Thief presents himself as a cop without dressing up

The Star, Thursday, 21 January 2016

by nicholas cheng

KAJANG: While criminals are spending money and going to great lengths to dress up as policemen to rob, one thief managed to fool victims without the uniform or any flashy gear.

The 32-year-old suspect, clad in regular shirt and jeans and a motorcycle helmet, rode up to a couple of young motorcyclists waiting at a traffic light junction in Jalan Reko here at about 11.30pm last Friday and introduced himself as a “policeman”.

But his word alone seemed enough to strike fear in the two 20-year-olds as they willingly gave the man their identification cards, smartphones and wallets, even before the light turned green.

“The suspect just said he was an officer and needed their ICs and valuables,” said Kajang OCPD Asst Comm Willey Richard.

“I don’t know why but they just believed him. They gave him the items, which the suspect then put in his bag. 

“He also told them if they wanted the items back, they would have to meet him at the Kajang police headquarters. And he rode off,” he said.

The gullible youngsters did as they were told. 

“They went to the station and waited there for hours before they realised that the man was not a policeman.

But the real police were on it. Using the iCloud account on one of the victims’ phones, they managed to track down the suspect to his flat in Bandar Tun Razak in Kuala Lumpur and arrested him.

When questioned, the unemployed man confessed that he had robbed other victims by posing as a policeman.

He faces up to 22 years in prison if convicted on charges for robbery and impersonating a police officer.

ACP Willey advised members of the public to always ask an officer for his or her police identification card and to confirm their post with the police.

Driver of deadly runaway lorry identified

The Star, Thursday, 21 January 2016

SHAH ALAM: Police have identified the driver of the out-of-control lorry which killed two students in Kajang on Jan 14.

“Based on our investigations, the driver of the lorry, an Indonesian national, ran away from the scene following the accident,” said Selangor police chief Comm Datuk Abdul Samah Mat, adding that police were now tracking him down.

“We arrested another worker at the scene of the incident,” he said after attending the first Selangor police assembly of 2016 at the police headquarters here yesterday.

Form One students Lau Zi Xin and Wong Siow Xuen were buying fried chicken outside their school when the runaway lorry caused a massive collision which led to their deaths.

A security guard claimed to have seen the lorry rolling downhill after “some unidentified workers” meddled with it.

The lorry knocked into a Proton Wira and a Toyota Avanza before ploughing through a row of motorcycles. Both students died at the scene.

Mahajaya Berhad, the developer of the housing project near the school, said that the runaway lorry belonged to its contractor and that it was cooperating with the police in the investigation.

In a statement, Mahajaya said that it had been “diligent” and had encouraged its contractors to hire trained workers to operate machinery at its sites.

“We would like to clarify that the truck is owned by one of our contractors and it is not licensed to be driven on public roads nor permitted by us or the contractor to be driven out of its permitted zone.

“However, we would like to add that on that particular day, we were informed that the truck was stolen from our construction site and ended up in the horrific accident.

“The insurer was notified and is currently carrying out its investigation and evaluation to determine the extent of the loss and damage,” Mahajaya said in an e-mail.

At another event, Selangor Road Transport Department (JPJ) director Nazli Md Taib said the department was keeping a watchful eye on the construction site there.

“We are looking to crack down on this problem if it arises anywhere in the state,” he said.

Fresh ideas for new year

The Star, Wednesday, 20 January 2016

BY EMILY CHAN

Learning is fun: Mahani (centre) and her students from SMKA Maahad Hamidiah in Kajang posing with the first NiE issue of 2016.

KAJANG: The new year marks new beginnings. And the students of Form Four Al-Khawarizmi of SMKA Maahad Hamidiah, Selangor, were privy to a fresh exciting way of learning English as they used The Star’s Newspaper-in-Education (NiE) for the first time.

Armed with the first issue of the NIE pullout for 2016, SMKA Maahad Hamidiah head of English language panel Mahani Abu Talib conducted activities that revolved around the students and their families.

Students were tasked to create a modified “Pinterest” board that had them sharing tales not only about their ancestors but secret family recipes, too – all while using images and texts from the newspaper.

Mahani said the pullout made her English language classes more enjoyable, which was why she was introducing Star-NiE to this batch of students.

“It really gives me pleasure to use the newspaper with my students. They don’t usually read the newspaper, but you see them reading the articles in class,” she said.

The Star-NiE pullout, published every Wednesday, rolls out its first issue today.

The 33 issues slated from January to November promotes English language learning in a fun, easy and effective manner.

Syllabus-based content set by the Education Ministry brings authentic materials to life as the newspaper becomes a living textbook.

