WILL

IT

BE

SUFFICIENT ? Ismail Yurdakok ismailyurdakok@gmail.com

D ecember 14, 2011: RELA, CIVIL DEFENCE DEPARTMENT, POLICE TO HOLD JOINT PATROLS KUALA LUMPUR: Some 40,000 members of three government agencies Rela, Civil Defen ce Department and police will be deployed to conduct joint crime prevention roun ds, starting next month. Home Ministry's Sec-Gen Tan Sri Mahmood Adam said the t hree agencies would pool their resources together to curb crime activities. They would be conducting the operations in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Johor and Penang. Currently, some 5,000 members of the three agencies are conducting crime prevent ion patrolling in Sabah and Sarawak as well as in the city, he said this after la unching a joint patrolling at Taman Tun Dr Ismail (TTDI) Wednesday. http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/12/14/nation/20111214141149&sec= nation December 9, 2011: Five crime reduction NKPI achievable, says Home Ministry sec-gen PUTRAJAYA: The Home Ministry is confident that the five National Key Performance Indicators (NKPI) to reduce crime this year would be achieved. Secretary-genera l Tan Sri Mahmood Adam said this was based on the latest crime index which showe d a downward trend. "As what had been promised, we will ensure that the crime in dex goes down by five percent every year," he told reporters. During the briefin g on National Key Result Areas (NKRA) in conjunction with the programme, Bukit A man NKRA implementation division head Supt Dennis Lim Kwang Keng said four of th e five targets had already been achieved. "These include the crime index reducti on by 10.1 percent this year as at October, compared to the corresponding period last year," he said. He said as at October, street crime was reduced by 40.6 pe rcent, surpassing the 40 percent target while prosecution cases rose to 23.6 per cent as compared with the 20 percent target. BERNAMA http://thestar.com.my/n ews/story.asp?file=/2011/12/9/nation/20111209210056&sec=nation Monday December 19, 2011 ARMED ROBBERS FORCE THEIR WAY INTO HOUSE

TANGKAK: Two robbers armed with knives forced a 19-year-old woman to open the do or to her house in Taman Sentosa near here. The incident happened when Lee Siau Yan was returning home after sending her sick mother to the Tangkak Hospital at about 5.30am yesterday. The robbers, who were waiting in a car outside the house , jumped out and rushed towards the girl when she was about to open the front do or. Ledang acting police chief Deputy Supt Mohd Salleh Abdul Razak said the robb ers then ransacked the house and carted away a laptop, desktop, RM40, two mobile phones, some jewellery and an old Mercedes car, valued at about RM40,000. The r obbers, believed to be locals, also damaged one of the closed-circuit television cameras in the house. DSP Mohd Salleh urged those with information to call 06-9 78 1222 or the nearest police station. http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file =/2011/12/19/nation/10123948&sec=nation 10 December 2011 ARMED ROBBERS CART AWAY RM 10,000 JEWELLERY KLANG: A group of armed robbers with parang and axes robbed a jewellery store he re before escaping with jewellery worth RM10,000 in a daring heist at Tengku Kel ana, here,yesterday.According to Klang Selatan district police chief Assistant C ommissioner Mohamad Mat Yusop said the robbery occurred about 8.15pm which saw four men came into the shop before smashing the display case that contain the je wellery. He added within five minutes, the robbers had escaped with two gold nec klaces, a pair of gold earrings and two gold rings before escaping in a black-co loured Proton Saga. " During the time of the incident, there were only the shopowner and three workers. There was no customer during the time of the incident," he told reporters outside the crime scene. Mat Yusop said investigations were o

n-going and that the hunt for the car has been begun. "We are trying gather mo re information on the case and the search for the suspects is on. " We will also watch the CCTV recordings at the jewellery store of the suspects during the rob bery," he added. Read more: Armed Robbers Cart Away RM10,000 Jewellery - General - New Straits Ti mes http://www.nst.com.my/local/general/armed-robbers-cart-away-rm10-000-jewelle ry-1.17392#ixzz1g72Y0YwN 30 November 2011 RAMMING HOME THE MESSAGE ON VALUE OF WOMEN ONE IN THREE WOMEN IS A VICTIM OF VIOLENCEO and it is time to fight b ack with 16 days of activism. VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLS TOUCHES MALAYSIA just as it does every other nation. Gender-based violence is a global pandemic that cuts across all borders -- ethnicity, race, socio-economic status and religion. It can threaten women and girls at any point in their life -- fro m female foeticide and inadequate access to education and nutrition to child mar riage, incest, so-called "honour" killings and dowry-related murder. Globally, a s well as in Malaysia, it can take the form of domestic violence, rape (includin g spousal rape), sexual exploitation and abuse, trafficking in persons, or the n eglect and ostracism of widows. One in three women around the world will experie nce some form of gender-based violence in her lifetime. In some countries that n umber is as high as 70 per cent. This year, we once again mark "16 days of activ ism against gender violence", commencing last Friday with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and ending on Dec 10 with Internat ional Human Rights Day. Whether it happens behind closed doors or in public, and whether in our own neig hbourhoods or distant shores, violence against women and girls damages us all - men and women alike. We must stand up to the impunity that too often leaves the most egregious perpet rators unaccountable for their crimes. We must redress the low status of women a nd girls around the world that renders them undervalued and vulnerable. Further, we must support the inclusion of men and boys in addressing and preventing viol ence and changing gender attitudes, increase accountability and commitment by co mmunity and government leaders on this issue, as well as highlight and promote e ffective programmes that are already successfully at work. These 16 days are a sobering reminder that gender-based violence cannot be treat ed as solely a women's issue -- it is a profound challenge for the entire world. Gender-based violence is not just an affront to human rights and dignity -- it adversely impacts the welfare of our communities. When women and girls are abuse d, businesses close, incomes shrink, families go hungry and children grow up int ernalising behaviour that perpetuates the cycle of violence. There is no end to the economic and detrimental social and health costs that com e along with this brutality. Consider the costs incurred for substantial medical and legal services as a result of injury and abuse. Or calculate the costs of l ost household productivity and reduced income stemming from the forfeit of paid working days. As many women often work in "the informal economy" selling market goods or working as domestics, such costs are often hidden -- even in plain sigh t. This damage is passed on to the rest of the community as judicial, health and security services are strained. Violence effectively acts as a cancer on societ ies, causing enormous upheaval in the progress of social and economic developmen t. Physical violence vastly increases women's risk for a range of serious condit ions, including reproductive health problems, miscarriages and sexually transmit ted diseases, such as HIV. There are also strong links to maternal mortality, a s well as poor child health and morbidity. Beyond the individual pain and suffering, gender-based violence has a range of e

