A game of hide and seek went terribly wrong for seven-year-old Murshid Benhar, who was found dead inside a car boot at a workshop in Penampang near here some 36 hours later.

A worker staying near the workshop detected a foul smell on Wednesday evening and went to check. He found the boy inside the boot. The body was already in a state of decay.

Penampang acting district police chief Asst Supt Wan Badrul Hisham Wan Osman said the boy had been playing with friends at the workshop and hid inside the boot of a damaged car that had been sent there for repair about three months ago.

It is believed that he got locked inside and was unable get out.

When they could not find him, Murshid’s friends informed his father who immediately carried out a search with other villagers of Kg Tebobon.

The boy’s father lodged a missing person’s report at the Penampang police station on Tuesday evening after he could not be found.

TheStarOnline | 26 March 10 | Read Full Story | Reader Comments

Going by the chief minister's call yesterday to the state water department and district offices to ration water in acutely-hit areas, Sabah is heading for a water crisis.

The water situation is not expected to improve soon as Sabah Meteorological Department director Abdul Malik Tusin was reported saying that the unusually hot weather attributed to the El Nino phenomenon -- which also triggered numerous bush and forest fires -- was expected to last until April.

With unpredictable weather of late, the call for water rationing is believed to be the most appropriate strategy and approach to pursue to face any eventuality.

However, water department director Ag Mohd Tahir Mohd Talib provided some assurance today that the water situation here was still manageable and they could support the supply until April or May.

Speaking to Bernama here, he said the current situation was not as bad as the drought in 1997, but the hot weather was quite abnormal.

He said, so far there was no water rationing due to the drought except for ongoing rationing in those areas where water shortage normally occurred.

"So far in general, we are still in good shape although isolated areas are facing problems. We do not have the full report (on all areas) and are now compiling."

He said Pulau Banggi residents currently relied on water from wells and if the situation worsened, clean water would be supplied to the island.

On reports published in local dailies today on the plight of about 500 villagers in Nabawan district who faced water shortage due to Sungai Penawan -- their main source of water -- drying up, Ag Mohd Tahir said the district had been facing such problems due to 'supply and demand' issues there.

According to the news reports, villagers said they were turning to nearby rivers for bathing and cooking while also receiving clean water supply from the water department via the Nabawan district office, using lorries.

Ag Mohd Tahir said contingency measures had also been deployed by the department, in the event the drought season persisted.

When contacted, Federation of Sabah Manufacturers (FSM) president Datuk Wong Khen Thau said, if the drought continued and water was rationed, it would affect water-related industries, such as food and beverage.

"Of course, at this moment it has not reached critical stage. But we are taking preventive measures. Most businesses are taking other alternatives, and those in related industries, mostly have their own internal storage of water," he added.

Agriculture and Food Industry Minister Datuk Seri Yahya Hussin said at the moment, his ministry had not received any report or complaint from the ground due to the drought.

However, he said, padi planters were likely to be affected due to rivers drying up.

On Monday, Yahya, who is also deputy chief minister, was reported saying that Sabah?s water shortage had not reached a critical stage to initiate cloud-seeding operations to induce rain.

Bernama | 18 March 10 | Read Full Story | Reader Comments

The alarmingly low level of integrity among students has prompted Higher Education Minister Datuk Mohamed Khaled Nordin to call on universities in the country to establish an integrity programme and award credits to deserving students.
He said that to credit the students for their integrity was the way to attract their interest in the issue and create more awareness.

“At the moment, we are only introducing integrity into our students through some activities like debates. But I think the idea to have an integrity programme in school, championed by an 'integrity ambassador' through a club or association is a good idea.

“Its up to the universities to call it whatever they want and to decide on the credit system but I believe that we need to do it to instill intergrity into their core decision-making skills and it will affect everything they do,” he said.

Khaled said that universities and tertiary education institutes were the best place to instill the values as it is their 'last stop' before they enter the real working world.

“My ministry welcomes the proposal and hopes that the univesities can get the idea off the ground,” he said adding that it was up to each institution's students should to come up with the programmes with the help of the National Intergrity Institute.

