Justice Wan Adnan Muhamad ruled that the plaintiffs had succeeded in proving that their detention from Nov 9 to Nov 10, 1996 was not valid. “The court awards RM30,000 to each of the plaintiff in general damages. These damages are not rewards but compensation. I believe that RM30,000 is sufficient compensation for the suffering the plaintiffs endured during their arrest and detention for almost 24 hours,” he said yesterday.

He also ordered that the plaintiffs – among them then PKR vice-president Dr Sanusi Othman, PKR deputy president Dr Syed Hussein Ali, PKR vice-president R. Sivarasa, PKR strategist Tian Chua, Malaysiakini chief executive officer Premesh Chandran, Malaysiakini editor-in-chief Steven Gan and MTUC president Syed Shahir Syed Mohamad – be paid with interests and costs. Former Kuala Lumpur police chief Ismail Che’ Ros, former Dang Wangi OCPD Zainal Abidin Ali, investigations officer C/Insp Tengku Hamzah Tengku Abdullah and the Government were named as defendants.

A group of 36 people, a majority of whom were local human rights activists and journalists, had filed a RM35mil suit against the police and the Government on Nov 9, 1998. However, only 29 were awarded damages as four had withdrawn their cases, one died, and two failed to appear during proceedings. Over 100 people were arrested on the opening day of Apcet II, which was held to discuss human rights abuses in East Timor and the territory’s struggle for independence from Indonesia, on Nov 9, 1996. Justice Wan Adnan ruled that while Zainal Abidin, who ordered the arrests, had the authority to do so, he should have used his discretion as he found that the conference could not have amounted to a security threat as it was a private event.

Justice Wan Adnan said the reason for the arrests was that the participants had not obeyed the order to disperse, which the defen­dants claimed they had given three times. “The plaintiffs, however, say that there had only been one warning, followed immediately by an arrest order. They also said they were not given enough time to disperse as the two minutes they requested to collect their things were also not allowed. “The court finds that the arrest and detention conducted by the police did not adhere to the law,” he said.

The body was found by three Kuala Lumpur City Hall workers when they went to the pond at Lorong Gurney, off Jalan Semarak, here, to collect garbage at about 11.30am yesterday. It was pulled out with the help of City Hall’s search and rescue unit. ACP Zakaria said initial investigations revealed that the girl was probably strangled first before her body was dumped in the pond. He said the girl’s body is believed to have been dumped 24 hours before the discovery. There were no other signs of bruises or injuries on the body.

ACP Zakaria said police could not determine if the girl was sexually assaulted because the body was covered with mud. Police have urged those who had missing daughters to come forward. “There has been no missing persons report over in the past 24 hours in the Sentul district,” he said. Nine-year-old Nurin was abducted by an unknown man on Aug 20, 2007. Her brutalized body was found stuffed in a bag on Sept 16.

Another girl, Sharlinie Mohd Nashar, five, went missing from her Taman Medan home on Jan 9, 2008. She has not been found since.

He said Ida was unable to attend yesterday’s hearing because she was undergoing treatment in India. “She will attend the next hearing next month and will submit her defence because she does not agree with the plaintiff’s application,” he said during the proceedings. Sha’arin, a former drummer with local group Blackrose, was also not present in court. He was represented by counsel Mahyuddin Md Zahari.

Syariah judge Mohd Yunus Mohamed Zin postponed the case for re-mention on Jan 22. Lawyers for both parties assured the court that their clients would attend the next proceedings. On Nov 23, Sha’arin informed the court that he was no longer living with Ida. He is said to have divorced Ida on the second day of Hari Raya Aidilfitri. Last June, the former Akademi Fantasia mentor injured her spine after falling down the stairs at her house in Persiaran Syed Putra here. Ida and Sha’arin married in June 2006. The marriage was the second for both of them.

The couple have no children, but Sha’arin has two children, Narissa, 14, and Arman, eight, from his previous marriage.