conomic effects at the national level, such as foregone foreign investment and r educed confidence in a given country's institutions. No country or part of the w orld is immune to these costs. A 1995 study in Canada estimated the annual direc t price of violence against women at more than C$1 billion a year in judicial, p olice, and counselling costs. A 2004 study in the United Kingdom projected the t otal direct and indirect costs of domestic violence to STG23 billion per year, or STG440 per person. And in the United States, the cost of violence against wom en alone exceeds US$5.8 billion (RM18.6 billion) per year. Another US$4.1 billio n is spent on direct medical and healthcare services, with productivity losses a ccounting for another US$1.8 billion. Although investing resources in the preven tion and prosecution of acts of aggression against women may cost money upfront, it pays enormous dividends in the long run. The United States' Violence Against Women Act, which strengthened efforts to investigate and prosecute such crimes, has been estimated to have saved more than US$16 billion since its enactment in 1994. The majority of these savings has stemmed from averted survivors' costs. These 16 days offer an opportunity to renew the commitment to free women and gir ls from the nightmare of violence, whether the abuse occurs in the home behind c losed doors, or in the open fields of armed conflict. Countries cannot progress when half their populations are marginalised and mis treated, and subjected to discrimination. When women and girls are accorded thei r rights and afforded equal opportunities in education, healthcare, employment, and political participation, they lift up their families, their communities, and their nations -- and act as agents of change. As Secretary of State Hillary Cli nton recently noted, "Investing in the potential of the world's women and girls is one of the surest ways to achieve global economic progress, political stabili ty, and greater prosperity for women -- and men -- the world over". Read more: Ramming home the message on value of women - Columnist - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/opinion/columnist/ramming-home-the-message-on-valueof-women-1.12713#ixzz1fCVSLOs5 Tuesday November 15, 2011 PUBLIC ADVISED TO BE WARY OF LATE NIGHT CRASH AND ROBE CASES GEORGE TOWN: A car rental company has advised the public to be wary if their veh icles are rammed from behind by another vehicle late at night. Kasina Baru (M) S dn Bhd director Azhar Satar said one of the company's employees was attacked and robbed at the Sprint Highway in Kuala Lumpur when the latter got down from the van he was driving after a pick-up knocked into the vehicle. He was transferring the company van from Penang to our branch at the Kuala Lumpur International Airp ort when the incident occurred at about 11.15pm on Nov 10. The robbers hit and ki cked him despite there being busy traffic at that time, Azhar said, adding that t he robbers drove away the RM50,000 van. Victim Rosli Abdullah, 42, said the robb ers also took his wallet containing RM500, his mobile phone and personal identif ication documents. He lodged a police report at Damansara police station. Azhar said he was highlig hting the case to alert the public. Should anyone ram into your car late at night , do not get down from your vehicle to check on the damages but drive to the nea rest police station, he said at a press conference at his office at Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah in Bayan Lepas yesterday. http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/ 2011/11/15/nation/9901821&sec=nation Published: Thursday October 13, 2011 MYT 10:37:00 PM Nazri: Abolition of death penalty would d epend on public opinion KUALA LUMPUR: Public views and opinions must be taken into account concerning th e proposal to abolish the death penalty in this country, said Minister in the Pr ime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz. He said any move in this direct

ion had to come from the public as was the case when the Internal Security Act ( ISA) was urged to be abolished. "Like the ISA, when we have a lot of members of the public wanting to abolish th e act, then we follow the majority. "Public opinion is very important to us, at the moment you cannot really see whether the people are in favor of abolishing t he death penalty," he told reporters after delivering the keynote address at a p ublic event to promote the abolition of the death penalty in Malaysia, here, Thu rsday. Nazri said although currently there was no discussion on the immediate ab olishment of the death penalty in Malaysia despite calls from some quarters, the Government was commited to re-evaluate, re-think and review the capital punishm ent. Malaysia currently still practises the death penalty and as of last year, there were 114 death sentences and another 744 person on death row, while one executio n was reported. Earlier in his speech, Nazri said in his opinion the death penal ty review was a timely effort, and was in line with ongoing efforts by the Gover nment to review outdated laws and several emergency ordinances to introduce new laws which complied with the principles of human rights. "Our task in the Govern ment is to find the most humane and effective ways to uphold justice for our cit izens and humankind in general," he said. The public event to promote the abolition of the death penalty in Malaysia was j ointly organised by a delegation of the European Union, the Bar Council Malaysia and the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia in conjunction with the Internation al Day against the Death Penalty, which is held the 10th of October each year. A mbassador and Head of Delegation of the EU to Malaysia, Vincent Piket in his wel coming remarks said, the abolition of the death penalty worldwide was one of the main objectives of the EU's human rights policy. - Bernama http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/10/13/nation/20111013225050&sec= nation Thursday October 13, 2011 WOMAN KILLED DURING CARJACKING KlANG: A man and his son watched in horror as his wife was hit and dragged some 55m by her car seconds after it was hijacked by two men in front of their house in Jalan Kapar here. Finance executive Teoh Lay Moi, 52, (pic) succumbed to her injuries at 8.20pm on Tuesday even as frantic husband Koh Siew Ming rushed her t o the hospital. In the 7.15pm tragedy, Koh and his son dashed out from the house after hearing T eoh's screams for help. They were shocked to see a man attempting to drive away Teoh's Toyota Altis parked outside the house after she had returned home from wo rk. The stranger was with another man and the two of them were suspected to have been waiting in ambush for Teoh, said North Klang OCPD Supt Mohamad Shukor Sulo ng. It was believed the man had pushed Teoh away and forced his way into the car . Teoh then screamed and attempted to block the car from being driven away. The suspect tried to reverse the car but instead hit Teoh, dragging her for about 55 m from her house. When met at the mortuary, a distraught Koh said his wife parke d the car outside their house as they wanted to go to the temple for prayers lat er that evening. A neighbour, who did not want to be identified, said she though t there was a fight between the husband and wife when she heard Teoh's screams. I only realised it was a carjacking when I saw the car speeding in front of our h ouse. Everything happened so fast, she said. Supt Mohamad Shukor said police are l ooking for two men and urged those with information to contact the nearest polic e station to facilitate police in their investigation. The case is being investi gated under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder. http://thestar.com.my/news /story.asp?file=/2011/10/13/nation/9688882&sec=nation Monday November 28, 2011 SERIAL RAPIST CAUGHT BEFORE POUNCING ON 20TH VICTIM http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/11/28/nation/9989028&sec=nation ONLY HUDUD CAN PREVENT THESE CRIMES 28 November 2011 Last updated at 07:09PM

ROBBERS FLED WITH RM 10 K WORTH OF JEWELLERY MARANG: Two men took only one minute to escape with jewellery worth about RM10,0 00 from a goldsmith shop at Wakaf Tapai, here today. Marang district police chief DSP Ahmad Mazlan Yahaya said the robbery occured a t about 11.30am when six employees were busy preparing jewellery for display. "S uddenly two men wearing crash helmets and armed with pistol and hammer burst int o the shop and smashed the showcase. "They scooped a tray containing earrings an d a gold locket and ran off," he told reporters at the crime scene. Ahmad Mazlan said the robbers escaped on a Yamaha LC motorcycle towards the direction of Buk it Payong. The public or witnesses with information about the robbery can contac t Marang district police headquarters at tel no 09-6812222. Bernama Read more : Robbers fled with RM10K worth of jewellery - Latest - New Straits Times http:/ /www.nst.com.my/latest/robbers-fled-with-rm10k-worth-of-jewellery-1.11913#ixzz1f 1tCFc6I 14-year-old forced by mum to be masseuse-prostitute Saturday October 8, 2011 A 14-YEAR-OLD girl has been forced by her mother to work as a masseuse by day an d prostitute by night. Sinar Harian reported that the mother had taken her teena ge daughter out of school a few months ago to work full-time at the massage parl our she runs in their apartment. According to Ustaz Mohd Fadhil Mohd Nor, an ima m at the Al-Muhtadeen mosque in Damansara Damai, the girl was caught in the act with a Nigerian man in his 20s during a raid at the apartment early Wednesday mo rning. She tried to deny it at first. But when pressed, the girl admitted that she had no choice but to obey her mother as she did not have anywhere else to go. Sh e does not even know how much the men pay to have sex with her, Mohd Fadhil said. He added that the girl and the Nigerian man, along with three other foreigners who were in the house, would be handed over to the police, before the case was r eferred to the Selangor Islam Religious Department for further action. http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/10/8/nation/9654658&sec=nation Six cab drivers were detained by the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) fol lowing complaints that they had not been using meters, charging tourists between RM200 and RM300 for a ride from Bukit Bintang to KLCC. Berita Harian reported t hat SPAD detained them at Bandar Sunway on Wednesday evening during Ops Tegas 2. The drivers gave all sorts of excuses to defend their actions, including the met er was spoiled, the passengers did not want to use the meter and the destination was too far away. According to SPAD Enforcement Department chief, Mej-Jen (R) Datuk Che Hasni Che Ahmad, the detained drivers would be tried under Section 75 of the Land Public Transport Act. If found guilty, they may be fined RM50,000, jailed for up to three years or both. The taxi drivers' actions can affect our country's image and damage the tourism industry, Che Hasni said. He added that they had al so found taxi drivers who intimidate and chase away other drivers from choice lo cations and taxi stands. http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/10/8/nation/9654658&sec=nation HABITUAL OFFENDERS in several similar cases Monday October 3, 2011 Thieves too engrossed with handbag, fail to see cop s nearby KUALA LUMPUR: Two snatch thieves were caught red-handed as they attempted to sna tch a woman's handbag. The two suspects in their 20s, who were on a motorcycle, were too engrossed in their attempt to snatch the woman's handbag as she was cro ssing Jalan Sultan near here that they did not see a team of traffic police near by. The policemen sprung into action when they saw the two men dragging the woma n who refused to let go of her handbag. A police spokesman confirmed the early m orning incident, adding that the city traffic police team was there to catch sus pected illegal racers. They chased the suspects a short distance before stopping them near Jalan Kuching, he said. The victim suffered injuries to her shoulder, r