He also said that the students themselves should be the ones handling the programme, as it will give them some 'softskills' needed when they start working and allow them to do something because they want to, not just because they're told to.

Khaled was speaking to reporters after watching the final debate at the Malaysian Prime Integrity Debate competition at Universiti Malaysia Sabah here today.

Malaysian Institute of Integrity president Datuk Dr Mohd Tap Salleh and UMS vice chancellor Prof Datuk Seri Dr Kamaruzaman Ampon.

Earlier in his speech, Khaled said that the a survey on university students showed a very low level of understanding of moral and professional ethics.

The "Exit Survey : Generic Students Attributes” revealed that 73.3 per cent of girls in public institutions of higher leaning understand the subject, and only 57.7 per cent are boys.

“The discovery is very worrying as morals and professional ethics are crucial elements in successful character building in the working environment,” he said.

Khaled said that the integrity credit programme would also mean more students, other than those involved in debates and other activities would be exposed to the values.

Meanwhile, the tournamen saw a total of 27 teams talking their way through the four-day challenge.

The team from Universiti Putra Malaysia emerged as champions followed by runners up Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Malaysia.


The winning team, consisting of Mohd Syamsul Salleh, Ammar Redza Ahmad Rizal, Amiruddin Abdul Rahman and reserve Cecelia Cornelius, won RM6,000 for their efforts as the opposing team on the subject of “For the sake of our country, a political ceasefire is needed.”

Mohd Syamsul also bagged an extra RM1,000 for winning the best speaker award.

NST | 17 March 10 | Read Full Story | Reader Comments

Sun Bear Solar Sdn Bhd will invest RM5.2 billion in Malaysia to produce solar glass for the photovoltaic industry, said its chief executive officer/chairman, Lee Holt Judd.

Judd said an initial investment of RM2.2 billion would be utilised under phase one to produce float and pattern line in the middle of this year, as well as for the construction of the plant and equipment.

"The plant will be built on 120-hectare site at the Kota Kinabalu Industrial Park. It will create 1,200 jobs in Malaysia," she told a media briefing here on Wednesday.

Judd said this after jointly announcing the investment with Malaysian Industrial Development Authority (Mida) director-general, Datuk Jalilah Baba.

She said the remaining RM3 billion would be used under the second phase to enlarge the glass lines.

"We expect production to start in the first quarter of 2012 and the second phase of construction would probably start in the next six to nine months," she said.

Sun Bear Solar, a wholly-owned unit of Hong Kong's Sun Bear Solar Ltd, focuses on developing new products designed to enhance the efficiency of solar modules.

Judd said Malaysia was picked because of its commitment to solar panel manufacturing growth and the availability of high quality raw materials.

It is understood that the sand on Balambangan Island was ideal for glass-making for solar panels.

Meanwhile, Jalilah said Sun Bear Solar's investment was the biggest for Malaysia this year and the first-of-its-kind in the country to produce solar glass for solar panel and module applications.

She said it would benefit the small and medium industries and local companies in terms of supply of parts and components, raw materials, services and logistics.

Jalilah said the investment would form an important component to complete the formation of the solar industry cluster in Malaysia and lift the country towards achieving a high-income economic status.

"Sun Bear Solar's investment will enhance Malaysia's efforts in attracting further investments from manufacturers of solar panel and module to be located in Malaysia," she said.

She said currently, five to six photovoltaic makers were undertaking due diligence process to set up their facilities here.

The solar industry has been targeted as Malaysia's priority project to generate clean energy and new growth areas in high-value added manufacturing.

Under the 10th Malaysia Plan, the government expects to generate 215 megawatt (MW) peak from solar, thus increasing its solar contribution from 0.0013 per cent to 1.5 per cent.

"As a high-technology-driven industry, solar manufacturing has the potential to contribute up to four per cent of the country's gross domestic product in 2010," Jalilah said.

The solar industry expanded by a record high of 75 per cent last year, reaching a worldwide production volume of 7,500 MW peak and booming into a RM115 billion business last year.

