Pakistani Resident Of New York Pleads Guilty To Arms Exports To Malaysia

A Pakistani man pleaded guilty on Thursday to illegally exporting parts for F-5 and F-14 military fighter jets to Malaysia which prosecutors said may have eventually ended up in Iran.

Jilani Humayun, 60, a Pakistani citizen and resident of Long Island, New York, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Manhattan to conspiracy to illegally export arms and to commit money laundering.

The charges carry a maximum prison term of 30 years and a $1 million fine. But the deal offers Humayun the possibility of a reduced sentence in exchange for full cooperation in future prosecutions related to the scheme.

Humayun is due back in court on Dec. 12. "I knew what I was doing was illegal," Humayun told U.S. District Judge Laura Swain as he leaned heavily against the defense table. His lawyer said Humayun, who has been free on bail, is "in very poor health."

Prosecutors said that in 2003 Humayun unsuccessfully sought a license to export military equipment to a Malaysian company.

But he then set up a company called Vash International and between January 2004 and May 2006 exported to Malaysia F-5 and F-14 fighter-jet parts, as well as Chinook helicopter parts, in 11 unauthorized shipments, prosecutors said.

Humayun told investigators he never knew who the "end users" of the items were, prosecutors said.

Known as the Tomcat, the supersonic F-14 was used by the U.S. Navy as a fighter plane but retired from service in 2006. The United States exported F-14s to Iran in 1976 when Washington still had good relations with Tehran.

Iran is now the only country using the F-14 and is one of many countries which use the F-5.

"As is well-documented in public reports, the sole customer of F-14 parts is the Iranian Air Force," U.S. Attorney Michael Garcia said in a statement at the time of his arrest. (Reuters India)

***** Why do these guys have a penchant for routing through Malaysia, illegal arms purchases destined for the Middle East? Is our security that lax or are we willing participants in terror and fraud? Whatever may be the case, our country's image takes another hit.
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Malaysian Government Must Recognise Sarawak Indigenous People’s Land Rights

The International Fact Finding Mission (IFFM) for Indigenous Peoples'' Land Rights has demanded that the continued arrest of indigenous community leaders by the police, acting in collusion with plantation companies in Sarawak must stop immediately.

The recent arrests of five community leaders in the Kg. Wawasan area with trumped up charges organized by the company with the support of the police reflects the high handedness in which plantation companies violate the native customary rights to land by the indigenous communities.

The International fact finding team consisting of Justice Pana Chand Jain of Centre for Community Economics and Development Consultants Society (CECOEDECON) from India, Ravadee Prasertcharoensuk of Sustainable Development Foundation (SDF) from Thailand and Debra Erenberg of Rainforest Action Network (RAN) from the United States visited over 19 communities consisting of 70 villages and long houses and met with about 825 people from the north to central and south of Sarawak and found that there was continued and systemic organized aggression on indigenous peoples land and rights.

The IFFM team established through interviews with the people, through documented evidence provided by the people and through evidence found in the form of graves, fruit trees and cultivated land that the land areas claimed by the people are native customary rights to land (NCR). There is a pre-existing right.

The team is of the opinion that since the lands are native customary lands through continuous customary practices of cultivation for generations, the land cannot be taken away from the indigenous peoples by the state government nor be leased out to private companies for plantations. This strategy and action constitutes gross violation of indigenous peoples’ rights to NCR land.

The Sarawak Land Code [CAP81] clearly recognizes the NCR lands and has defined the elements that give recognition to native customary rights to land. Further to this the Federal Court decision of Madeli Salleh vs government of Sarawak states very clearly that the customary rights of inhabitants were recognized and accepted by the British crown when it governed Sarawak . It became part of common law. These customary rights therefore are part of common law and thus must be recognized and protected.

Land is life and guarantees the peoples livelihood. The Federal constitution ensures the right to life and livelihood. Thus when the land of the indigenous people are taken away, then their livelihood is gone. As a consequence, it violates the constitutional rights of the indigenous peoples.

Therefore, the IFFM team reiterates that the indigenous peoples struggle to their land is legitimate. It is the responsibility of the state and federal governments to recognize the NCR to land and livelihood. The state can no longer lease indigenous peoples land to plantations or contract farming to companies.