Datuk Adzhar Sulaiman, 54, faced 28 counts while his daughters:Noradzma, 33, and Noradzrin, 24, faced 166 counts each at a Sessions Court here yesterday. Noradzma is Noradz Travel and Services Sdn Bhd company director while Noradzrin, a Universiti Teknologi Mara final year business management undergraduate, is the agency’s officer. They were accused of committing the offences at various banks between Aug 14 in 2007 and Jan 6 this year.

The father and daughters were alleged to have used the money from illegal proceeds to buy insurance coverage and various investment products, 38 lots of land in Perak and Pahang, and transferred the sum into the accounts of Noradz’s subsidiaries. If convicted, each of them could be fined up to RM5mil or jailed a maximum term of five years or both under the Anti Money-Laundering Act.

Adzhar and Noradzma also face a separate charge each for illegal deposit-taking while holding their respective positions in the family-owned firm, said to have been committed at the company premises at Pandan Jaya between July 2006 and October last year. If found guilty, each of them could be jailed up to 10 years or fined a maximum of RM10mil or both under the Banking and Financial Institution Act. DPP Dzulkifli Ahmad urged the court to set bail at RM1mil each in one surety, saying that the offences are non-bailable.

Lead counsel Abdul Rahim Sinwan, pleading for lower bail, said his clients’ assets amounting to RM52mil had been frozen since October last year. He said his clients’ had been to Bank Negara 30 times to resolve the matter and had co-operated with the central bank throughout the investigations. When Abdul Rahim requested for the prosecution to release the frozen assets, DPP Dzulkifli said it would be “tantamount to another money laundering” if these were used to post bail, causing the court to break into laughter. Sessions Court judge S.M. Komathy Suppiah granted bail at RM1mil in one surety for each accused.

Judge Komathy also ordered them to report to the Pandan Indah police station every month and ordered them to surrender their passports to the court. DPP Dzulkifli and Bank Negara prosecuting officer Alvin Ong also applied for a joint trial application on grounds that it involved the same witnesses and documents. The judge allowed for the joint trial and set Feb 18 for mention.

Selangor police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar said the four babies and a toddler were aged between three months and three years. “Some of them were rescued after those who bought the children surrendered them to the police while the others were found by police,” he told reporters after the launch of the Puchong Perdana police beat base here yesterday.

However, he declined to reveal exactly how many were surrendered and how many were found. Police had earlier rescued five babies — two girls and three boys aged between two weeks and nine months — during Ops Kasih which began early this month. “Police investigators also found that the children had documents which had the names of the couples who bought them. The couples were named as their biological parents,” he said.

On Dec 14, police announced that they had busted the syndicate behind the “baby factory”, with 15 people arrested and five babies rescued. The syndicate “hired” women and made them sleep with men. Nine months later, they would “harvest” the babies born and sell them to childless couples. The “hired” women were from Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam and the babies were sold for between RM15,000 and RM20,000 or more, depending on the looks and health of the infant.

Yesterday, DCP Khalid said seven people, two Malaysian women, and four Indonesian women and an Indonesian man, were also arrested. He said two Indonesian women and the man were arrested on Dec 15, followed by another two Indonesian women on Dec 18. The two Malaysian women were picked up on Sunday. “All are aged between 22 and 36 years and were arrested in the Klang Valley in Kajang, Klang dan Banting,” DCP Khalid said.

He said the two local women were agents in the syndicate while the four Indonesian women were paid to bear the babies for sale. With the arrests, the number of people nabbed has gone up to 22. The 50-year-old “chief operating officer” of the “factory” and her two daughters from Banting were charged in the Klang Sessions Court with selling babies on Dec 16. DCP Khalid said the 10 babies have been sent to welfare homes. “Police investigations into the case are still going on,” he said.

A Nouvelle-Zélande Christmas
Thursday, December 24

Nestled in the comfort of your armchair, you could be forgiven for thinking you were in your own living room, sipping on eggnog, with carolers serenading in the background, as you decide between a revered French or authentic New Zealand Christmas feast that tastes as good as they look.