The global market volume for solar-based products were forecast to increase to RM180 billion this year, and the market is expected to exceed RM500 billion in 2020.

Jalilah said the new solar glass plant would also create economic spin-offs via the production of high-value innovative products, introduction of new and advanced solar technologies and also potential downstream industries such as lighting, green building, home applications and solar heating.

Following the deal, Jalilah said, the foreign direct investment for 2010 would be "much better" than the RM32.6 billion achieved last year.

Bernama | 11 March 10 | Read Full Story | Reader Comments

The Sabah government will try to accommodate the Judicial Department’s request for an area near the city’s downtown as the site for the new Kota Kinabalu court complex.

State Infrastructure Development Minister Datuk Joseph Pairin Kitingan said he would bring the matter up with Chief Minister Datuk Musa Aman.

Pairin, who is the Deputy Chief Minister, said he was aware that the current court complex along Jalan Tugu was too congested and did not have enough space for parking and for file storage.

“The state has actually offered the department a site near Likas Bay but the area was said to be a bit too far from downtown,” he said after touring the complex which underwent extensive renovations, including the construction of more courtrooms, several years ago.

In a briefing earlier, Sessions Court judge Ismail Brahim told Pairin that the proposed site near Likas Bay was unsuitable as the project would involve land reclamation and thus incur high costs.

He said the distance between the proposed area and downtown Kota Kinabalu would also pose a problem to the public.

Ismail said that among the various alternatives being considered were further expansion to the existing complex.

On another matter, Pairin said he was impressed with the adoption of information technology by the courts here.

TheStarOnline | 10 March 10 | Read Full Story | Reader Comments

Several new faces have been included in the line-up for the Sabah Barisan Nasional (BN) Coordinating Committee for the new session until May 15, 2011.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman, who is also the State BN Coordinating Chairman, said Kota Belud Member of Parliament (MP) Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan had been appointed as State BN secretary in place of Bongawan State Assemblyman Datuk Karim Bujang.

Musa also announced the appointment of Tawau Umno vice-head Niezam (repeat: Niezam) Abu Bakar Titingan as the State BN executive secretary in place of former Bugaya State Assemblyman Datuk Basalie Abdul Hamid.

"I wish to thank Datuk Karim and Datuk Basalie who had made significant contributions when they were holding office in the State BN," he told reporters after the presentation of letters of appointment to the members of the new committee, here Thursday.

Earlier, Musa chaired a special meeting of the State BN Coordinating Committee.

Musa also announced a revamp of the divisional BN coordinating chairman following the withdrawal of the Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) from the BN.

Ten new faces received the appointment letters, including State Minister of Resource and Information Technology Development Datuk Dr Yee Moh Chai for the Kota Kinabalu division in place of SAPP president Datuk Yong Teck Lee, Sepanggar Umno head Jumat Idris for the Sepanggar division in place of the Sepanggar MP Datuk Eric Majimbun, who is also SAPP deputy president, and Kemabong Assemblyman Datuk Rubin Balang for the Tenom division in place of State Deputy Speaker Datuk Frankie Chong, who is also SAPP vice-president.

Meanwhile, the Kudat division is chaired by the State Assistant Minister for Tourism, Culture and Environment Datuk Bolkiah Ismail, replacing former Pitas Assemblyman Datuk Masrani Parman. Beluran Umno head James Ratib is chairman of the Beluran BN, replacing former Sugut Assemblyman Datuk Surady Kayong, and Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister's Department Datuk Nasrun Datu Mansur replaces former Silam MP Datuk Samsu Baharun as the Silam BN chairman.

Also appointed are the Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk VK Liew for Sandakan BN, replacing the division's Umno head Tan Sri Ampong Puyung, State Umno deputy chairman Datuk Mohd Salleh Tun Said for the Kota Belud division in place of State Assistant Minister for Agriculture and Food Industry Datuk Musbah Jamli.

State Rural Development Minister Datuk Dr Ewon Ebin for the Ranau division in place of State Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment Datuk Masidi Manjun, and Sekong Assemblyman Datuk Shamsuddin Yahya for the Sandakan division in place of Batu Sapi Assemblyman Datuk Edmund Chung.