The current intensive and extensive violations of the NCR land is bringing about devastating impact on the lives of the indigenous peoples. The development of oil palm plantations at a rate of 7% covering more than 40% of land in Sarawak has tremendously reduced food production; destroyed the rivers where communities depended on the fish; the pollution of the rivers, particularly with highly hazardous pesticides and the environment has affected the health of communities with increase in diseases.

The insatiable expansion of this monocrop has destroyed the forests with the resultant loss of biodiversity that has even further affected the dependence of the indigenous communities for their livelihood. With the imminent global crisis on food, the indigenous communities will further face impoverishment and poverty.

The use of palm oil for agrofuel is a threat to food production and is one of the contributing factors of the current global food crisis. The increase demand for agrofuel has led to intensive expansion which has brought about deforestation, consequently impacting on climate change. It is crucial that Sarawak protects the rainforest as the last few rainforests left in the world.

We are very concerned about the increased violence and harassment on the indigenous communities especially on the leaders by the companies involved in expanding the plantations. Such form of violence can only intensify the conflict without a due process and a people centered conflict resolution. It therefore demands people’s participation through a democratic process for peaceful resolution. (MyNews.in)

***** We should be ashamed that such cruelty is being perpetrated in our 'democratic' nation. The money hungry politician-businessman-police nexus is evil and should be exposed and destroyed. But who can do it? The federal government does not have the political will, the Sarawak state government leaders are probably active participants in this fraud and the cops are as guilty as hell.

Only by continually highlighting the brutality of the authorities and plantation owners, especially on the Internet, can the greedy power brokers there be prodded to cease and desist.

Pakistan's 'Prince Of Pop' Kidnapped, Then Released

Pakistani pop singer Ali Zafar and his fiancée were kidnapped from outside a shop here and then released after their families paid a huge ransom.

Zafar, a model, actor and painter, is often referred to as "Prince of Pop". Over the years he has belted out several hits like Channo , Rangeen , Chal Dil Merey and Dekha and more recently Masty and Sajania .

An unidentified man abducted Zafar and his fiancée Aisha from outside a CD shop on Saturday. Soon after, a call for ransom was made to Zafar's family, who paid up Rs 2.5 million to free the couple, reports in the local media said.

The kidnapper forced them at gunpoint into the singer's car and made him drive for three hours on various roads.

After getting the ransom money the kidnapper left the couple near Chauburgi and disappeared with their mobile phones and Zafar's car.

A case was lodged with police, who have since found Zafar's car. (Times Of India)

9-Year-Old Girl In Pakistan Forced To Marry 35-Year-Old Cousin

A nine-year-old girl was allegedly forced to marry her 35-year-old physically handicapped cousin to settle a gambling debt.

The incident took place in Akhtarabad near Okara on Tuesday.

The husband is the girl’s cousin and cannot hear or speak. The girl’s father owed gambling money to his sister-in-law’s husband and in exchange married off his daughter to his sister-in-law’s son. (Daily Times, Pakistan)

***** Disgusting! Thank Al..., ooops sorry, GOD we don't have such problems in Malaysia. Or do we?
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Viagra Seized From Bangladeshi Haj Pilgrims

Customs officials at the Zia International Airport here have seized large quantities of Viagra, other banned drugs, pornographic material and precious stones that Haj pilgrims were trying to smuggle out of the country.

Reports of seizures and arrests have come even as authorities are struggling to send the pilgrims on the journey to Saudi Arabia amidst chaos caused by disruption of flight schedules of the ailing national carrier Bangladesh Biman International.

Long delays have led to angry demonstrations by the pilgrims, media reports said.

A joint task force of customs and the Bangladesh Air Force seized over 5,000 Viagra and Munish pills, prescription drugs used for treating male impotence, from the luggage of a Haj pilgrim on Nov 22. More than 6,000 precious stones were seized Tuesday from the luggage of another pilgrim, the Daily Star reported Wednesday.

In two separate drives Tuesday, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) seized illegal drugs worth about $320,000 and 50,000 CDs with pornographic movies.