ight elbow and knee. Upon questioning, the suspects confessed that they were habi tual offenders and had been involved in several similar cases, said the spokesman . Monday September 26, 2011 THREE HELD OVER MURDER OF EX-AIDE OF FORMER BERTAM REP SUNGAI PETANI: Police have detained three people, including a 32-year-old woman, in connection with the murder of former Bertam assemblyman Datuk Hilmi Abdul Ra shid's ex-aide. The trio was held in Penang on Sunday on two separate raids foll owing a tip-off. Kedah CID chief Asst Comm Zakaria Ahmad said they seized a pist ol, seven rounds of ammunition and a Samurai sword from the two men inside a car at about noon. The car, police said, was reported stolen in Kuala Lumpur on Aug 1. Police also confiscated several passports, driving licenses and identificati on cards from the duo. Police had arrested the woman, who was believed to be the victims Mohd Nasir Isahak's friend, earlier. All three had been remanded by a m agistrate's court here for a week pending investigations. ACP Zakaria said polic e believe jealousy could be the motives behind Mohd Nasir's murder. He said they were also trying to determine if the pistol was used to fire a shot in the hote l room, where a spent bullet casing was found. It was reported that Mohd Nasir, 35 was found dead, with his hands and legs tied, inside a hotel room on Sept 20, at about 1.30pm. Post mortem revealed he was bludgeoned to death. Mohd Nasir's mother had lodged a report on Sept 20 at the Bertam police station after he fail ed to return home for two days. http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/9/26/nation/20110926160539&s ec=nation Malaysia's safe, but can be safer 2011/09/07 By Chok Suat Ling Barricading oneself at home seems to be the safest option nowadays. ONE in 25 bosses is psychotic, claims a survey. But based on many recent inciden ts and newspaper reports, it's not just the bosses that are deranged. The evil a nd depraved walk among us. They rob, rape, slash, maim and dismember seemingly a t will, without remorse, or good reason; so much so that it just doesn't feel ve ry safe any more out there, anywhere: on the streets, along alleyways or even hi ghways.Early this week, a gruesome discovery was made -- several bodies were fou nd in a building, with one stuffed in a chiller. The news sent shock waves aroun d the nation and reduced many people to tears and hysterics. Yes, the poor tortu red creatures involved were of the feline variety but this just shows how even a nimals -- pampered pussycats, stray dogs, and wild elephants, among others -- ar e not exempt from grievous bodily harm and undignified deaths. Animal rights gro ups such as Malaysian Dogs Deserve Better (which presumably does not champion th e rights of Singaporean or American canines) would undoubtedly have more gut and heart-wrenching stories to tell. Elsewhere, we have to contend with all kinds o f human depravity. Based on recent media reports, we appear to have in our midst : - Those with a penchant for decap itating heads and lopping of limbs. Last month, body parts and human organs were found in several plastic bags and in the toilet bowl of an apartment in Ampang. Barely two weeks later, a doctor was decapitated at a farm in Bentong. The same month, an elderly man was killed and his leg hacked off by his son in Kampung P asir Putih. - The pyromaniacs. Last month, a mechanic was burnt in a car in Jalan Klang Lama , Kuala Lumpur. In April, a woman was killed and stuffed into a bag before being set alight near Sekakap Beach in Mersing. Just three days ago, the burnt body o f a teenage girl was found in a drain in Kampung Bukit Sungai Puteh in Ampang, S elangor.

- The acid splashers. First, there was the Bangsar Splasher, but now, there have been more than 20 cases of acid splashing around the country. Acid appears to b e the weapon of choice for criminals. It was initially used in random and person al attacks, but is now the perfect weapon for other crimes as well. One of the m ost recent cases was sparked off because of jealousy over the victim's relations hip with a transgender. And then, there are the robbers, rapists, child molester s and other psychopaths and social miscreants. But things are not entirely gloom y. We can find solace in the fact that the policeman or woman that turns up to h elp will most likely be handsome and/or pretty. Personable, too. Inspector-Gener al of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar had, after all, wanted to station more good-loo king police officers in frontline positions throughout Malaysia. And it is much safer where we are than in foreign war-torn lands. Much has been said and writte n in the past several days about the safety of aid workers and journalists in st rife-ridden countries following the death of BernamaTV cameraman Noramfaizul Moh d Nor in Somalia. Indeed, life is cheap in such places, even more so if the nece ssary precautions are not taken. Those who have had the "privilege" of setting f oot in these places of bloodshed and turmoil, and returned home with the foot, a nd other body parts, intact, are more aware than the rest of us just how safe an d secure Malaysia is in comparison. There is no war. The shrill rat-tat-tat of submachine guns does not periodically pierce the air. No need to dodge bullets when walking out in the open. No need to shovel rubble from bombed out buildings off our homes, volcanic ash off our d riveways, or cart away bodies from our streets. Shopping malls and shops are not up in flames or being looted by hoodlums. Yes, we should be thankful for our relative comfort. We only need to clutch our bags close to our chests as we walk down the street, arm ourselves with pepper s pray and baseball bats, not let our children out of sight, stay in the car after an accident and carry a bottle of water around to dilute the acid that might be thrown our way. The best option -- just barricade ourselves at home. But even that is not entirely safe. According to the experts, even the most sophisticated security system won't keep out those intent on breaking in. Read more: Malaysia's safe, but can be safer http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/ 17crims/Article/#ixzz1XKlzNNrs CONTRACTOR KILLED, WIFE SLASHED IN ROBBERY 2011/September/07 JOHOR BARU: A shipping company contractor was killed while his wife was seriously injured after they were slashed in a robbery at their ho use in Bandar Seri Alam yesterday. S. Vijayaratnam, 47, died at 12:04am at Rege ncy Specialist Hospital while his wife, G. Vijayalakshmi, 45, is under treatment at Intensive Care (ICU) of the same hospital. The family staying in a house in Jalan Tasek 24 was believed to have been robbed by four men armed with parang. A 39-year-old suspect was also killed when the Proton Perdana stolen from the victim crashed into a tree about one kilometre fr om the victim's house. The victim's Indian maid, P. Rasathi, 31, said the robbery occured at 7:30pm whe n the couple were praying outside the house while their second son V. Deelip, 12 , was in a room on the upper floor. Rasathi who spoke to reporters via a transla tor said on seeing two men entering the house, she pushed Vijayalakshmi into the bathroom. "The suspects kicked down the bathroom door and I saw a parang starin g me in the face," she said in Tamil when met here today. Rasathi who was too af raid handed her jewellery to the robbers. The robbers then led the couple to the upper floor before ransacking the rooms for valuables. Vijayaratnam was slashed after his son locked himself in a room. Luckily, her employer's third son, V. S evendran, 6, was away at tuition class while eldest son V. Nishindren, 18, was s tudying at a private college in Mantin, Negeri Sembilan. Johor police chief Datu k Mohd Mokhtar Mohd Shariff said when police reached at the accident scene, they found two suspects in serious condition. "The suspect driving the stolen car di ed later while his 31-year-old accomplice was seriously injured. Police also fou nd the stolen jewellery and cellphones belonging to the victim in the car." He s