Musa said the appointment of the divisional BN chairmen was based on the majority of membership in a component party in the area concerned, besides the leadership criteria.

Bernama | 06 March 10 | Read Full Story | Reader Comments

Many Malaysians do not get the most of their fuel because they drive their vehicles with “unnecessary loads”, said Shell Malaysia Trading Sdn Bhd managing director Azman Ismail.

He said a research by the petroleum giant showed that Malaysian drivers also tend to “over-rev” their vehicles.

“It’s important for drivers to drive smoothly as this will help them get the most out of their fuel,” he said after launching Shell’s FuelSave Unleaded for its RON95 and RON97 range of petrol here yesterday.

He said it was for this reason Shell embarked on a campaign to educate Malaysian motorists about fuel-saving tips in conjunction with the launch of the company’s “breakthrough” petrol in the peninsula last September.

Shell Fuel Technology manager Eric Holthusen said Malaysian drivers could save as much as 10% of their fuel bill by being aware and practising fuel-saving tips.

Azman said Shell was assessing the demand for RON97 petrol in the Tawau district in Sabah’s east coast.

He was commenting on a complaint by Tawau MP Chua Soon Bui that the RON97 petrol had not been available at all petrol stations in the district for the past six months.

TheStarOnline | 05 March 10 | Read Full Story | Reader Comments

Sabah needs to shift to an innovation-driven and service-based economy powered by the creativity and talents of its human capital, to attract investors, said Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman.

He said failure to do so would bar the state from making headway in national income growth.

"Sabah can no longer afford to attract investors by relying on cheap labour.

"We need to shift to the new economic model ... otherwise the nation may eventually lose its growth momentum and slide backwards," he said at the Sabah Development Corridor's (SDC) 'Seminar on Investment Opportunities in Knowledge-intensive Industries and Product Innovation driven by Technology Convergence' here Thursday.

His speech was read by Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Joseph Pairin Kitingan.

Musa said as the nation prepared to launch the Tenth Malaysia Plan, it was timely to take stock of past development performance and identify measures needed to enable to the state to shift to high-income innovation-driven and service-based economy.

He said Sabah was aware of this need and the state government has introduced programmes to lay the foundation to enable it to participate in knowledge-intensive sub-sectors.

"For example, we recognise the potential of biotechnology and acknowledge it as a catalyst for new growth areas in the state's economy as well as a source of new wealth and income for the people," he said.

Musa said biotechnology could also assist in enhancing the competitiveness of the agriculture, manufacturing and services sectors.

He said Sabah needed a systematic programme covering research, development and commercialisation in order to add value to its rich biodiversity.

Musa said the SDC blueprint had identified the necessary ingredients to catalyse the emergence of knowledge-based bio-industry in the state.

"In this respect, the SDC has included, among others, the creation of an agrobio innovation zone, Sandakan and interior education hubs, palm oil industrial clusters and Sabah agro-industrial precinct," he said.

On the forest eco-system conservation research, he said the Danum Valley Field Centre was recognised as one of the top three field centres in the world for rainforest research.

Bernama | 05 March 10 | Read Full Story | Reader Comments

Former state minister Datuk Conrad Mojuntin is back in court barely a year after he was sentenced to six months’ jail for criminal intimidation in connection with the fatal shooting of Anthony Chang Kim Fook five years ago.

Anthony’s father David Chang Tai Kim is suing Mojuntin for more than RM1.5mil and the hearing for the case began before Judicial Commissioner Datuk Abdul Rahman Sebli at the Kota Kinabalu High Court yesterday.

The 20-year-old fishmonger was shot dead on Oct 23, 2005 between 4.20am and 4.45am in front of the Penampang library in Donggongon township.

Chang is seeking special damages for his son’s funeral expenses amounting to RM11,452.24, RM10,000 in bereavement costs, general damages of RM750,000 and aggravated damages of RM750,00.

Chang stated in his statement of claim that Mojuntin, 62, was criminally liable for his son’s death as he had admitted to shooting and killing Anthony with his shotgun during an inquest into Anthony’s cause of death four years ago.