Humayun Kabir, additional commissioner of customs at the international airport, said during luggage scanning the joint task force discovered large quantities of banned pharmaceutical drugs and 47 cans of zarda (chewing tobacco) inside the luggage of a man called Shahdur Rahman at a camp where pilgrims are housed before making the journey.

Rahman, however, managed to leave for Jeddah. The customs commissioner said he had asked the immigration officials here to arrest him on his return.

Humayun said they found the precious gems while scanning the luggage of another pilgrim, Ali Azam. The luggage had 696 rings studded with precious stones and 5,968 other gems hidden inside.

During interrogation, Azam confessed to smuggling out gems while in the guise of a pilgrim for the last four years. (DNA)
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ACA Closes Probe Into Ex-CM Osu Sukam’s RM28 Million Debts. Why Am I Not Surprised?

The Anti-Corruption Agency has closed investigations into former Sabah chief minister Tan Sri Osu Sukam’s gambling debts amounting to RM28mil as there was insufficient evidence.

Movement for Democracy and Anti-Corruption (Gerak) chairman Ezam Mohd Nor said the ACA had informed him that it could not trace the source of the money Osu used during his gambling spree in various overseas casinos.

“When I told them that such a high debt was enough to prosecute, I was told that it was difficult to verify the source of the money,” he said.

Ezam, who went to see ACA investigations director Mohd Shukri Abdull yesterday for updates on several cases that Gerak had reported over the years, was briefing pressmen on the outcome of the meeting.

Osu allegedly accumulated the huge debt with a casino in Britain between February and November 2002, but according to a report had somehow succeeded in repaying some RM21mil of the RM28mil debt. (The Star)

***** Bloody hell! The same old 'insufficient evidence' bullshit by the ACA. Yet these very buggers in the ACA, out on a witch hunt, could easily trace that the former Sabah police commissioner Datuk Ramli Yusoff had diverted a police aircraft for his personal use.

Osu Sukam's reputation and misdeeds precede him and by right there should have been no problem at all in nailing this corrupt bastard. Why should it have been so difficult to find out where he got the millions to feed his addiction for gambling?

This surrender by the ACA to the Umno leadership will only encourage our Hadhari practising pemimpin to make hundreds of millions more secara haram and use it for non-halal purposes. That big buaya sitting pretty in Kota Kinabalu must be smiling happily. If an idiot like Osu can get away with it, then there is no problem for the wily fox.
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Man Convicted Of Criminal Breach Of Trust Given Malacca Datukship!

A former state agency official who was awarded a datukship on Monday by Malacca was convicted of criminal breach of trust in 1995.

Former international manager of Malacca International Trade Centre, Hasnoor Sdg Husin, was found guilty and convicted of criminal breach of trust and was sentenced to nine months’ jail by a Sessions Court here on April 28, 1995, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said.

He appealed and the High Court in Malacca set aside the sentence and replaced it with one day's jail and a RM1,500 fine or six months' jail, Lim said during a press conference here yesterday.

Hasnoor did not appeal against the conviction and paid the fine.

When contacted, Hasnoor said he had nothing to comment except that the award was given by the state.

He received the Darjah Mulia Seri Melaka (DMSM) on Monday in conjunction with the 69th birthday celebrations of Yang di-Pertua Negri Tun Mohd Khalil Yaakob.

Lim said he received many letters from the people who expressed unhappiness that a convicted person had been given the datukship.

Malacca Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam's officers, when contacted, said the DAP had similarly raised the issue when Hasnoor was appointed to a government post a few years ago. (The Star)

***** Bloody hell! Is there no limit to the atrocities of these bastards?

Bali Bombers' Only Regret Is That Muslims Died In The Attack

The three Indonesians sentenced to die for the 2002 Bali blasts, which killed more than 200 people, say they are ready to be executed and their only regret is that Muslims died in the attack.

The three militants - Imam Samudra, Mukhlas and Amrozi, who was dubbed "the smiling bomber" because of his constant grin during the trial - are being held at Indonesia's top security Batu Prison off the southern coast of Java.

