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RM1.50 | EARLY WEEK EDITION | FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER | 5, 2012 | LET’S MOVE ON!

Man murdered after breakfastKAJANG: A 42-year old businessman was bludgeoned to death and his body left beside his luxury car here yesterday.p2

Drugs worth RM20m seized in apartmentBy ZAMRI ABU BAKAR | news@enp.com.my

JOHOR’S BIGGEST DRUG HAUL: Cops nab three, including jet-setting couple, seize processing equipment

MUAR: POLICE on a routine narcotics bust stumbled onto a drug laboratory and seized drugs worth RM20 million at a posh apartment yesterday, making it the state’s biggest haul this year. Officers from Johor Narcotics Crimi-nal Investigation Department, who took part in the pre-dawn raid, found drugs,

including syabu, heroin, Ecstasy and Eramin 5 pills, hidden in the apartment in Jalan Junid here. Several drug pro-cessing equipment and packing material were also seized. Police also arrested three people, including a couple, aged between 20 and 50. It was learnt that the couple had been leading a jet-set lifestyle for several months from their ill-gotten gains be-fore the arrest. p3

140,000 take 10,000 steps to recordBy ZUBAIDAH BTE KASSIM | news@enp.com.myPUTRAJAYA: THE 10,000 Steps Merdeka Walk programme will enter the Malaysia Book of Records for having the most par-ticipants in simultaneous health campaigns nation-wide. Organise by the Health Ministry to celebrate Merdeka Day and as part of its health carnival, it was

held yesterday at 75 areas and districts nationwide, and involved 140,000 people. The participants walked for 6.5km while waving the Jalur Gemilang throughout the 10,000- step walkway. Here, ministry secretary-general Datuk Kamarul Za-man Md Isa flagged off 5,000 participants while Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai

launched the national- level Health Carnival in Kota Kinabalu. The route was deco-rated with banners carrying Merdeka Day messages and information on adopting a healthy lifestyle. Kamarul Za-man said the event encour-aged more Malaysians to lead a healthy life. p4

Hot demand for Felda LBJ homesNEW LEASE OF LIFE: Abandoned properties belonging to ex-millionaires snapped up by investors

POPULAR ALL OVER: Heritage art form features a ‘secret’ manual, elegant dress, and diversity

GAINING POPULARITY: With the revelation that the hairdressing industry generates a staggering RM10 billion yearly,

9/11 TRAGEDY: 3 Malaysians killed in New York terror attacks rememberedShafie’s passion

preserves zapin

SPOTLIGHT: Making hairdressing a ‘pro’ job

11 years on, the pain still lingers

P14P5 P8

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Man murdered after breakfast

220 students ‘save’ mangroves

Invest income, farmers urged

2,500 bikers gather in PD to createrecord

Won Sin Keong from Cheras, was found lying facedown beside his BMW M5 at Jalan Mahkota 1, near Bandar Bukit Mahkota here, by a passerby at 7.50am. Kajang police chief Assistant Com-missioner Ab Rashid Ab Wahab said a baseball bat, believed to be the murder weapon, was found n the car’s front pas-senger seat. Checks found scratch marks on both sides of the victim’s black car, believed to be from collision with other vehicles. “The victim’s valuables including a gold chain, wallet and watch, were not taken. “The victim suffered blunt force trauma to his head. His face and right eye were also bruised,” he said, adding that the victim was attacked and murdered at the location. Won Sin Keong from Cheras, was found lying facedown beside his BMW M5 at Jalan Mahkota 1, near Bandar Bukit Mahkota here, by a passerby at 7.50am. Kajang police chief Assistant Com-missioner Ab Rashid Ab Wahab said a baseball bat, believed to be the murder weapon, was found n the car’s front pas-senger seat. Checks found scratch marks on both sides of the victim’s black car, believed to be from collision with other vehicles. “The victim’s valuables including a gold chain, wallet and watch, were not taken. “The victim suffered blunt force trauma to his head. His face and right eye were also bruised,” he said, adding that the victim was attacked and murdered at the location. Won Sin Keong from Cheras, was found lying facedown beside