To a question by Mojuntin’s lawyer Zahir Shah, Chang said he initiated the legal proceedings because of justice and not for monetary gain.

To another question, Chang said he had met the Attorney-General in Putrajaya about the shooting but he did not tell the A-G that his son had tried to attack Mojuntin with a sword prior to the incident.

Chang is represented by Loretto Padua Jr.

TheStarOnline | 04 March 10 | Read Full Story | Reader Comments

Immigration officers have started “friendly” door-to-door visits to warn the public not to employ foreign maids illegally, ahead of an anticipated nationwide crackdown against illegal immigrants.

The teams led by state Immigration Department enforcement chief Dairin Unsir distributed pamphlets in housing areas telling people that employing foreigners without proper documentation was an offence under the immigration laws.

The “friendly” visits under Ops Pintu started at the Kingfisher Park and moved on to several other housing areas.

“It refers to the common offences committed by locals in employing foreigners,” Dairin said.

He said the teams also carried out checks at construction sites and squatter colonies to weed out illegal immigrants here during the three-day operations that started yesterday.

A total of 394 people were screened and 132 Indonesian and Philippine nationals were found to have contravened the Immigration Act, including not having any legal pass to be in Sabah.

He said all those detained had been remanded for further investigations.

TheStarOnline | 03 March 10 | Read Full Story | Reader Comments

Oil palm pla­yers must make a concerted ef­­fort to employ locals to overcome their dependence on foreign la­­bour instead of just focusing on profits.

Plantation Industries and Com­modities Minister Tan Sri Bernard Dompok said they should hire and train more locals to be involved in one of the country’s biggest revenue earners.

“Plantation owners should not just focus on profits. They should provide more facilities and a better wage structure to attract local workers,” he said when opening a workshop on Palm Industry Labour Issues, Performances and Sustainability here yesterday.

Dompok said although the Government was fully aware of the industry’s grouses about a labour shortage, it should bear in mind that foreign workers would not be available indefinitely.

He said oil palm companies employed 325,074 workers in 2000, increasing by 88% to 610,135 in 2008.

“Plantations directly employed 376,906 foreign workers,” he said during the brainstorming session organised by the Malay-sian Palm Oil Board on plans to resolve issues facing the industry.

On producing green energy from biomass, Dompok said the board was carrying out a study for the Government to adopt a policy.

“It should be ready in two months,” he said, adding that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak was committed to­­wards developing green energy as indicated by Malaysia at last year’s Copenhagen summit on climate change.

One idea being mooted was for palm oil mills to play a dual role as an independent power producers of green energy from ef­­fluents such as biogas and other biomass.

TheStarOnline | 09 February 10 | Read Full Story | Reader Comments

The Ranau District Office has not received any report of damage to lives and property following a mild earthquake 11km northeast of Ranau town early Sunday.

District Officer Faimin Kamin said there was no damage probably because the quake was mild and it occurred some distance away from the town.

The Meteorological Department reported that a 2.6 magnitude quake occurred at 2.07am today 11km northeast of Ranau town.

Ranau district is situated at the foot of Mt Kinabalu, the highest mountain in Southeast Asia which is a tourist attraction.

The Meteorological Department said minor tremors could have been felt in and around Ranau town.

Bernama | 08 February 10 | Read Full Story | Reader Comments

Sabah wants to conserve tracts of land suitable for padi cultivation by barring them from being used for other purposes, said Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Yahya Hussin.

He said the state would enforce policies to prevent the land conversion of existing padi fields and other areas suitable for cultivating the crop.

Yahya, also the state Agriculture and Food Industry Minister, said the state government might allow for such conversion near major towns, where there could be a shortage of land for development.

“But for other areas, why do we need to disturb existing padi fields?” he said after touring padi fields at Kampung Benoni in south-western Papar district some 30km from here yesterday.

Yahya said the government had spent millions of ringgit to install infrastructure such as for irrigation at padi production areas, and would not allow the conduct of one or two individuals to spoil it all.