They met family members yesterday in what is likely to be the last such visit before they are executed by firing squad.

"People ask me, why am I smiling? I am happy because I will be united with 72 angels in heaven," said Amrozi.

"In the past I have killed many with my bombs. I have been tested by spending time in this prison, but if you make infidels angry you will be rewarded. And soon I will enjoy the fruit of my deeds, if I get executed, God willing," he said.

The two blasts on Bali's Kuta strip on October 12, 2002, one at Paddy's Bar, the other at the Sari Club, killed 202 people including 88 Australians and 38 Indonesian citizens.

The attacks were blamed on southeast Asian militant group Jemaah Islamiah.

Amrozi, a motorcycle mechanic, his brother Mukhlas, and Imam Samudra were the only three involved in the bombings to be sentenced to death.

"My brother Amrozi was visited by a dead friend in a dream last night, who told him a flying creature with a golden saddle is waiting to take him to heaven. This is why we will not ask for pardon," Mukhlas said. (Gulf News)

***** Mental illness manifests itself in many ways, occasionally comedic while at other times with tragic consequences.
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Canadian Paedophile Suspect, Christopher Paul Neil Arrested In Thailand

Canadian paedophile suspect Christopher Paul Neil, accused of raping young boys in Vietnam and Cambodia and unmasked by a unique Interpol Internet appeal, was arrested in Thailand on Friday, police said.

Neil, 32, was arrested in the early hours of the morning after a nationwide police manhunt. He fled South Korea to Thailand last week.

The Canadian Embassy declined to comment. The suspect's hometown was not immediately known.

Investigators have been hunting the man for three years, since German police discovered online photographs of him abusing underage Asian boys.

The man's face was initially disguised behind a digitalized swirl but German police recreated an image of the man's face and released four reconstructed photos of him last week.

Interpol issued its first-ever global appeal for public help last week and said that more than 350 people supplied tips to authorities worldwide.

Thailand was at the centre of an international manhunt, and authorities in the country, in co-operation with Interpol and police around the world lost no time in tracking him down to face justice.
(Image Source - Interpol/Reuters)

Nurin's Father Claims Her Body For Burial

An emotional Jazimin Abdul Jalil finally came to terms with the death of his daughter Nurin Jazlin Jazimin and was at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital mortuary Friday morning to claim her body for burial.

Jazimin, who yesterday adamantly refused to accept that the girl's body found stuffed in a sports bag was that of his missing eight-year-old daughter despite the DNA test proving otherwise, could not control his emotions and was in tears as he went through the procedures of claiming the body of Nurin, a victim of brutal murder and sexual abuse.

Jazimin, clad in a pink "baju Melayu" and black trousers, accompanied by family members and relatives, was handed Nurin's body at 11.15am. After a short prayer, the body was taken to a van.

At the family's house in Section One, Wangsa Maju, Nurin's mother, Norazian Bistaman anxiously waited for her husband's return with their daughter, fondly called "Kak Ngah" by family members and neighbours. Nurin was buried after Friday prayers at the Wangsa Maju Muslim cemetery.

Yesterday, police confirmed the results of the DNA test done on the blood samples taken from the dead girl matched that of Jazimin, 33, and Norazian, 35. However, Nurin's parents were doubtful over the findings and asked for a second DNA test. The outcome will be known on Sunday.

Nurin, a Standard Two pupil of Sekolah Kebangsaan Desa Setapak, was missing since Aug 20 when she went to a night market near her home in Wangsa Maju on her own. She was last seen being dragged into a white van by a man.

On Monday, an employee of a book distribution company found a sports bag at the bottom of a staircase of a shoplot in PJS1/48, Petaling Utama, and brought into her working place, thinking that it belonged to her boss. (Bernama)

***** This is such a very, very sad occurrence as all tragedies are. Our prayers for and condolences to her parents and family. May The Almighty give them the strength they badly need at this terrible time in their lives.
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Update: CID Director Heads Special Probe Team On Nurin's Murder - IGP

Police Have Leads To Solve Nurin's Murder, Says IGP

Police have leads to trace the suspect in the brutal murder of eight-year-old Nurin Jazlin Jazimin whose body was found stuffed in a sports bag in Petaling Jaya on Monday, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan said today.