X’mas Rhapsody
Thursday, December 24

Transcend traditional X’mas dinners with loved ones with an epitomized party scene, all happening at Luna. Satiate your cravings with Spiced Pumpkin & Sweet Potato Soup, Roasted Turkey and trimmings, Braised Lamb with Rosemary & Red Wine, Traditional Trifle with Brandy & Berries, among others, as you revel in the scenic skyline view, complemented by infectious party beats presented by DJ Razor, Triple K and Xavier Xav.

Toast to 2010
Thursday, December 31

Let the night unfold with an exquisite BBQ dinner and toast the year to come sashaying to evocative pulsating beats! DJ Moussa Clarke from UK and DJ Razor is on deck duty at Luna Main Bar while sexy house tunes from DJ Yujin(DJ Yujin’s feature site) & Triple K is the order of the night at Cristallo di Luna.

For reservations or enquiries, please contact Ms. Audrey, 03 2332 7777 ext 6807 or email: fnbadmin@pacific-regency.com or visit www.pacific-regency.com

Subang Jaya police chief ACP Zainal Rashid Abu Bakar, when contacted, said the worker, in his 30s, was missed by a fellow worker at about 3pm and he lodged a police report. The police found the body caught in the grinder, he said, adding that police were trying to establish if there was any criminal element in the incident.

The body had been sent to Serdang Hospital, he said.

They were among 211 people partying to commemorate the centre’s second anniversary when a police team raided the premises at about 3.30am in an operation, code-named “Ops Hiburan”. Head of the Kuala Lumpur police secret society, gambling and vice division (D7) DSP Baharudin Mat Taib said all the patrons took the urine tests, but the results of only 26 of them were positive for syabu, ecstasy, Ketamine and cannabis.

A woman, believed to be an employer at the centre, was also arrested for reviling the policemen,” he added. He said the suspects, aged between 20 and 40s, would be detained to assist police investigation.

The centre, the brainchild of eight friends, was established in September last year. Volunteers meet at the centre’s premises in Bandar Utama every weekend to nurture children from challenged backgrounds and orphanages. Shambala Kidz also launched a “Spell For Charity” event in October which included local celebrities doing their bit to help the less fortunate and special children in the centre.

The children are taught life skills, including languages, and arts such as music and stage acting. Lina said the mentors at Shambala impart their diverse talents and life experiences to mould the children into well-rounded individuals. The mentors include Lina, who is a pranic healer, deejay and TV personality Jojo Struys, model and actress Hannah Lo and Virginia Kennedy, who is the director of an award-winning video and documentary.

Recipients of the donations include Persatuan Kanak-Kanak Istimewa Ampang, Yayasan Sunbeams Home, Persatuan Down Syndrome Malaysia, Agathians Shelter and Bethany Home.

The driver also assaulted Chong Zie Hau and his wife, Tee Siew Yee, both aged 24, before lodging a police report on the incident. Subang Jaya district police chief ACP Zainal Rashid said the driver “disappeared” less than 24 hours after making the report. It is learnt that police went to his house to record a statement but found no one there. Zainal described it as a normal accident that turned into a fight after Chong had an argument with the motorist for refusing to stop after the accident. “They agreed to lodge a police report but before reaching the station, the motorist rammed his car into the pair, who were on the motorcycle,” he said.

The motorist then attacked Chong, who suffered a fractured right leg, broken ribs and collar bone. He also had 12 stitches on his head, while Tee is in the Intensive Care Unit of the Sunway Medical Centre for a fractured skull and possible brain damage. The couple was on the way to a night market on Dec 14 when a car cut into their lane at a T-junction, causing them to crash into a drain. It is learnt that Chong gave chase and caught up with the suspect after a few hundred metres. The two got into an argument, but agreed to lodge police reports. It was on the way to the police station that the motorist rammed his car into the couple and attacked Chong while shouting abuses at him.

Chong and Tee were rushed to Serdang Hospital before being transferred to Sunway Medical Centre. Police have classified the case as attempted murder.

However, police managed to recover part of the stolen jewelry with the arrest of six suspects, including a woman. According to district deputy police chief Superintendent Azri Abdul Rahman, a man went to her house on Nov 28 on the pretext of changing the gas cap. She was alone at the time. “While the man was working in the kitchen, another man, believed to be an accomplice, called the victim on the house phone.”