his BMW M5 at Jalan Mahkota 1, near Bandar Bukit Mahkota here, by a pas-serby at 7.50am. Kajang police chief Assistant Com-missioner Ab Rashid Ab Wahab said a baseball bat, believed to be the murder weapon, was found n the car’s front pas-senger seat. Checks found scratch marks on both sides of the victim’s black car, believed to be from collision with other vehicles. “The victim’s valuables including a gold chain, wallet and watch, were not taken. “The victim suffered blunt force trauma to his head. His face and right eye were also bruised,” he said, adding that the victim was attacked and murdered at the location. Won Sin Keong from Cheras, was found lying facedown beside his BMW M5 at Jalan Mahkota 1, near

Bandar Bukit Mahkota here, by a pas-serby at 7.50am. Kajang police chief Assistant Com-missioner Ab Rashid Ab Wahab said a baseball bat, believed to be the murder weapon, was found n the car’s front pas-senger seat. Checks found scratch marks on both sides of the victim’s black car, believed to be from collision with other vehicles. “The victim’s valuables including a gold chain, wallet and watch, were not taken. “The victim suffered blunt force trauma to his head. His face and right eye were also bruised,” he said, adding that the victim was attacked and murdered at the location. weapon, was found n the car’s front passenger seat.

State Tourism, Unity, Culture, Arts and Heritage Committee chairman Datuk Mohammad Razi Kail congratulated the organisers and bikers for making the 10th edition of the event a success. “It is the 10th time this is being held at Eagle Ranch PD as well.”Razi said he hoped bikers would continue coming here every year to make the event a success. “We are lucky to have the support of our menteri besar and with his determination, keep adding tourist numbers to the state.”Eagle Ranch Resort managing director Jimmy Tee said the event provided op-portunity for bikers to exchange ideas, network and establish strong bonds. “It is also a perfect way for local and foreign bikers to learn about each other’s culture while promoting peace and har-mony.” The bikers were from Singapore, the Philippines, Australia and the United States. “To show our continued support we are launching an Eagle Ranch Biker Club membership card for all biker enthusi-asts,” said Tee. One of the standout participants was technician, Hanafi Ahmad, 35, who had a 4.6m long bike. He said he bought the machine for RM16,000 and spent RM22,000 modify-ing it. Hanafi recalled that his first bike was a Virago. “My passion started growing and I started getting into modification as well.”

“Investigators believe the suspects had been operating for several months and the tight security features of the high-end apartment had bolstered their confidence that their activities would not be detected.” It is learnt that police were still trying to determine the actual value of the drugs seized. They were also trying to identify the mastermind and the extent of the distribution network. Johor Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department chief, Assistant Commissioner Kamarudin A. Aziz confirmed the incident, but declined to elaborate. The seizure came three months after another high-profile drug seizure from a laboratory which was partially de-stroyed in a fire at the Pekan Nenas New Industrial Estate three months ago. “We are lucky to have the support of our menteri besar and with his determination, keep adding tourist numbers to the state.” Eagle Ranch Resort managing director Jimmy Tee said the event provided opportunity for bikers to exchange ideas, network and establish strong bonds. “It is also a perfect way for local and foreign bikers to learn about each other’s culture while promoting peace and harmony.” “The victim’s valuables including a gold chain, wal-let and watch, were not taken. “The victim suffered blunt force trauma to his head. His face and right eye were also bruised,” he said, adding that the victim was attacked and murdered at the location. Johor Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department chief, Assistant Commissioner Kamarudin A. Aziz con-firmed the incident, but declined to elaborate. The seizure came three months after another high-profile drug seizure from a laboratory which was partially de-stroyed in a fire at the Pekan Nenas New Industrial Estate three months ago. Eagle Ranch Resort managing director Jimmy Tee said the event provided and establish strong.