He said that police have so far identified one suspect involved in the murder.

"We cannot say for sure that it is the work of a serial killer but we have some information and leads," he told reporters after attending a meeting on children's issues at the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry, here.

"Up to now, we have identified only one person involved in the murder but we cannot reveal the identity," he said.

Nurin Jazlin's naked body was found outside a shophouse at Jalan PJS 1 on Monday, a month after the Standard Two pupil of Sekolah Rendah Kebangsaan Desa Setapak was reported missing on Aug 20 when she went alone to a night market near her house in Section 1, Wangsa Maju. (Bernama)

***** While there is still some apprehension about whether it really is Nurin, the second DNA test which will be performed soon should set aside all doubts and assist the parents in coming out of from an understandable state of denial. The whole nation awaits the police action to be taken and the speedy arrest of the brutal perpetrator(s) of this heinous, inhuman act.
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Hair Strands May Hold Key To Identity Of Sexual Predator

Loose hair strands found on a girl whose sexually-assaulted body was stuffed inside a sports bag in Petaling Jaya yesterday, may hold the key to the killer's identity.

Bernama learnt that the strands and the unidentified victim's blood sample have been sent for DNA tests to facilitate investigations into the murder.

A post-mortem at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital revealed that the insertion by the assailant, of an entire cucumber and a brinjal inside her vagina, ruptured her rectum and caused bacterial infection.

The victim, aged between six and nine, was found in the bag which was abandoned at the staircase of a three-storey shoplot in PJS 1/48.

The brutal murder has prompted the police to review the case of the 'Kampung Baru Molester' who has eluded the police for the past three months. It is believed the wanted man is linked to two cases of molest, where the victims, aged between five and six, were sexually attacked with brinjals after he convinced them to look for his missing cat.

Earlier at a Press conference, Brickfields police chief ACP Arjunaidi Mohamed said police had not ruled out the involvement of the `Kampung Baru Molester' in the murder.

He appealed to families of missing children to contact the police to assist them in their probe, adding that Brickfields police were also liasing with other district police chiefs over the murder of the girl. Arjunaidi described the victim as curly-haired, of fair complexion and weighing 18kg, with a birth-mark on her left thigh.

"We are also checking the images recorded by a closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera installed at the corridor of the premises," he added.

Those with information on the murder are requested to call the Petaling Jaya police headquarters at 03- 79662222. (Bernama)

***** What the hell is going on in our once safe and peaceful country? Our troubles seem to be mounting from every sphere of our lives. When small children are so brutally assaulted and murdered it pains every single person in this country. Where have the sickos emerged from?

I hope the police will deploy their best men on this investigation and get the deranged lunatic(s) who did this behind bars at the earliest. It was announced that a RM20,000 reward has been offered on the person or persons responsible for the brutal crime.
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LINK: Police looking for a woman in her 20s.

Former IGP Tun Hanif's House Burgled

Former Inspector General of Police Tun Hanif Omar's house in USJ 12 was burgled at 6.30am this morning. Fortunately nobody was harmed during the burglary. All that the thieves managed to get away with were a DVD player and a bunch of keys.

However it seems a little odd that there are quite a number of senior police officials, mostly retired, whose houses have been targeted in the recent past. Is there a pattern to these apparently random thefts or is there something more sinister?

Only yesterday the former IGP had opined that the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) should be independent of the executive. Tun Hanif has also lately been outspoken on corruption in the police force. Could this and other burglaries at the homes of these senior police officers be a veiled threat by certain 'interested' quarters? A sort of warning not to rock the perahu as well as to show that his status as former top cop does not guarantee his safety and that he is as vulnerable as the next guy? Your guess is as good as mine.
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Well Done SAC (I) Datuk Mohd Mokhtar Mohd Shariff

Police have arrested two men under the Internal Security Act (ISA) for allegedly sending SMSes to spread rumours about race riots in the state. The two men, in their 20s, were arrested yesterday following police reports lodged over the matter over the past few days.