“Sometimes, we see people constructing shops and houses on what used to be padi fields. “People just don’t seem to understand the importance of these areas,” he said.

He added that the government had identified 300,000ha of land suitable for padi cultivation, of which only 35,600ha had been planted with the crop.

“Unfortunately, some of these areas have been converted for other uses, including oil palm plantation and property development, such as the construction of housing estates or shoplots,” he said.

Yahya added that the state was serious in its goal of increasing Sabah’s padi output and reducing its dependence on rice imports.

At present Sabah produces only 30% of its rice needs with the rest being imported from India, Vietnam, Laos and other countries through Bernas, Yahya said.

TheStarOnline | 06 February 10 | Read Full Story | Reader Comments

Aspiring local filmmakers can now showcase their creativity through productions of their own and compete in the filmmakers' competition (PINK5) in conjunction with the KK International Film Festival in June.

Its project leader, Jude Day, said the PINK5 competition is open to everyone to attract young inspired filmmakers to show off their talents as well as encourage them to make movies.

"This is a great opportunity for those interested in making films to actually stimulate their creativity in many ways and to get professional feedback.

All films will also be uploaded to YouTube for everyone to see.

"The theme of the movie is Pink where participants can express and interpret it in any way they want É it can also be in the form of animation.

This is to test their creativity and to see what they can make of it," she told reporters, Thursday.

She also said that participants could make full use of their available devices to capture their movies, even through handphone and digital camera.

Filmmakers can send in their masterpiece before the closing date - end of April. Three judges, including Sabah's very own filmmakers - Chris Chong and Yee I-Lann - will be judging participants' entries based on creativity in May.

"Films made should not exceed five minutes but we will also take in a film as short as 30 seconds. On June 5, there will be a workshop where judges will make comments on the movies.

"Winners will also be announced on that day and they will have the opportunity to do six-month internship at Exodus Production, a local filmmaking studio," Jude added.

PINK5, which is organised by SPArKS (Society of Performing Arts KK Sabah), welcomes multiple entries in various languages with English subtitles from participants.

Meanwhile, the KK International Film Festival will be taking place on June 4-9 at Golden Screen Cinema, 1 Borneo, here, and will be showcasing movies from France, Japan and Malaysia, including Chris' creation of Kareoke.

All films should be submitted in DVD format, to KK Filmmaker's Competition, 985 Lorong Jering 2, Sunny Garden, Mile 1Þ, Jalan Tuaran, 88300 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.

For more information, visit SPARrKS website at www.sparks.org.my or contact Jude at 014-3514298 or Lenore at 012-8013939.

DailyExpress | 06 February 10 | Read Full Story | Reader Comments

Big projects around the Putatan Parliamentary area costing more than RM500 million have been delayed for many years, claimed the Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) Saturday.

Its Secretary-General, Datuk Richard Yong, said the most visible one was the railway project costing more than RM300 million, which has been delayed since 2005.

He said the contractor for the project had been given an extension but after it lapsed in October last year, the Government gave another one-year extension.

"The section of the railway from Lok Kawi to Tanjung Aru station with multiple crossings is actually a potential problem to traffic and may endanger the lives of people," he said in a statement here.

He said the expansion of the Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA) and the extension of the runway from 3km to 3.8km as well as drainage system costing RM200 million were also delayed.

He noted that the original completion date of the KKIA upgrading project was April 20 last year, which was then extended to December 2009.

Yong said Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman had some time ago even announced that the Tanjung Aru flyover was ahead of schedule but now it is almost at a standstill.

"Which is which?" he asked.

Yong, who is also SAPP Constituency Liaison Committee (CLC) Chairman for Tanjung Aru, said this after making Chinese New Year rounds at Putatan, Petagas, Tanjung Aru and Sembulan, Saturday.

He was accompanied by his SAPP Petagas colleague Dullie Marie, supreme council member Siaw Shui Lan and a delegation of SAPP members.

He said Tanjung Aru is the gateway to Sabah and the city of Kota Kinabalu but unfortunately, the situation in the area which warrants serious attention at the moment, was being ignored.