aid police are hunting for two other suspects and did not rule out the possibili ty that the suspects were drunk while committing the robbery. The dead and injur ed suspects have no previous criminal records. The case is being investigated un der Section 302 of Penal Code for murder. BERNAMA Read more: Contractor killed, wife slashed in robbery http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/Contractorkilled_wif eslashedinrobbery/Article/#ixzz1XHSOlYVz COUPLE ARRESTED FOR STEALING 2011/August/22 KUALA TERENGGANU: Police arrested a couple believed responsible for stealing per sonal items after smashing the windscreen of vehicles. The couple who are former prisoners were arrested in a budget hotel in Jalan Tok Lam, here at about 1am o n Aug 13. Kuala Terengganu police chief ACP Zamri Samsuddin said police recovere d stolen goods worth about RM30,000 in the hotel room. Among items found were 11 laptop computers, 18 mobile phones, 16 pendrives, 22 sim cards, two cameras uni ts and five wristwatches. "With the arrest, police have solved at least 50 theft cases," he told a press conference here today. Zamri said the couple who have t hree children often make vehicles parked in the parking area as their target. Th e 29 and 27 year-old couple had also been JAILED FOR ONE YEAR IN 2008 FOR A S IMILAR OFFENCE . The public who lost personal items can go to the nearest police station or Kuala Terengganu district police headquarters or call the hotline at 09-6246222. -- Bernama Read more: Couple arrested for stealing http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/Coupl earrestedforstealing/Article/#ixzz1VlAdPbiv JEWELLERY SHOP ROBBED BY FOUR ARMED MEN 2011/08/19 SEBERANG JAYA:Four men armed with pistols escaped with a tray of jewellery from a jewellery shop in a hypermarket here today. Seberang Perai Tengah district pol ice chief ACP Azman Abd Lah said the quick robbery occurred at 11am, 30 minutes after the shop opened for business. "One of them used a pistol to intimidate emp loyees before running away wth a tray of jewellery from the glass showcase," he said when contacted today. The ro bbers took only two minutes to rob the jewellery shop before escaping on two mot orcycles. "The shop's close circuit television (CCTV) managed to capture images of the robbers. We are tracking them down," he said. Azman said the total loss i s still being investigated. A trader at the hypermarket who asked for anonymity said he suspected something amiss when he heard noises coming from the jewellery shop. "I saw several men rushed into the jewllery shop and suspected something was happening and fled the scene," he said. -- Bernama Read more: Jewellery sh op robbed by four armed men http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/Jewelleryshoprobb edbyfourarmedmen/Article/#ixzz1VUISFT7T ONLY HUDUD CAN PREVENT THESE CRIMES 4 ARRESTED IN CONNECTION WITH VET SERVICE DEPT DEPUTY DIRECTOR 2011/08/05 IPOH -- Police believe that they have solved Perak Veterinary Service Department deputy director Dr Rohani Kassim's murder case with the arrest of four suspects . Dr Rohani, 38, was found dead in her home in Hulu Kinta here at about 3.30am y esterday. Her body was found in a rolled-up mattress in the house by a security guard at the exclusive housing area. Deputy Perak police chief Datuk Zakaria Yus of said two of the suspects were nabbed not far from the scene about an hour aft er the body was found. The third suspect was arrested at 4.30pm in Tanjung Malim , while the fourth suspect was picked up at about 10.30pm in Slim River. "The fo ur men aged between 20 and 26. Police also found the victim's jewellery and mobi le phone in their possession," he told a press conference here today. Zakaria sa id two of the suspects were unemployed, one was a Pos Malaysia Berhad personnel and the other was a soldier who had abandoned his duty. "One of them even has a criminal record linked to a rape case in Slim River last year," he said. He said two of them had been remanded for four days, while the other two, seven days, f rom today, to facilitate the investigation under Section 302 of the Penal Code. At the same time, Zakaria said the police were still waiting for the post-mortem report on the victim from Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital to ascertain the actu al cause of death. -- BERNAMA Read more: 4 arrested in connection with vet se rvice dept deputy director http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/4arrestedinconnect

ionwithvetservicedeptdeputydirector/Article/#ixzz1U9bUSJWZ MAN CHARGED WITH ROBBING AND RAPING TWO WOMEN July 20, 2011 KUALA LUMPUR: A self-employed man was charged in the Sessions Court here with ro bbing and raping two women in public toilets this month. Endry Roni Afandi, 27, kept his head bowed throughout the proceedings yesterday.When his case was over, he looked at his family members who were seated in the public gallery. He shook his head repeatedly at them while being handcuffed by police to be taken to the court lock-up. In the first case, Endry is accused of robbing an executive using a knife in a p ublic toilet under the Bandaraya LRT station between 5.15pm and 5.30pm on July 8 . He faces a second charge of raping the 32-year-old executive by putting her in fear of death or injury at the same place. In the second case, Endry is accused of robbing a clerk with a knife in the public toilet of a petrol station in Dan au Kota, Setapak, between 2pm and 5pm on July 10. He is also alleged to have rap ed the 24-year-old clerk by putting her in fear of death or injury there. If con victed, Endry could be jailed up to 14 years and fined or whipped for each robbe ry charge, and 20 years and be whipped for each rape charge. DPP Ain-Nur Amiyerra Awod Abdullah said the prosecution did not offer any bail co nsidering the nature of the offences. Pleading for bail yesterday, Endrys lawyer Rusnan Hassan asked the court to consider that his client had no criminal record and had co-operated with police throughout the investigations. He said the accu seds family members were present to be his bailor. Judge Emelia Kaswati Mohamad K halid set bail at RM10,000 for each of the four charges, and ordered that the ba ilor for each case should be a different person. She ordered Endry to report to the nearest police station each Monday and prohibited him from approaching the v ictims. If you disobey the bail conditions, the court will cancel your bail, she s aid. Emelia Kaswati set two days from Oct 10 to hear the trial involving the exe cutive and two days from Oct 24 to hear the case involving the clerk http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/7/20/courts/9131963&sec=cour ts July 16, 2011: FOREIGN T HIEVES WALK AWAY WITH DIAMONDS AND JEWELLERY AT KLIA SHAH ALAM: All it took was a tap on the shoulder and two Hong Kong exhibitors lo st about RM1.6mil worth of diamonds and jewellery at the KL International Airpor t. The two separate incidents, which took place 45 minutes apart, began at 8am o n Monday when one of them was approached by someone who appeared to be a Latin A me-rican. He was waiting for his three friends who had gone to the restroom. He h ad his bag of jewellery on the trolley. He turned around when a Latin American m an patted him on the shoulder but he could not understand the language used, Sela ngor CID chief senior assistant commissioner Mohd Adnan Abdullah said. After the man left, the victim found two bags containing RM257,000 worth of diamonds and jewellery missing, he said. SAC Mohd Adnan said the man, who was supposed to boa rd a flight back to Hong Kong, was a participant of the Malaysia International J ewellery Fair which was held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre from July 7 t o 10. Later at 8.45am, another jeweller lost diamonds and gems worth RM1.4mil at the McDonald s restaurant in the airport. It is believed that it was the same sy ndicate as the modus operandi was similar although we have no evidence to confir m it so far, said SAC Mohd Adnan. The man was seated at a table while his friend w ent to the counter to buy food. His bag was on the floor by the table. A woman, also a Latin American, tapped him on the shoulder and when he turned around, it is believed that an accomplice switched his bag with another, said SAC Adnan. The victim was also a participant of the same jewellery fair. On Tuesday evening , police nabbed four Guatemalan men who were suspected to be linked to the first theft. They were caught in front of Amcorp Mall, Petaling Jaya. On Wednesday, p olice detained another Guatemalan man, who was believed to be linked to the seco nd case, in Bandar Sunway. SAC Mohd Adnan said all the suspects had entered Mala