It is learnt that more are expected to be picked up as investigations into the case progressed.

Acting state police chief Senior Asst Comm (I) Datuk Mohd Mokhtar Mohd Shariff confirmed the arrests and said investigations were being carried out under Section 28 of the Internal Security Act. “I wish to stress here that security in the state is under control and that the SMSes and e-mails being circulated are purely rumours and malicious,” he said.

SAC I Mokhtar said the police would not hesitate to take action against anyone for spreading or forwarding such messages including investigating them under the ISA.

It is learnt that as a precautionary measure, police have stepped up patrols around the city and have even increased roadblocks.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said that there was no truth to the rumours of a race riot in the country. He said the SMS messages of racial clashes in Pasir Gudang, Johor, which had been circulating since Monday were “lies, lies and nothing more than lies.”

***** That was indeed fast! As many of you would be aware, one such SMS which was circulated claimed that that the kaum India would be causing trouble and perpetrating violence at Pasir Gudang. It advised that Malays be very careful, exercise vigilance and stay indoors or at least away from that area on the 29th and 30th of August! I wonder what could have been the purpose of implicating one race group and scaring another and could there be some bigger dalang behind these SMS-sending idiots?

It is to the credit of the acting Johor CPO Mohd Mokhtar that he has taken speedy action and nabbed the guilty rumour mongering bastards. The authorities should now proceed to immediately charge these scum in court and let them languish in jail without continuing to resort to the ISA.

In the past fortnight as our newspapers have been reporting, the acting CPO has cracked down on criminals on several fronts. This is in sharp contrast to the earlier chap (I wonder what happened to him) when the Johor police looked jaded and lethargic. These days we find few opportunities to congratulate the police, especially its senior officers. We need efficient pegawai2 kanan like Mohd Mokhtar. Well done.
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Royal Malaysia Police Now 'Famous' In Indonesia!

Police are still investigating a report on an alleged assault by four plainclothes policemen on an Indonesian karate official at Nilai near here early Friday morning.

Negeri Sembilan Police Chief Datuk Mohd Noh Kandah said the case was investigated under Section 323 of the Penal Code for causing hurt.

"We have received two reports regarding the incident, one from the victim and the other from the police," he said when contacted Tuesday.

However, he declined to comment on the incident which had received extensive coverage in the Indonesian newspapers, especially Sinar Harapan.

The official, who is Indonesia's chief karate umpire Donald Pieter Luther Kolopita, was allegedly handcuffed and assaulted by four men said to be policemen while walking back to his hotel in Nilai.

Kolopita was here to attend the recently concluded 8th Asian Karate Championship at the Nilai Indoor Stadium.

The Indonesian team pulled out from the championship at the last minute due the alleged assault.

Kolopita alleged that four men, said to be policemen, had jumped out of a van, arrested and beat him up while onlookers dared not come to his aid.

Meanwhile, Negeri Sembilan Youth and Sports Action Committee chairman Datuk Jamlus Aziz said the state government viewed the case seriously and asked police to speed up their investigations. (Bernama)

***** As if the IGP doesn't have enough on his hands, now this criminal act by our cops threatens to become an international incident. But if Zak Mad Deros can get away scot free from dozens of charges in court, one wonders if the same should not apply to samseng policemen. After all if guilty-as-hell politicians are not punished why should low level policemen be brought to book? Semuanya will ultimately be ok! Unless of course our abang2 in Jakarta decide to do a little testicle squeezing.
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Related report: President Yudhoyono calls on Malaysia to punish Indonesian referee's attackers.

Indonesia Demands Action Over Abused Maids In Malaysia

The Indonesian government on Wednesday upped the pressure on Malaysia to take swift action against abusive employers after the death of an Indonesian maid working in Kuala Lumpur.

The beaten body of 24-year-old Kunasir was found last week. Police are currently investigating a Malaysian couple for her murder.

"We need the Malaysian government to take swift action on this case. This cannot go on as there are just too many cases where our people have been mistreated," said A.M. Fachir, the Indonesian deputy chief of mission here.