Identifying himself as a policeman from the Petaling Jaya police headquarters, he instructed her to gather all her jewelry in a white cloth. “The caller told the victim to leave a certain leaf on the bundle to expel toyol and to leave the bundle in a corner of the house.” After the man left, the grandmother went to the corner and found the bundle of jewellery missing. She lodged a report.

Police arrested a 28-year-old convenience store worker in Taman Connought, Cheras, on Dec 16. “Upon questioning, the suspect led us to the caller, a 32-year-old unemployed man, believed to be the mastermind. The man was arrested at a restaurant in Taman Orkid Desa,” he said, adding that by this time the jewelry had already changed hands a few times. Police also arrested four others, believed to have purchased the jewelry. “The jewelry was recovered from a 45-year-old woman. However, most of the diamond stones on the accessories were gone.” All six suspects aged, between 28 and 61, are expected to be charged today.

Judge Datuk Ghazali Cha yesterday ruled that canteen operator Mazlani Mansor, 46, and odd job workers Mohd Sharif Mohd Sahoji, 35, and Hamdan Mohd Kafiah, 29, had knowledge and possession over the drugs. The three were jointly charged with trafficking in 108.796kg of cannabis at a house in Kg Baru here at 1am on Aug 17, 2003.

Ghazali said according to prosecution witnesses, the three men were surrounding the drugs, which were packed in several sacks and red plastics, placed at the kitchen when the police raided the house. “The presence of Sharif and Hamdan at Mazlani’s house in the middle of the night also showed that they have common intention,” he said. “If there was a third party who put the drugs at the house without the suspect’s knowledge, being a responsible citizen, why did the first accused not make a police report as the drugs were found in the open space and not hidden?” Ghazali added.

He said this showed that the three accused had control, possession and knowledge of the drugs. Mazlani, Sharif and Hamdan were represented by counsel T. Vijayandran, Wan M. Rozali Wan A. Kadir and Datuk Baljit Singh respectively. Deputy public prosecutor Nor Amalina Ismail prosecuted.

Ghazali fixed February 11th 2010 for the three accused to enter their defence.

Another ladies night in the making. White Nite features sexy lady DJs Misty and Desire on decks while sessionists Malik and Nizam joins them with instruments.

If you’re wondering why it looks and sounds like a ladies night, it’s because ladies dressed in white gets complimentary cocktails.

Datuk Ti Lian Ker said the “theatrics” of Liow and the 12 leaders were similar to the antics of opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. “Why did Liow orchestrate a very public and political drama of tendering an insufficient number of ‘false resignations’? “Did Liow learn this from Anwar? Is he showing that he is now the boss or diverting attention away from the MACC (Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission) which has questioned his wife? “Is this Liow’s art of media and public diversion at work since he enjoys a good relationship with the media?” he wrote in his blog at www.tilianker.blogspost.com.

On Tuesday, Liow led 12 others to submit their undated resignation letters to secretary-general Datuk Wong Foon Meng. The resignations will only be effective when two-thirds or 21 of the 31 elected members quit. At the same time, Liow’s wife, Datin Seri Lee Sun Loo was questioned by the MACC over allegations that she was given a multi-purpose vehicle as a birthday gift from a company involved in Health Ministry projects.

Ti said there was an understanding among CC members that no one should make any public statement while the committee on fresh elections deliberated on its find-ings before forwarding recommendations to the CC. He said everyone could submit their resignations together to facilitate fresh elections after going through the committee’s recommendations. Ti said the actions of “Liow and company” had obstructed the Greater Unity Plan.

Selangor Assistant Director of the National Anti-Drugs Agency (NADA), Nani Sikin said that as at 11.15pm tonight, 130 motorists and motorcyclists had been checked and ordered to undergo the urine test. “The urine tests conducted on the 130 individuals found that 16 were positive of drugs, including eight who were found positive of ganja.