ysia on social visit passes on various dates. In April, a group of men walked aw ay unnoticed with gems worth about RM3mil from a jewellery exhibition at a mall in Petaling Jaya. They pretended to be customers, distracting the staff by askin g them questions while their accomplice sneaked to the back and stole a bag of j ewellery. It was closing time then and staff were in the midst of packing the je wellery. They only realised the bag was missing several minutes after the thieve s left. http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/7/16/nation/9111138& sec=nation Saturday July 16, 2011 NO BRACELET, SO ROBBER RAPES TEACHER INSTEAD A TEACHER was raped by a robber after he failed to remove her gold bracelet at a flat in Petaling Jaya. China Press reported that the victim, 48, also had her h andphone stolen in the incident. She was alone in the house when she suddenly sa w the robber, said to be in his 20s, standing in front of her armed with a knife . Her husband and two children, in their 20s, were away during the 5am incident on Tuesday. Sin Chew Daily said the suspect could have got into the house via th e toilet window. http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/7/16/nation/9111673&sec=nati on SEXUAL HARASSMENT CASES ON THE RISE 2011/July/08 THE number of sexual harassment cases is expected to rise this year compared to previous years, said Human Resources Deputy Minister Datuk Maznah Mazlan. She sa id the ministry received 23 reports in the first six months of this year compare d to the average 30 cases annually. "Since the Sexual Harassment Code of Practis e in 1999 at workplaces was implemented, the labour department has received and investigated 300 cases," Maznah said in reply to a query from Senator Noriah Mah at. She said to date, only 1,671 employers nationwide had implemented the code, and the small number was because it was not a mandatory policy. Maznah said the ministry was in the process of amending the Employment Act 1955 to give it more power to act in such cases and the amendments were tabled at the Dewan Rakyat l ast month for its first reading. To a supplementary question, she said any repor ts lodged by the employees would be investigated by the company s internal commi ttee. "If the victim is not happy with the outcome, they can report the matter t o the police and take action under the Penal code," Maznah said. Read more: Sexual harassment cases on th e rise http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/16se/Article/#ixzz1RVtJshcw Thursday June 9, 2011 MORE LIGHTING, MIRRORS AND CCTVs IN GOVT MOVE TO FIGHT STREET CRIME

KUALA LUMPUR: The Government is ramping up its fight against street crime with s everal measures, including installing more lighting, traffic mirrors and CCTVs i n neighbourhoods. It will also, among others, build pedestrian walkways further away from roads by next month to deter snatch thieves. All of this will cost RM6 4mil. There will be better street lighting and traffic mirrors in 151 local coun cils nationwide while 24 local authorities will get 496 CCTVs. Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Chor Chee Heung said the move is an expansion of the Safe City Monitoring Programme Residents associations have welcomed the move but they want more police and neighbourhood watch patrols. Related Stories: Residents still want police presence Govt allocates RM64mil for walkways http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/6/9/nation/8867918&sec=nation Kedah crime index drops by 8pc 2011/05/25

JITRA: The Kedah crime index dropped nearly eight per cent during the first four months of this year compared to the same period last year or from 4,285 cases t o 3,953 cases, Kedah police chief Datuk Ahmad Ibrahim said. Street crime showed

the highest percentage of reduction at 22.59 per cent or from 478 cases during the period last year to 370 cases for the period this year. "Violent crime cas es dropped by 6.88 per cent, while property crime dropped by 7.93 per cent," he told reporters after opening shooting skills tests in conjunction with 204th Po lice Day here today. He said the latest development showed that the effort to co mbat crime had been successful. A total of 350 personnel from 11 district polic e headquarters took part in the event aims at enhancing their competency in hand ling firearms. Bernama http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/Kedahcrimeindexdropsby8pc/Article/ Read more: Kedah crime index drops by 8pc http://w ww.nst.com.my/nst/articles/Kedahcrimeindexdropsby8pc/Article/#ixzz1NL8ET1G8 SEVEN-YEAR-OLD RAPED BY HER UNCLE FOR A YEAR May 25, 20 11. A SEVEN-YEAR-OLD girl was repeatedly raped by her uncle in Kg Sungai Deng kil in Teluk Intan for the past one year, but the horrific act only came to ligh t two days ago. Tamil Nesan reported that the girl s mother saw her behaving str angely on Sunday night and questioned her. The mother was shocked when told that her 25-year-old brother had raped the girl a few hours earlier in an unoccupied house. She was doubly shocked when her daughter admitted that her uncle, who is a fisherman, had been raping her for the past one year. The mother lodged a pol ice report which led to the detention of the man. He had been remanded for seven days. > MAKKAL Osai reported Johor CID chief Datuk Amir Awal as saying that a special team investigating the fatal shooting of former Tenggaroh state assemblyman Datu k S. Krishnasamy three years ago is close to nabbing those responsible. Krishnas amy was shot dead in the state MIC office in Jalan Seget in Johor at 1.35pm on J an 11, 2008 and his family had expressed disappointment over the failure to nab the culprits. Amir said police had remanded 18 people, including politicians and businessmen and had recorded statements from hundreds of people. The 18 had sin ce been released. http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/5/25/nation/8747351&sec=nati on COMMUNITY BECOMES CLOSE-KNIT TO FIGHT CRIME IN THE RESIDENTIAL AREA Tuesday May 24, 2011 PETALING JAYA Fences and gates keep houseowners safe but the barriers are also k nown to make strangers out of neighbours. Taman Gasing Indah here was one such Idon t-know-you neighbourhood for many years until some residents decided to fire up the community spirit. Initially it was difficult to get the residents to be in volved, said Gasing Indah Rukun Tetangga (RT) voluntary patrol unit (SRS) head Er ic Chew. He recalled the neighbourhood being a crime prone area with car break-i ns and snatch theft cases happening almost everyday. http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/5/24/nation/20110524072901&sec=n ation Monday May 23, 2011: MALAYSIA RANKED WORLDS 10TH LARGEST CONSUMER OF ALCOHOL KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has been named by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as the worlds 10th largest consumer of alcohol despite its small population and size . Statistics by the international body this year also showed that Malaysians spe nt over US$500mil (RM1.5bil) on alcohol with a per capita consumption of seven l itres. Beer consumption in Malaysia is 11 litres per capita. Deputy Women, Famil y and Community Development Minister Heng Seai Kie said the problem of alcohol c onsumption in the country was getting serious. Alcohol is not only causing a lot of health issues but is also contributing to a significant number of accidents, she said here yesterday. Heng was speaking to re porters after launching booklets and seminars on Promote Healthy lifestyle: Reduc e Alcohol Harm organised by the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall ( KLSCAH) and supported by IOGT International, a worldwide community of non-govern mental organisations, and the National Association of the Prevention of Drug Abu se (Pemadam). She said the ministry, through the National Population and Family Development Board, would hold a campaign to create awareness on the danger of al