In another recent case, an Indonesian maid climbed out of the window of a high-rise apartment in the Malaysian capital to escape an abusive employer. Fachir pointed to another case of an Indonesian maid who escaped violent employers four years ago.

The abusers were charged by police but have not yet been tried in court, while the maid remains in limbo in Kuala Lumpur, Fachir told a press conference at the Indonesian embassy.

Fachir also said the law seemed to be weighted against domestic workers, citing a recent case where a maid caught stealing 800 dollars was jailed for seven years.
"But serious cases involving Malaysia employers have yet to be tried and many times forgotten," he said.

Malaysia relies heavily on foreign workers for menial jobs, and the Indonesian embassy says about 300,000 Indonesian maids are employed here.

While local authorities have denied abuses are on the rise, the Indonesian embassy said more than 1,000 abused or unpaid workers seek refuge in its compound every year.

In the press conference on Tuesday, Zulkifli Dahlan, president of Malaysia's Foreign Workers' Agencies Association, said Kunasir had not gone through the proper training and was thus more susceptible to exploitative employers. "Malaysia is trying very hard to clamp down on this and the government has given us the authority to stamp out these problems," he said. (Channel Newsasia)

***** I suppose that the attention of the authorities and the judiciary is now focused on the Mongolian model murder trial. It wouldn't look very good if the C4 users are freed on some pretext or the other while the cruel employer of foreign maids is severely punished. By right the government should make it clear that maid abusing is not on and those found guilty will face the harshest punishment. Make an example of a few of the really cruel bastards and hopefully the others will think twice before they resort to serious abuse of these vulnerable foreigners.
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Pirates Attack Malaysian Barge In Malacca Strait, Kidnap 2 Indon Crew

Armed pirates attacked a Malaysian barge in the Malacca Strait and kidnapped two Indonesian crew, in the first high sea abduction in the busy waterway in over two years, a global maritime watchdog said Tuesday.

The incident late Monday marked the third pirate attack in the strait this year, but the first since July 2005 in which ship crew were kidnapped, said Noel Choong, head of the International Maritime Bureau's piracy reporting center in Kuala Lumpur.

The barge was carrying steel billets from Malaysia's northern state of Penang to Belawan in Indonesia, Choong said, when it was raided by some 10 gun-toting pirates.

They destroyed all communication equipment on board before fleeing with the ship master and chief engineer, both Indonesian, he said. Another six Indonesian crew were unharmed, he said, adding that the vessel is now in Belawan for investigation.

"The modus operandi was similar to the heyday when pirates kidnapped the most senior crew and demanded ransom," Choong told The Associated Press. "There are no demands for ransom yet but we are concerned that this could be the start of a series of kidnap and ransom cases like what we see before July 2005," he said. "We hope the Indonesian authorities will take immediate action to contain this problem."

The strait is notorious for robberies and hijackings, but the number of attacks has fallen since Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore, which share the waterway, launched coordinated maritime and air patrols in recent years to curb piracy.

Some 65,000 vessels pass through the Malacca Strait each year, carrying half the world's oil and more than a third of its commerce. (International Herald Tribune)
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Join Uniformed Bodies To Curb Student Indiscipline, Says Khir Toyol. What About Rogue Politicians?

The Selangor government has asked secondary schools in the state to encourage students to participate in uniformed bodies as an approach to tackle indiscipline.

Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo said the state government had allocated more than RM2 million for schools for the purchase of the uniforms.

He said this to reporters after the weekly state executive council meeting when asked to comment on disciplinary problems among students, including the Aug 1 incident where a Form Two student of Sekolah Menengah Section 24/2 here had injured a classmate with a knife.

Another incident involved two Form One students of Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Methodist Telok Datuk, Banting who set fire to the school's office last Friday.

Dr Mohamad Khir said schools with disciplinary problems should have more uniformed bodies and have their students join them as this could discipline them as well as expose them to rules and regulations. (Bernama)

***** At a time when student indiscipline, gangsterism and acts of violence are on the rise, Toyol's suggestion is a good one. But there is no easy quick fix solution to this perennial problem. Parents have to do their bit. No point producing a dozen kids, blaming such unbridled fertility on God and carrying on without a care for the future of these children.