“All those who were detained were aged between 20 and 40,” he told reporters here. The three-hour operation that began at 9pm also involved personnel from the Road Transport Department (RTD), Police, People’s Volunteer Corps (Rela), the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council besides NADA.

During the operation, the RTD also issued 40 sumonses for various offences such as not having the driving licence and not having valid road tax.

The children were from Pusat Jagaan Titian Kasih in Jalan Titiwangsa and were led by its administrator, Sharifah Adlan.

Nor Fazerah Sraiff, 16, an arts student, could not help but admire the works of her favourite artist. “I am a fan of da Vinci’s works. I have been doing a lot of research on his art pieces for my art class. So when our guardian told us about the excursion a week ago, I was so excited,” said Fazerah as she admired a copy of Mona Lisa.

Da Vinci’s military inventions caught the attention of Mohamad Azuan Mohamad Aziz, 16, “Da Vinci was a genius. It is hard to believe that a person could come up with creative inventions. It was cool to see how the tank was invented.”

This experience was made possible by the New Straits Times, the official media partner of the exhibition, which is open from 9am to 6pm daily, including public holidays. It runs until Jan 17.

A statement from the Malaysia Islamic Development Department (Jakim) said this year’s theme, “Strengthening Fraternity, Empowering the Community”, was in line with the government’s efforts to build a united society based on the 1Malaysia concept. The highlight of the celebration will be the announcement of two Tokoh Maal Hijrah Award winners among local and foreign personalities.

Each of the winners will receive RM100,000, a plaque, medal and certificate of appreciation. Up to last year, 19 individuals from different backgrounds and professions had received the award.

In conjunction with the Maal Hijrah national-level celebration, a special forum, with panellists comprising Ustaz Farid Ravi Abdullah and Ustaz Badli Shah Alaudin, will be held at Masjid Negara today.

There will also be religious talks, gotong-royong, nasyid competitions, visits to Orang Asli settlements, hospitals and orphanages, programmes with the disabled, and a Hijrah Week exhibition.

The winner of this award will receive a RM50,000 scholarship fund sponsored by YTL Corporation. Actors, dancers, musicians, performance artists & singers are all welcomed to apply! It’s open to any Malaysian performing artist below 35 who wants to further their studies in the performing arts.

Download the application form here. For further details, please visit here. Application deadline is 18 December 2009.

City CID chief Senior Asst Comm II Datuk Ku Chin Wah said police recorded statements from three eyewitness in connection with the 31-year-old taxi driver’s case. “Police managed to put together a sketch of the suspect based on the information gathered from the witnesses, as well as from the CCTV footage.” SAC Ku said the three recorded statements were from witnesses who came forward, including one who had contacted the police.

He said police gathered several CCTV recordings from Jalan Raja Laut, Jalan Sultan Ismail and also another recording from the Sime Darby building, here. “We matched the CCTV footage and information from the witnesses before we came up with a photofit which matches up to 65%. “Based on the information gathered, we believe the suspect is a local, height 175cm and is in his mid 30’s,” he added.

The worrying part is that the description is only 65% accurate, by many means, that is not a sure way of identifying the culprit unless they gather those who are close to that description and thoroughly examine each possible suspect.

Carmen, who received donations totaling RM355,442 from The Star readers, had no qualms about handing over the excess funds to fellow Thalassemia patient Leong Jia Kit, 11, who is hoping to get a cord blood transplant soon.

She will be leaving for Taiwan to undergo the transplant next week, said she was happy to help another person in need. “I know what it is like to go for transfusions almost every week. Getting the transplant is our only shot at leading normal lives like other children our age. “I am looking forward to doing regular things like cycling and swimming after my surgery and I am sure Leong (Jia Kit) wishes for the same things, too,” said Carmen, who instantly bonded with Jia Kit when they met for the first time yesterday.

Carmen needed RM270,000 from the total amount raised, will be undergoing surgery and treatment at the Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Linkou, Taiwan, and is expected to remain there for a few months. Lobak assemblyman Anthony Loke Siew Fook, who co-ordinated the fund-raising, expressed his gratitude to those who contributed generously after reading about Carmen’s plight in The Star on Nov 27. “With The Star’s help, we managed to raise enough money for not one but two thalassemia patients in record time. The Sims did not hesitate to pass on the extra funds to Leong (Jia Kit) as they understood the predicament his family is in.