cohol abuse. She said 10 seminars would be held nationwide this year. They would be conducted in Mandarin, Malay, English and Tamil and were aimed mostly at tho se from the Chinese and Indian communities, which had a high alcohol abuse rate. The public has to understand that alcohol is not part of our culture and it will bring harm if it is abused, she said. Earlier, in his speech, KLSCAH secretary-general Yong Yew Wei said the Road Safe ty Council estimated that drinking and driving caused 30% of road accidents nati onwide, with 38% of these resulting in fatalities. A study also shows that absent eeism from workplace among alcoholics is 16 times higher than others, he said, ad ding that non-governmental bodies played a vital role in promoting a healthy lif estyle. http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/5/23/nation/8737875&sec=nati on May 15, 2011: JOHOR BARU: THE POLICE SUBDUED A SWORD-WIELDING FAMILY OF SEVEN, WHO ALLEGEDLY ROBBED A PATROL KIOSK OF CIGARETTES HERE. Johor Baru Selatan police chief ACP Zainuddin Yaacob said Sunday that a 49-yearold man earlier took his 37-year-old wife, their four sons aged 8, 12, 14 and 15 , and 16-month-old baby girl in his taxi to the kiosk on Saturday. "The taxi dri ver and his sons were seen brandishing swords through the windows as he rode to the petrol kiosk at Bandar Baru Permas Jaya," Zainuddin said in a statement. He said the incident ensued after the taxi driver had allegedly slashed his 25-year -old nephew at his (taxi driver s) house in Bandar Baru Permas Jaya at 9pm on Fr iday. The nephew, who lodged a police report at noon Saturday, received four stitches on the head, said Zainuddin. Acting on the report, the police went to the suspe ct s house but he had already left the house in his taxi with his wife and child ren and headed for Bandar Baru Permas Jaya. Zainuddin said a police petrol car p ursued the taxi, which stopped at a petrol kiosk where the taxi driver and two o f his sons, brandishing swords headed for the counter and allegedly took four pa ckets of cigarettes and chocolates. His eight-year-old son, also armed with a sw ord, stood guard outside the kiosk, added Zainuddin. He said the police persuade d the taxi driver and his family to surrender but the family tried to attack the police before jumping into the taxi and driving out of the kiosk. However, the taxi was intercepted at Jalan Pasir Pelangi, Taman Pelangi at 2.03pm before the family eventually surrendered after they were coaxed into giving up. The police seized six swords, a vegetable knife and a baton from the taxi and nabbed the ta xi driver, his wife and their four sons. The baby girl is also in the police cus tody. Police investigations revealed that the taxi driver and two of his sons ha d allegedly robbed the same petrol kiosk of food, drinks and five packets of cig arettes at 1.30pm on Friday. None of them had a previous criminal record. They are being investigated under S ection 395/397 of the Penal Code for armed robbery which carries a 20 years jai l term and whipping. The taxi driver is also being investigated under Section 32 4 of the Penal Code for causing injury using a weapon, which carries a three yea rs jail sentence, a fine or whipping. The family is also being investigated und er Section 353 of the Penal Code for using violence to scare public servants fro m performing their duty, which carries a two-year jail sentence or a fine. They also face 10 years jail or a fine under Section 380 of the Penal Code for steal ing from a building and two years jail and whipping under Section 6 (1) of the Corrosive and Explosives Substances and Offensive Weapons Act 1958 for carrying dangerous weapons in a public place. - Bernama http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/5/15/nation/20110515170011&s ec=nation May 15, 2011: KIDNAP SUSPECTS NOW UNDER INVESTIGATION F OR MURDER

ALOR SETAR: Three members of a family who had been arrested on suspicion of kidn apping a Kompleks Hijau Kuning worker are now being investigated for murder afte r the victim was found dead in a river. Kota Setar deputy police chief Superinte ndent Baharom Abu said Sunday that the 26-year-old worker, Low Choon Aik, was be lieved to have been killed elsewhere and his body dumped in Sungai Mati here. Th e legs and neck were tied to stones in an apparent attempt to weigh down the bod y. Baharom told reporters that two men and a woman, aged between 27 and 54 years , were arrested on Friday for kidnapping after police received a missing person report on May 9. "With the discovery of the body, we have reclassified the case as murder," he said. - Bernama http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/5/15/nation/20110515164515&sec=n ation May 15, 2011: COPS GET MORE INFO ON SPLASHER KUALA LUMPUR: The police have received more tip-offs from people who claim they have spotted the serial corrosive liquid splasher since the photo-fit of the sus pect was released. City CID chief Senior Asst Comm Datuk Ku Chin Wah said police would investigate all the information received from the public. The photo-fit w as primarily based on a witness account of a possible attempt by the splasher i n Jalan Desa Pandan on Friday and victims description of the attacker. Prior to the release of the photo-fit, police had also received several tip-offs and CCTV footage from business owners who believed they might have recorded the image of the suspect. SAC Ku urged those with information to call the police at their Rakan Cop hotline (03-2115 9999) or SMS POLISKL at 32728. He said no new attacks had been reported since Friday. So far, police have received 21 reports of victims being splashed with corrosive liquid on their faces by men riding on a motorcycle in the Klang Valley area. In Alor Setar, Women, Family and Communit y Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil said she would bring up the issue on the sale and purchase of corrosive substances to the Cabinet so tha t the law could be tightened. She said she would also request to the Cabinet tha t investigations into cases of abuse involving children and women be given prior ity. Speaking to reporters after opening the Pokok Sena Umno division meeting ye sterday, she said the ministry viewed seriously the sale of corrosive substances . Shahrizat said she had met the police and requested that the serial splasher c ase and others involving abuse of women be investigated and resolved as soon as possible. http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/5/15/nation/8688739&sec=nation#1 3054548261561&if_height=556 THE MERCILESS ACID MAN 2011/05/18

SK Bukit Bandaraya is in a restful corner of Bangsar. Trees bordering its padang shield the school from the rigours of the city. Its main entrance is at the mid point of a sloping road that delivers pupils from affluent homes and nearby cond ominiums. There was much din on the afternoon of March 2 as Year Six pupil Nur Farah Najihah Mohd Nasir and her friends waited for their transport home after s chool and extra-curricular activities. It was then that a motorcyclist riding a kapcai downhill started revving his eng ine. Just as the children turned to look, the splasher struck, and they were the first victims of the Bangsar Splasher, which has since caught public attention. Nur Farah and her friends screamed and ran to the nearest water source -- the s chool toilet -- to wash up. There seems to be a method to the attacks by the Ban gsar Splasher who has struck 23 times, including six prior to the March 2 incide nt. He would startle his victims by appearing suddenly in a blue Suzuki or dark EX5 motorcycle, either alone or with an accomplice. The suspect acquired the na me Bangsar Splasher partly because many of the incidents reported earlier were i