While on the subject, what about boorish and uncouth politicians who were probably the products of irresponsible parents? Should we not send them to some hybrid Cadet Corp-cum-School of Diplomacy to instill a semblance of culture and refinement? And how can we ignore the mercenaries among the politicians? The plainly crooked and corrupt? Would they not see the light if we were to make a stint in some police college a compulsory requirement prior to entering politics and berjuang-ing for the rakyat?

It's never too late to institute reform and positive change. Will Toyol take the lead and be the first to enrol?
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New York Man Arrested For Illegally Exporting Weapons, Jet Fighter Parts, To Malaysia

A U.S. man was arrested Thursday on charges that he illegally exported weapons to a company in Malaysia, including fighter jet parts that were likely to end up in the hands of Iran, federal authorities announced.

Jilani Humayun, 59, was arrested at his home and charged with 11 counts of violating the Arms Export Control Act, one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Collectively, the charges carry a potential jail term upon conviction of 150 years in prison.

In papers filed in U.S. District Court in Manhattan, federal authorities said Humayun formed a company, Vash International Inc., in January 2004 to export defense equipment including tanks, guided missiles and rocket launchers. They said that on 11 separate occasions between January 2004 and May 2006, Humayun used Vash to export to an unidentified company in Malaysia F-5 and F-14 fighter jet parts and Chinook Helicopter parts.

In a release, prosecutors said Humayun admitted to federal agents that he did not know who the "end users" were for the items that were shipped. They said he also admitted that he undervalued the shipments on his export paperwork so that the company could avoid paying Malaysian customs duties.

U.S. Attorney Michael J. Garcia said it is well documented in public reports that the sole customer of F-14 parts is the Iranian Air Force. "The details of the crime with which Jilani Humayun is charged are particularly disturbing, as he is alleged to have knowingly shipped technology as dangerous as F-5 and F-14 parts to Malaysia without any regard for the ultimate destination," Garcia said.

Charles W. Beardall, director of the criminal investigative service in the U.S. Department of Defense, called the illegal export of U.S. military technology and weapons "one of the most significant and growing threats to our national security."

Humayun was expected to appear in federal court later Thursday. It was not immediately clear who would represent him. (International Herlad Tribune)

***** Now I wonder to WHOM the unidentified Malaysian company belongs to. Are we a conduit or an unsuspecting victim? Anyone wants to hazard a guess?

Which Crook(s) Hacked This Website?

A special website, SUARA RAKYAT, set up by the Insolvency Department to receive public complaints on Credit Tip Off Service Sdn Bhd (CTOS), has been hacked into by certain quarters.

Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk M. Kayveas said certain quarters had attempted to hack into the website, set up last Thursday, to transfer the data stored.

He said the hackers also attempted to channel the complaints sent to the Insolvency website to an undetected website.

"The hacking is done meticulously that the e-mails sent by complainants automatically go to the undetected website and not to the Insolvency website," he said in a statement today. Kayveas said following this discovery, the department was forced to transfer some of the data to a safer website.

"I shall not be hampered by such a tactic, but will continue to ensure that those who have been victimised by CTOS, especially those who were blacklisted, get justice," he added. He said those who had complaints against CTOS could do so at the Insolvency website where the safety features had been upgraded to prevent further hacking.

Last June 25, Kayveas issued a statement that the government had never issued a licence for CTOS to search for and provide information on individuals' financial background.

He said one of the complaints against CTOS was that it was still using out-dated information which resulted in some people not being able to get bank loans.

***** Whoever masterminded the hacking attempt must be a big time crook with little respect for the law. That the person(s) responsible for this were very curious about the complaints being made against CTOS is evident. Now WHO could be THAT interested about such complaints? Hmmm.

By the way does anyone know what kind of political connections CTOS has? What is the background of the company’s chief executive officer, Chung Tze Keong (pic)? Do you think that Chung and/or some of his colleagues could have been responsible for the hacking job?
Image Source:
1) Hacking
2) Chung
Update (7/6/07):
1) Credit status issue: CTOS officials to be charged.
2) CTOS Directors, Secretaries Facing 85 Charges Under Companies Act.