While the success of the Criminal Investigation Department was commendable, Musa also thanked informants who provided crucial information leading to the uncovering of the syndicate. He also urged those with information about the case to come forward and assist in investigations. Police managed to bust the syndicate with the arrest of 15 people. Musa said this after receiving a RM100,000 donation from Henikwon Corporation Sdn Bhd at the federal police headquarters in Bukit Aman here yesterday.

The money will be used to finance the higher education of policemen’s children. The “baby factory” was headed by a private medical centre doctor in Klang where the infants were born. He is said to be on the run following the arrests. The scheme ran for five years in Banting, Kajang and Klang. In Petaling Jaya, Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) said the selling of babies was human trafficking and criticised the act as inhumane, degrading and immoral.

Much has been said about cases such as these, the blame may be put on the perpetrators, however it is also a good notion to know, that it could have been avoided had the cost of living in Malaysia wasn’t raised due to a number of political approvals and votes which has made life a burden for many low income people living in the country, and the government should be aware of this and a “benefit-for-all” concept budget should be implemented well and equal without prejudice.

Lisa is a sweet and beautiful lass who is not afraid to take the plunge into something adventurous and that serves as a new experience to her. Swapping the catwalks and couture designs for the television studio, Lisa S is currently entertaining the region with her music picks as the latest member of the Channel [V] team.

Apart from appearing on Channel [V], Lisa can also be seen as a guest host on Star Movies’ VIP Access, a show offering all the latest news and behind-the-scenes action from Hollywood blockbusters.

The three claimed trial to the offence said to be committed at the Metro Maternity Hospital in Jalan Pasar on Dec 3. The case will be mentioned on Jan 22, 2010.

All three were represented by Muhammad Affendy Mohd Yusof who requested the court to release them as Lim was not in good health, while Bee Ling has a child and Bee Churn has six to care for. But to serve justice according to the severity of the case, Deputy public prosecutors Siti Noorbaya Jamil and Aimi Syaswani Sarmin urged the court not to grant bail.

The despicable thing about the offense is, that the baby-for-sale racket “hired” women from Indonesia, Vietnam and The Philippines and made them have sex with Malaysian native men for then purpose of producing babies.

The racket, which has reportedly been in operation for about five years, would not pay the “hired” women less than the promised amounts for conceiving and delivering, on the excuse that their babies were not good looking enough. According to our earlier post regarding this case, Police arrested 15 people, including the woman also referred to as “Auntie” and rescued five babies who were about to be sold to childless couples for between RM15,000 and RM20,000.

This exhibition showcases auto accessories, car care products, audio systems, auto security, GPS equipment, washing equipment, spray and paint equipment and tyres. Essentially, everything you’ll ever need to look after your wheels. Head on to the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) this 17th till 20th of December 2009 to catch a chance of learning the ropes in auto-care and maintenance from the best there is!

Lew Bee Choo, 41, did not expect to win as the picture of her daughter Kok Wing Yan, now eight-years-old, was a photograph any parent would take of their child. She submitted the photo after her husband told her about the competition. Husband Johny Kok, who is a professional photographer with 20 years of experience, also participated but he only won a merit award. “I think the picture my wife took is very nice. Both of us like to photograph our daughter,” he said.

The competition, organised by the MCA Information and Communications Bureau, was launched in July and was divided into three categories – national unity, history and the art of architecture. More than 1,000 photographs were submitted. Twenty-nine finalists were selected along with 10 photographs each for the merit and excellent awards out of the pool of submissions.

MCA information and communications bureau chief Senator Heng Seai Kie presented the prizes to the winners at Wisma MCA yesterday. Heng said tourists could get a feel of multi-racial and multi-cultural aspects of Malaysia through photographs.

The winning entries are on display at the gallery area on the ground floor from 9am to 5pm.