n Bangsar. However, he has now been targeting people in other parts of Kuala Lum pur as well. This scourge has afflicted 39 people, mostly women. Two men had also been victim s of the Bangsar Splasher, as did a baby. All the victims, with the first incide nt reported on Feb 9, were either alone or in small groups when attacked. A tea cher was attacked near a secondary school in Bukit Bandaraya, Bangsar. She had l owered the window of her car at a junction when the Bangsar Splasher rode up alo ngside her. This was a day after Nur Farah and her friends had the fright of the ir lives. Such was the strength of the liquid used that the teacher s car was sm oking. Smoke also visible on the road where Nur Farah and friends were attacked. Victims have had to endure much anguish. The father of a victim said his son s r ight eye turned green for several hours. The teacher s husband said the car repa irs amounted to RM40,000 and its electronic system and wiring were damaged. The splasher appeared to strike once, twice or up to five times a day, usually aroun d late noon. So far, only three morning incidents had been reported. At times, after the attacks, the splasher would go under the radar before launching his ne xt attack. The longest layoff came after the first attacks on Feb 9. He next tur ned up at SK Bukit Bandaraya on March 2, about 5pm. Soon, everyone started talki ng about "a serial acid man" on the loose. As laymen seek to pyscho-analyse the pattern and debate the motives, Kuala Lumpur Hospital psychiatric consultant Dr Salina Abdul Aziz hinted that this was not the case of the aggressor suffering f rom "psychosis". This particular mental illness relates to severe delusions. Generally, sufferer s encounter sightings that trigger a sudden burst of violent behaviour. A psychosis patient lives in his own world and normally strikes alone, but these are not organised or premeditated acts. Dr Salina said the Bangsar Splasher app eared to resemble characteristics associated with anti-social personality disord er (ASPD). Someone with ASPD is capable of the most merciless of attacks, inflic ting pain on others with no remorse. "People with ASPD love to see suffering and pain in others... they enjoy it. That could explain why he also has an accompli ce and the attacks becoming rampant," said Dr Salina, who has been working at HK L for 13 years. To date, the potent liquid used in the attacks has not been iden tified. It caused burning sensation and left scars on the victims. Nur Farah suf fered one week of painful burn marks on both her hands and thighs, while the tea cher still has scars around her mouth. Police believe it is a concoction of alka line-based oxidising liquid. Prince Court Medical Centre plastic surgery and bur ns director Dr Yap Lok Huei said certain types of strong acids could also cause "vapour trails" while reacting with human tissue or other material. Concentrated chemicals of both types can cause severe injury to human tissue, with a strong acid causing oxidation injury, where it breaks down the normal structure of prot ein. A strong alkali could cause extensive protein damage and degeneration of fa t. "If the concentration is high, both alkalis and acids can inflict severe damage to human tissues in just a matter of seconds. These chemicals can cause severe i nflammation and scarring, with extensive disfigurement in victims." The police a re going all out to nab the culprit(s), with the city and district headquarters setting up task forces. The party is joined by a special committee set up by the Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department. The hunt now involves policemen f rom every unit, with heavy presence of uniformed policemen backed up by undercov er teams. Taxi drivers have been roped in to help police nab the Bangsar Splashe r. "We need the public s help to provide information on these attacks," said Deputy Inspector-General of Police Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar. Read more: The merciless acid man http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/19myst/Ar ticle/#ixzz1MnC5fXeM

Tuesday May 31, 2011 THE MUSLIM DILEMMA TODAY IKIM VIEWS By Dr Wan Azhar Wan Ahmad, Senior Fellow/Director Centre for the Study of Syaria h, Law and Politics There is an apparent disunity among Muslims as reflected in the number of major political parties, and they are generally in a state of crisis in almost every r espect of life. MUSLIMS, regardless of times and locations, have been facing a varied magnitude of challenges since the very inception of Islam. This will never cease to happen . In Islam and Secularism (1978), Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas, a contemporary Muslim thinker and the 2011 recipient of the Most Prominent Malay award, observe s that these challenges may be categorised into two: internal and external. The former pertains to challenges originating within Muslims own territory and intell ectual history, and the latter from the outside world, resulting from their enco unter with alien cultures and civilisations. Both categories of challenges, eith er intellectual or physical in nature, bring equally destructive consequences to the Muslim community (ummah). Lets examine the conditions of Muslims in this cou ntry today. They are generally in a state of crisis almost in every respect of l ife religiously, socially, economically and politically. Far from simply unleash ing sweeping statements, I am neither emotional nor judgmental here. But the abo ve phenomenon can be discerned, among other things, from the increasing number o f ignorant, secular and non-practising Muslims. ITS PAINFUL TO LEARN THE WORRISOME RISING STATISTICS OF MUSLIMS DIVORCE RATE AND T HEIR INVOLVEMENT -IF NOT INDULGENCE- IN CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES, GAMBLING, DRUGS,LI QUOR,PROSTITUTION, RAPES, COHABITATION, ADULTERY, ABORTION, BABY DUMPING AND ALL SORTS OF OTHER RELIGIOUS, ETHICAL OR LEGAL MISDEMEANOURS. In terms of economic achievements, they are far behind other groups and still gr appling with catching-up. A similar scenario can be seen in education. In terms of politics, Muslims basically rule the country, but have been perceived as comp romising too much, even on fundamental matters, at the expense of their own inte rests and dignity. At the same time, there is an apparent disunity among Muslims , as reflected in the number of major political parties. Some other minor partie s further divide the Muslims. Al-Attas explains that the basic problems causing those internal dilemmas can be reduced to what he calls the loss of adab, recogn ition and acknowledgement of the right and proper place for beings or things. The loss of adab is the loss of discipline, knowledge or wisdom that assures the recognition and acknowledgement of ones proper place in relation to ones self, co mmunity and the world of creation. Al-Attas asserts that, internally, the curren t general dilemma besetting Muslims is caused by (i) confusion and error in know ledge, creating the condition for (ii) the loss of adab within the ummah. The co mbination of these two situations gives rise to leaders who are actually not qua lified to lead the community. They emerge and thrive but do not possess the high moral, intellectual and spiritual standards required for proper leadership. Thi s kind of leaders perpetuates confusion and error in knowledge. In this manner, they ensure that their successors are just like them, and together they dominate the affairs of the people. A damning remark by Al-Attas deserving serious atten tion by Muslims is that the roots of crises are interdependent and operate in a vicious circle, contributing to and supplementing each other. But he stresses th at the chief causes are confusion and error in knowledge. Once ignorance spreads from top to bottom and defines the character of the ummah, the community will h ave no integrity and strength. They will gradually become more fragile and vulnerable to foreign influences, es pecially harmful ones. Lacking religious knowledge and awareness, certain member s or leaders of the community may even adopt these bad ideas, translate them int o their lifestyle, and consciously or unconsciously transfer these influences to the masses. It is this foregoing disintegration of internal qualities of the Mu slim ummah that causes confusion and disunity. This article is not to embarrass