Three major segments – NiE English, NiE Literature and NiE Life – give students a comprehensive framework to learn language.

This year, a new section titled “Now I get it”, gears students towards improving comprehension using the newspaper.

Ready-made lessons with a teacher’s guide and student worksheets help students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate and appreciate texts.

Students who loved clipping and scrapboarding the short stories-turned-comic strips last year will have something exciting to look forward to.

Due to popular demand, the panel comic strip is now a full-page feature that will illustrate the short stories Tanjong Rhu and Leaving.

Not only will the graphics in the stories be vibrant and colourful, a mini dictionary box comes in handy to tackle vocabulary. A section with thought-provoking questions also addresses issues that go beyond textbook learning.

SMKA Maahad Hamidiah principal Wan Ruhayah Wan Yaacob said she hoped that her students would be able to master the English language more proficiently with over 200 copies of this resource made available.

The pullout, she said, was in line with the Upholding Bahasa Malaysia and Strengthening the English Language (MBMMBI) policy that encouraged students to master both languages.

“It is also relevant because it relates to real-life topics besides adding to their general knowledge,” she added.

Special packages are available through school subscription only. Please call The Star’s Customer Care Unit at 1300-88-7827 from Monday to Friday (9am-5pm).

See full report in StarEducate this Sunday.

Which watch is whose? That is the cops’ dilemma

The Star, Thursday, 21 January 2016

BY NICHOLAS CHENG

KAJANG: Police here are having a headache dealing with the barrage of calls from members of the public who wanted to claim the luxury watches they had seemingly lost to an Indonesian house burglary gang which had just been caught.

A deputy superintendent here said that the police station had received 41 calls from people claiming to be victims of the gang, after details of their arrest and pictures of the luxury watches were published in newspapers on Tuesday.

“Many of them were claiming they lost Rolex watches to this gang. We only have one Rolex watch in evidence!” said the officer.

Police had also received a call from a supposed victim from Penang who staked his claim over the Rolex watch, though the burglary gang had reportedly never struck there.

Among the valuables recovered from the gang were 79 luxury watches such as Cartier timepieces, jewellery and currencies of Saudi Arabia, the Philippines and Cambodia.

The Kajang police headquarters said they would arrange for the supposed victims to view and identify the estimated RM280,000 worth of watches and jewellery tomorrow.

However, they warned that these people must produce proof of purchase and ownership of the valuables before they could take them home.

Those who believe they may have been victims of the gang may call investigating officer ASP Rozaiman Hashim (019-3996513) to arrange for a viewing of the recovered items.

The viewing session will start at 2.30pm for victims to identify and reclaim their stolen goods.

“But they must show their police reports and the receipt for the items.

“Then we will send officers to those shops to confirm that they had indeed bought them.

“If we find out that they were just trying to get a free watch, we could open a case for making a false report,” said the officer.

Police arrested five men, four of whom are Indonesians, during a series of raids last week.

The men are believed to be responsible for about 50 house burglaries in Selangor and Negri Sembilan.

The authorities are also checking if the same group was responsible for breaking into the house of Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s daughter in Country Heights recently.

Man nabbed for molesting maid

The Star, Thursday, 21 January 2016

BY NICHOLAS CHENG

KAJANG: A woman turned her own family member over to the police after she found out that the 63-year-old man had been molesting and even tried to rape her teenage maid.

The 18-year-old maid from Cambodia had been enduring a hellish time after she began working for the family four months ago.

She accused the man of forcing himself on her numerous times whenever other family members were not at home.

She also claimed that the man had tried to rape her but fought him off.

The man, who was identified as a “close family member” in the employer’s police report, has been living there after he was kicked out of his own home due to a dispute with his wife.

“The maid told us he would grab her from the back and molest her private parts when her employers were out at work.

“She was too afraid to tell them because she thought they wouldn’t believe her,” said Kajang OCPD Asst Comm Willey Richard.

But after yet another traumatic encounter on Jan 15, the maid felt enough was enough and told her 34-year-old employer who lodged a police report againstthe man.

“We arrested the man at their house. He has confessed to molesting the maid but denied allegations of attempted rape,” he said, adding that the victim had chosen to continue working at the house.

The case is being investigated under Section 354 of the Penal Code for molestation.

Decomposed body of man found in Semenyih

The Star, Tuesday, 19 January 2016 

BY NATASHA JOIBI

KAJANG: A man got the shock of his life when he chanced upon a decomposed body while taking the trash out from his house in Sungai Tekal, Semenyih here. 