"Look around, the slowness of works and delay in important projects year in year out can be seen by visitors and locals alike, the projects are still going on, passing completion dates again and again," he added.

He recalled that on Jan 1, 2007, the then Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Chong Kah Kiat had talked about the flyover and two new four-lane highways, one from Terminal One to Terminal Two, the other, a coastal highway from Shangri-la's Tanjung Aru Resort to Sutera Habour.

The roads from Jalan Mat Salleh to Terminal Two would also be widened, while the contractor, Global Upline Sdn Bhd, had also stated their confidence in completing the flyover and new coastal highways in one year.

"However, it is more than three years now," said Yong, adding the people have yet to see the completion of all the projects mentioned, which was announced in a big way.

Similarly, he said, the proposed Tanjung Aru new-look Water Village project costing about RM48 millions was announced on March 8, 2007.

It was reported that the Phase One would include the upgrading of access road, the catwalk, the basic infrastructures and the tourism features estimated to cost RM10 million.

And that the area involved was 73 out of the 110 acres in the Tanjung Aru water village comprising 235 houses and 1,175 occupants.

The project was also supposed to be divided into two stages in which the first would include water pipe network, sewage, electricity, telephones, individual and public toilets as well as treatment plant.

"It was mentioned in that announcement that based on work scope it would take 19 months to complete. Now it is already three years and is still far from any sign of completion," he said.

On the RM15 million Park for Tanjung Aru, he said on Sept 16, 2004, the Chief Minister announced that the State Cabinet had approved the transformation of the historic Hone Place spanning 16 acres into a park called Ujana Perdana that may be the best in the State Capital and perhaps Sabah.

He said the park located just at the exit of Terminal Two of the KKIA is yet to see completion after Musa's announcement more than five years ago.

"How much longer must the people wait in order to be able to see and to enjoy any of the improvement, parks and better amenities promised by this present Barisan Nasional Government?" said Yong.

DailyExpress | 01 February 10 | Read Full Story | Reader Comments

A labourer paid a heavy price for having a six-month love affair with the wife of his colleague in Menggatal near here.

He was killed by his lover’s husband and buried in a shallow grave near their living quarters in Kampung Gudong on Friday.

Alson Ali, 34, died after he was viciously beaten up and had his testicles nearly severed by his lover’s 40-year-old husband.

Kota Kinabalu City police chief Asst Comm Ahmad Sofi Zakaria said Alson’s body was found in a grave about 50m away from the workers’ quarters.

He said Alson’s family had lodged a police report on Wed­nesday after he went missing.

Acting on information, he said a police team arrested the suspect at another workers’ quarters at Taman Cerah here.

“From our investigations, we learned that the suspect’s wife had been having an affair with the victim for about six months prior to the murder,” he added.

ACP Sofi said police had recovered the weapons used in the attack and a shovel believed to have been used to dig the grave.

TheStarOnline | 31 January 10 | Read Full Story | Reader Comments

Four buffaloes, a pig and RM2,000 – this was the fine a court imposed on a man and his wife’s colleague for having an illicit affair.

The two were convicted by the Penampang Native Court here on Friday under customary native laws, after the man’s wife filed a complaint against them last year.

During the hearing, the woman claimed her husband had become indifferent to her after he enrolled for a degree course at a university here in 2006. She claimed she later found him and her colleague living together in a house in the city, and that when she confronted them there, her husband was clad in shorts while his lover was in a sarong.

The court fined the man RM1,000 and ordered him to pay compensation of a buffalo or RM1,500 to his wife, a pig or RM500 to his two sons and another buffalo or RM1,500 to his Kampung Langkuas folks in Papar.

He was also ordered to pay RM200 in monthly expenses for his two sons by the three-man bench comprising Penampang district officer William Sampil, and native chiefs Johney Molijo and Adrian Sikawah.

The man’s lover was fined RM1,000 and ordered to compensate his wife with one buffalo and her village in Keningau district with another buffalo.

Sampil, in delivering the ruling, said although the man and his lover claimed they were “best friends” in their defence, the court found strong evidence of their intimate affair.