Muslims. Its a form of self-criticism, to wake them up from slumber, to urge them to take corrective action. I believe Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had the same inten tion when he wrote The Malay Dilemma in 1970. I am putting forth this bitter rea lity as a challenge for good and concerned Muslims at all levels and within thei r respective capacity to come together to play effective roles to save and rebui ld the ummah. Otherwise, the deterioration will continue in front of their naked eyes. Edmund Burke, an 18th century British statesman and political theorist, said: The only thing necessary for evil to flourish is for good men [and women] to do not hing. More important than that, Muslims are supposed to take heed from a propheti c caution foretelling their situation. The Prophet says that the time will come when You shall imitate the practices of those before you, inch by inch and step by step, to the degree that if they had entered into the hole of the lizard, you would still follow them. He was asked: O messenger of Allah, are they the Yahud and Nasara? He replied: Who else? Another pr ophetic tradition reminds Muslims as follows: Other nations will soon call one an other against you just as the eaters call one another to their dishes. Somebody a sked: Is this because we will be few in numbers that day? The Prophet replied: Nay, that day you shall be numerous, but you will be like the scum of the torrent, a nd Allah will take the fear of you away from your enemies and will place weaknes s into your hearts. Somebody asked again: What is this weakness? He answered: The lo ve of the world and the dislike of death. Lessons are in abundance in these hadit hs but we may extract two at least. First, Muslims will not simply tread the sam e path of destruction as was trodden by those before them if they understand the ir religion as well as other evil challenges coming from other cultures. Second, if Muslims are not overly distracted by worldly gains, they will become powerfu l and nobody will ever look down on them. They will fear them. But to achieve th is, they must equip themselves with all necessary knowledge http://www.thestar.com.my/columnists/story.asp?file=/2011/5/31/columnists/ikimvi ews/8787560&sec=ikimviews Tuesday June 7, 2011 GIRL, EIGHT, RAPED IN TOILET DURING WEDDING PETALING JAYA: An eight-year-old girl was raped when she went to the toilet duri ng a wedding reception on Saturday night. Selangor CID chief Senior Asst Comm Ad nan Abdullah said the girl had accompanied her elder sister and brother-in-law f or the wedding, which was held at a school in Sekinchan. At about 9pm, she told her relatives that she needed to relieve herself. Her brother-in-law escorted he r to the toilet and waited outside for about 15 minutes. When the brother-in-law asked her what was taking her so long, she replied that she wasn t finished yet . He then went to wait at the school canteen about 10m away from the toilet. Momen ts later, he heard a scream and rushed to the toilet. He then saw a naked man run ning out, SAC Adnan said at the Petaling Jaya district police headquarters yester day. SAC Adnan said the brother-in-law managed to catch the man with the help of some wedding guests before rushing the girl to the Klang Hospital for treatment . The man, in his 20 s, had two previous convictions for robbery. He will be rem anded for five days. SAC Adnan said the girl was traumatised by the incident. http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/6/7/nation/8846941&sec=natio n Tuesday June 7, 2011 China dolls sex services at Bandar Sunway apartment A FIVE-storey apartment in Bandar Sunway in Selangor has become a favourite spot for women from China to offer sexual services to the locals, reported Oriental Daily. Local residents claimed that they knew of the activities run by the Chine se women but could not do anything to stop it. They said the Chinese women worke d in nearby nightclubs and brought their customers back to their apartments for sexual services. A woman also claimed that her ex-husband had sought sexual serv ices from them. I divorced my husband after I found him with a prostitute at an a partment here, she said. According to a laundry shop operator, the area had about

300 units, and most of the tenants were women from China. About 10 people stay i n one unit. Men come to the apartments here and we all know why, said the mother of two, adding that she would not allow her teenage sons to go to her shop as sh e did not want them to have any contact with the women. A China woman told me tha t her family did not know that she was offering sexual services here as they tho ught that she worked as a waitress. She had to send money home to her husband and children, she said. http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/6/7/nation/8847031&sec=natio n Thursday June 9, 2011 CANNON WHEELS STOLEN MALACCA: Several thieves have made off with the 20 solid cast iron wheels that s upported five ancient Portuguese cannons on top of St John s Hills in Bandar Hil ir here. State Housing, Local Govern-ment and Environment committee chairman Datuk Md Yun us Rahmat rushed to the historical site where maintenance works have been going on after being told of the theft. Each cannon, with its four wheels, weighs betw een 500kg and 600kg. This is a great loss. The perpetrators must be nabbed. This i s the first time such heavy artefacts have been stolen, he said after visiting th e site yesterday. He said the wheels were solid cast iron and some had been repr oduced in the 1980s to replicate the originals that had been damaged over the ye ars. The five cannons were originally used by the Portuguese to repel attacks fr om the sea and land in the 1500s. Md Yunus said contract workers carrying out th e maintenance works at the hilltop discovered the theft at about 8am. He said th e contractor informed Malacca Historical City Council officials who referred the matter to the Chief Minister s office. Md Yunus said the wheels could have been stolen on Tuesday night as council workers had seen them that morning. This coul d be the work of the scrap metal thieves but it is premature to comment on this. We will leave it to the police to investigate, he added. He said the National Heritage Department would lodge a police report today. He a dded the state government would also lobby the department to station security gu ards at St John s Hill. Md Yunus said security measures at St Paul s Hill should be given priority. Police officers have been combing St John s Hill and are exp ected to haul up several workers involved in the maintenance works to facilitate investigations. State Local Housing, Local Government and Environment Committee chairman Datuk Mohd Yunus Rahmat inspecting a cannon with missing wheels (shown inset) on top o f St Johns Hill in Bandar Hilir in Malacca. Twenty solid cast iron wheels of five ancient Portuguese cannons were discovered missing yesterday MAN SHOT DEAD BY SECURITY GUARD WHILE BREAKING INTO FOUNDRY 2011/06/21 IPOH: A man believed to be trying to break into a foundry in Lahat here was shot dead by the foundry s security guard early today. Perak CID chief Datuk Mohd Dzuraidi Ibrahim said the man, identified as They Tar Singh, 41, was seriously injured and died at the scene. The incident happened at 3.15am when t he security guard, in his 50 s, saw a man behaving suspiciously at the foundry. He called out to the man to stop but when he did not, the security guard fired a warning shot into the air. Dzuraidi said the suspect ran away but was pursued by the security guard and three friends, with the security guard firing another shot which hit the man, killing him. His body was sent to Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital, while police detained the securiy guard and seized the gun from him. The initial investigation showed the suspect had two previous criminal records. Bernama Read more: Man shot dead by security guard while breaking into foundry http:// www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/Manshotdeadbysecurityguardwhilebreakingintofoundry/A rticle/#ixzz1Pu1w388U Wednesday July 6, 2011 KEEPING TABS ON CHILD SEX OFFENDERS

The Star Says . . . RAPE is always a brutal crime. But when the victims are defenceless and innocent children, its even more despicable.Not only are pysically violated and their inn ocence defiled, the mental scars stay with them long after the final attack. Par ents usually think of a child molester or rapist as a dangerous stranger. While the stranger angle grabs headlines, it is less common than most people believe, sa y experts. The majority of child victims know their assailants, who are most oft en family members or friends. The statistics are alarming from 2006 to 2010, as many as 11,809 or 73% of rape victims in Malaysia were aged 18 and below. And in many cases, the crime was committed by a family member. The figure may be just the tip of the iceberg as many rapes go unreported. According to the All Womens A ction Society, only one in 10 cases is reported. The more accurate picture is tha t rape happens every 15 minutes in this country. This means that each year, the number of victims are enough to fill Bukit Jalil stadium to capacity. All sorts of antiquated myths and prejudices are used to justify rape a womans dr essing or behaviour, even mens uncontrollable urges. According to experts, however, there are two types of people who perpetrate sexual crimes against children: pa edophiles who are attracted to and aroused by children; and opportunists who pre y on a child simply because the victim is accessible. In cases of incest, the en tire family unit is often dysfunctional. These children often suffer in silence, alone and are unable to escape. To protect our children, we need to teach them their rights and boundaries. Teach them to say NO when they need to. They need to learn that their bodies belong only to them. Young people need to be taught gend er sensitivity and equality. Sex education in school would teach them how not to be taken advantage of sexually. Parents, too, need to spend enough time talking and listening to their children. Parents, teachers, doctors, caregivers and oth ers need to learn to read subtle clues, such as minor changes in behaviour or de meanour. Our children deserve to be protected, rescued and have their abusers re moved from society. They deserve to know they have done nothing wrong and are in no way to blame.Tougher laws will not by themselves bring about an end to rape. A fundamental change in attitude is needed, a swing in unwritten laws and assum ptions of a system that effectively give men permission to rape.The proposed Sex ual Offenders Registration Act to monitor people convicted of sex crimes is need ed now more than ever. http://www.thestar.com.my/columnists/story.asp?file=/2011/7/6/columnists/thestar says/9038675&sec=thestarsays