Kajang OCPD Asst Comm Willey Richard (pic) said the 37-year-old man was discarding some rubbish by the bushes near his house when he made the discovery at about 8.30pm on Monday.

“The self-employed man contacted the police after finding the body sprawled on the ground among the bushes. 

“The male victim, believed to have been dead for two days, was topless, bare-footed and wore only denim shorts,” he added. 

ACP Willey said the nationality and ethnicity of the victim was not known.

“There were slash wounds on his head and left arm. We believe he was killed by a sharp object. He might have been killed elsewhere before his body was disposed in Sungai Tekal,” he noted. 

According to ACP Willey, there were no signs of struggle found at the scene. No weapons were found nearby. 

The nearest house is located about 35m from where the body was discovered. 

The body has been sent to Hospital Serdang for a post-mortem.

The case has been classified as murder under Section 302 of the Penal Code.

ACP Willey urged individuals whose family members have gone missing to contact the Kajang police headquarters. 

Hindu temple to sue Kajang council over promised land

The Malaysian Insider, 20 January 2016

BY LOW HAN SHAUN

The Sri Maha Mariamman Ladang Baemar temple in Kajang, Selangor is going to court in hopes of a resolution to its 10-year struggle for land– The Malaysian Insider pic by Low Han Shaun, January 12, 2016.

The Sri Maha Mariamman Ladang Baemar temple in Kajang, Selangor is suing the Kajang Municipal Council (MPKj) over its refusal to allow it to move into a larger plot of land.

Alagendra Ramani, legal advisor to the temple committee, said the temple had no choice but to go to court to make sure that it received the 1.08 acre plot of land that it was promised.

MPKj had refused to allow the temple to move into a plot of land because its size exceeded the 10,000sq ft size limit for non-Muslim places of worship.

"MPKj has now offered us 12,000sq ft, which is still unacceptable. We will be taking this to court to see that we get the 1.08 acre plot of land which was promised us," he said in an interview with The Malaysian Insider.

Alagendra said Bandar Subang Sdn Bhd, the developer that had offered the land to the temple so that it could move out to make way for its project, had started work at the temple site.

"The developer is already developing the land near the temple. We see them clearing the land. If this is not settled soon, where are we to go?" he said.

He said the suit, which would be filed next week pending the approval of the temple committee, would fight for the temple to remain where it was, among others.

"We are looking for the temple to stay at its current location, for the 1.08 acres to be reduced to one acre to be secured, RM300,000 in compensation and for the developer to build an eight feet high wall to to demarcate the one acre of land that is secured.

Alagendra said the temple would also seek a restraining order for the developer to stop all ongoing work near the temple until the temple had been compensated.

"At the same time, the committee has also instructed the lawyer to issue a notice to the developer to fulfil the terms, which is a separate legal suit which will be filed against the developer," he said.

He said all these could be avoided if the council had approved the 1.08 acres of land, which the developer was more than happy to give to the temple.

The Malaysian Insider previously reported that the Kajang council had stopped the temple from moving into the 1.08 acre plot of land because council guidelines did not allow land for non-Muslim places of worship to exceed 10,000sq ft.

The temple’s battle to obtain land started in 2007 and remains unresolved to the satisfaction of MBKj, the developer and the temple committee to this day.

The Hindu temple sits on land in the former Braemar rubber estate owned by Harrison & Crossfield (M) Bhd.

Sometime in the 1980s, the owner sold the property spanning about 10,000 acres to several developers.

The buyer of the portion of land on which the temple stands was not allowed to proceed with its plan to build double-storey homes there until the temple was relocated. – January 20, 2016.

Cops hunting for another suspect in 'runaway' lorry tragedy

The Star, Friday, 15 January 2016

by nicholas cheng

KAJANG: The investigation into the runaway lorry which killed two students outside SMK Bandar Damai Perdana has taken a new turn.

Investigators are looking for one more suspect, who they said may have ‘stolen’ the parked lorry and lost control of it, leading to the crash on Thursday.

On Friday, police obtained a seven-day remand order against the Indonesian lorry driver, who parked the unregistered vehicle on a hilly slope near the school.

Kajang OCPD Asst Comm Willey Richard said while police were still investigating the lorry driver for culpable homicide, investigations revealed that the lorry may have been parked much further up the hill than initially reported.

“The incident happened when the driver parked the Nissan lorry on the curb of the left side of the road to have a lunch break. 

“A few minutes later, it is believed the lorry was stolen by an unknown person who drove it about a kilometre down the main gate of the construction site to try and get it out of the area,” he said.

The school is about 200 metres down the road from the construction site’s main gate.

