not accepted back by their country of origin.

Immigration director-general Datuk Alias Ahmad said although these illegals spoke the Myanmar language and came from a region in that country, there were no identification documents issued to them by the Myanmar government.

"Wisma Putra (Foreign Ministry) is communicating with the Myanmar government to resolve this issue and is hoping for its cooperation to issue travel documents to its people, particularly from the Rohingya, Chin, Kachin and Mon ethnic groups.

"The deportation process is usually made within seven days (of their arrests) but in some cases, the duration is extended due to some problems like the absence of travel documents," he said after a brief handing-over of duty, here, yestertday.

He added that throughout last year, the Malaysian government deported 45,000 illegals to their countries of origin.

Alias also said that 13 employers and 3,000 illegals were arrested out of the 15,000 foreigners checked during the 6P Integrated Operation conducted from Jan 21.

"The operation will continue until the end of this year or until the government is satisfied that the problem of illegals has been resolved," he added.

Meanwhile, Immigration deputy director-general (management), Aloyah Mamat will be replacing Alias as director-general effective today.

Alias will be the new secretary-general of the Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry, also from today. — Bernama

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