TheStarOnline | 31 January 10 | Read Full Story | Reader Comments

The Sabah Art Gallery will jointly hold an art exhibition with the Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), entitled "Pameran Bakat Bakat Baru", to showcase artworks by local upcoming artists.

A total of 90 artworks by 55 participants, most of them UMS students, would be showcased at the exhibition, to be held at the UMS Visual Art Gallery from Jan 29 to Feb 25.

Sabah Cultural Board Chairman, Datuk Wences Angang is scheduled to open the event on Jan 29.

According to a statement by the Sabah Art Gallery, the exhibition would be open to the public from 9am to 5pm daily except for Sundays.
DailyExpress | 29 January 10 | Read Full Story | Reader Comments

Sabah police are targeting a five per cent decrease in crime this year with the help of a newly-launched State police website.

Sabah Commissioner of Police, Datuk Noor Rashid Ibrahim, is confident the interactive website (www.sabahrmp.gov.my) would be able to help police achieve the target set by the Government.

He revealed that 8,089 crime cases were reported last year compared to 8,498 cases in 2008, a decrease of 4.8 per cent.

"This year, the Government has set a target to reduce crime at least by five per cent and police will put this into reality in order to coordinate plans that have been made before and implement it.

"Among the crimes that we have to focus on are minor theft casesÉfor example, in supermarkets and plantations as well as car and house breaking cases. We need to eliminate these."

"This website will give an opportunity for the public to communicate and help police in many ways. We welcome the public to give us feedback, be it complaints or crime matters and we will analyse all information sent for further action," he said during the launching of the website at the State police headquarters in Kepayan, Wednesday.

Apart from that, the public would also be exposed to information pertaining to police activity, anti-crime operations, crime statistics as well as other police stations in the State, Noor Rashid said.

Meanwhile, he stressed there was a need for police officers to visit areas that have been identified as hotspots to monitor and gather information.

"Police need to gather information especially on housebreaking because about 25 per cent of reports involve burglary cases.

"Therefore, we need to increase patrols around housing areas and other locations that have been identified based on information from the public to continue safeguarding the community," he said.

DailyExpress | 29 January 10 | Read Full Story | Reader Comments

Sabah must amend its Land Ordinance to curb fraudulent land transfers, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk V. K. Liew said.

The Sabah Land Ordinance, he added, did not have the protection clause existing in the National Land Code Section 340 (2), which provided for a title or interest “to be defeated if such acquisition was done by fraud, misrepresentation or through dubious documentation.”

Liew, who is Liberal Democratic Party president, said in a statement that the issue of protection for titled land needed to be incorporated in the state’s Land Ordinance to avoid fraud and other illegal transfers.

Last week, the Federal Court plugged a legal loophole in Malaysian land law that allowed unscrupulous individuals to transfer land titles to third parties with legal immunity.

In a landmark decision, a five-man bench led by Chief Justice Tun Zaki Azmi unanimously decided to reverse the ruling in the Adorna Properties Sdn Bhd vs Boonsom Boonyanit case in 2000.

In deciding the case of Tan Ying Hong v Tan Sian San and two others, the court ruled that transfers of property by fraudulent or forged documents were no longer legally valid under Section 340(2) of the National Land Code 1965.

Liew said that while the Federal Court ruling was persuasive, it was not decisive in Sabah.

“This is because in Sabah we have the Land Ordinance that is distinct from the National Land Code. It is silent about the principle of deferred indefeasibility of the title,” he said.

“What happened in the cases of Adorna and Tan Ying Hong is not something new in Sabah. We have similar, if not worse, situations.

“Some reported land scams resulted in entire villages going to certain individuals and corporations,” he said.

He said in cases of fraud, forgery or misrepresentation, Sabah had to rely on Section 88 and 117 of the Sabah Land Ordinance to deal with registration and rectification.

Liew said the ordinance was too old and gave too much power to the Assistant Collector of Land Revenue, who exercised power in a “quasi-judicial manner.”

TheStarOnline | 27 January 10 | Read Full Story | Reader Comments