ACP Willey said the unknown person may have lost control of the lorry and caused it to roll down the hill and crashing into the row of parked cars, motorcycles before ploughing into a van which killed students Wong Siow Xuen and Lau Zi Xin.

The accident also injured hawker Norhaslidalini Hamzah, a female driver and five other students.

“We have several witnesses who confirmed that they saw a person fleeing from the lorry after the crash. They tried to apprehend him but the suspect managed to escape. We are now hunting for the man who attempted to steal the lorry and we call on anyone with information on this person to contact us,” he said.

ACP Willey’s statement was similar to eyewitness accounts of several parents at the school who contradicted earlier police statements that the lorry was unmanned.

Earlier, a school security guard known as Siti told police she saw unknown persons entering the parked lorry and “meddling” inside it.

Runaway truck kills two students

The Sun, 14 January 2016

Ashwin Kumar newsdesk@thesundaily.com

KAJANG: Barely two weeks after starting their secondary education, two Form 1 students were killed in Bandar Damai Perdana, Kajang today afternoon when a runaway undocumented truck mowed them down.

In the 12.50pm mishap, Lau Zi Xin and Wong Siow Xuen, both 13, were walking to school for their afternoon school session, opposite SMK Bandar Damai Perdana school.

Kajang police chief ACP Willey Richard said the lorry driver was arrested and being investigated under Section 304 of the Penal Code for causing death by Negligence.

"Initially, the lorry driver, believed to be an Indonesian, parked the lorry to buy food, and the lorry head was facing the road where the incident took place.

"Minutes later the driver was informed by the security guard of the construction site that the lorry was speeding and had crashed into motorcycles and students," he said.

Richard said the driver claimed the lorry was handled (dikacau) by an unknown person which led to the incident.

"We believe the lorry careened into a host of other vehicles and a total of 35 motorcycles were involved in the incident," he added.

The bodies of the two victims were sent to Serdang hospital for post-moterm.

Selangor Fire and Rescue Department operations assistant director Mohd Sani Harul said two hawkers were also injured in the incident.

"We received the distress call at 1.11pm about the incident and firemen from Kajang were deployed to rescue the victims," he said.

Witnesses claimed they heard a loud collision sound and all they thought was to help the victims involved.

School security guard, M. Kumar, 28, said the lorries shouldn't be on the road particularly during early morning and afternoon because parents and school buses will be dropping and fetching the pupils.

"One thing that is really worrying is that the road opposite the school leads to a construction site and it is dangerous for the students especially when they park their motorcycles on the footpath," he told theSun.

Meanwhile P. Kamalanathan, whose younger brother is studying in the same school, also expressed his concern.

"The first thing that came to mind was my brother's safety.

"I am not sure whether the lorry involved in the crash was 'approved' by the authorities and these drivers always speed," he said.

Temple turns 100 in style

The Star, Sunday, 17 January 2016

by joash ee de silva

KAJANG: Old is indeed gold and that proverb rings true of the Sri Subramaniya Swami Temple in Kajang as more than a thousand devotees celebrated its 100th anniversary celebration.

The highlight was marked with Lord Murugan adorned in gold-plated armour. 

During the prayers, 1,008 pots were filled with holy water and herbs, and passed via a human chain into the temple. 

Inside the temple, the water was poured over Lord Murugan before it was poured in little bottles or plastic bags to be distributed to the devotees to drink. 

Temple management committee president Datuk K. Kirubakaran said “the beauty of the event is to see the crowd coming to worship, as in Hinduism, vibrations are also created by devotees thronging the temple”. 

“We are gifted that Lord Murugan has chosen this place and we hope that he will continue to bless our community,” he added. 

Memorabilia gold coins were made to mark the occasion.

The temple is the oldest Hindu place of worship in Selangor. In fact, a shrine was already placed at the site even before 1916, but the century mark is counted from when a group of Hindu pioneers bought the land in Jalan Reko here. 

Land office records indicate that in 1916, the five pioneers – Thambipillay Sinnathamby, Thamboo Valupillai, R. Karuppiah Pillay, Saminathan Muthiah and N. Letchumanan Chettiar – bought Lot 624 in the district of Kajang to begin the construction of a proper temple. It measured about 1.2ha. 

Family friend of Kirubakaran, Tan Sri Teo Chiang Kok, who frequented the temple for 35 years, said the centenary celebration was an important and unique milestone. 

“I am very fortunate to have seen the transformation, modernisation and extension of the temple,” said the businessman. 

“I have been to many celebrations at this temple. Today’s is one of the biggest.” 

Joyous day: Devotees throng the Sri Subramaniya Swami temple at Jalan Reko, Kajang.