CULTURAL EXCHANGE: Japa-nese, Mara college volunteers plant saplings in Kg Sepetang TAIPING: A GROUP of Japanese university students helped to plant mangroves in support of the state’s rehabilitation of degraded man-groves project yesterday.About 1,000 saplings were planted at the Kuala Sepetang mangrove for-est here yesterday. About 200 students from Maktab Rendah Sains Mara and 20 volun-teers from the Japan-based Organi-sation for Industrial, Spiritual and Cultural Advancement International (OISCA) took part in the event. They were part of the “mangrove planting and Malaysian cultural ex-change programme with Japan”. The volunteers stood knee-deep in mud to plant the saplings, which will help provide food source, shelter and nesting areas for fish, reptiles, mam-

mals and birds. The collaboration was also aimed at spreading awareness about the earthquake and tsunami which hit Japan in March last year and the tsunami in Malaysia in 2004. About 1,000 saplings were planted at the Kuala Sepetang mangrove for-est here yesterday. They were brought together by OISCA to create awareness of the importance of a healthy mangrove ecosystem among the local commu-nity, while learning about Malaysian culture. The OISCA group is planting man-groves in different states, including Sabah and Sarawak.Ismail said: “We learned about the importance of preserving our mangroves after the 2004 tsunami and how it impacted the country and people.” He added that although the pen-

insula had 106,104ha of mangrove area, only 1.8 per cent was in its original state.To date, about 32,367 trees had been planted nationwide by various groups. Studies have shown that mangrove forests along the coasts could reduce the impact of tsunamis and coastal storms by absorbing some of the waves’ energy.The programme in Kampung Sepe-tang will also enhance the tourism potential of the area. The volunteers stood knee-deep in mud to plant the saplings, which will help provide food source, shelter and nesting areas for fish, reptiles, mam-mals and birds. It is learnt that police were still trying to determine the actual value of the drugs seized.

JULAU: The good market prices for rubber, oil palm and pepper have enabled rural folk to earn good income. However, some are wasting their hard-earned money through ir-responsible spending, said Deputy Information, Communications and Culture Minister Datuk Joseph Salang yesterday. Salang, who is also Julau member of parlia-ment, was speaking at the launch of Amanah Saham Nasional Bhd’s 360 Days Investment seminar at the community hall here. “If they can save a portion of their

income by investing in trust funds like the Amanah Saham Nasional, Amanah Saham Bumiputera and others, they will have something to hold on to after they retire. “Parents can look after their families... they can finance their children’s educa-tion.” He said the time had come for heavy spenders to change their habit. “Invest your money in the government-initiated trust funds. “The more you save, the more divi-dends you earn. “There are many banks you can approach. “You can invest as much as you want.”

“The victim’s valuables includ-ing a gold chain, wallet and watch, were not taken. “The victim suf-fered blunt force trauma to his head. His face and right eye were also bruised,” he said, adding that the victim was attacked and murdered at the location. “We are lucky to have the sup-port of our menteri besar and with his determination. Eagle Ranch Resort managing director Jimmy Tee said the event provided opportunity for bikers to exchange ideas, network and estab-lish strong bonds.

Drugs worth RM20mseized in apartment

By ZAKARIA BIN DAUD | news@enp.com.my By SYAHFIQ BIN FIRDAUS | news@enp.com.myBy ADIBAH BTE HELMI | news@enp.com.my

By ZIKRI BTE HASHIM | news@enp.com.my

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11 more Rat Gang members held

140,000 take 10,000 steps to record

Malaysia’s oldest man dies at 117

JOHOR BARU: POLICE believe they have smashed the notorious Rat Gang with the arrest of its members in a series of operations in Taman Seri Alam here recently. The latest operation saw 11 people, including a wom-an, arrested after a robbery at a house in Taman Pelangi here at 10.25am on Aug 16. It is learnt that police were alerted to the gang’s activi-ties based on the way the suspects operated and their profile. Later, at 4.30pm the same day, police raided another location and seized a parang, toy pistol and house-breaking tools. They also recovered a stolen car, RM3,000 in local and foreign currencies, five comput-ers, four laptops, five mobile phones, two watches and 14 handbags. Johor police chief Datuk Mokhtar Shariff said police acted immediately after receiving the report and man-aged to round up the suspects within several hours. “The suspects, aged between 25 and 35, have been detained in connection with the robbery. Investigators also believe that they are part of the Rat Gang that has been high on the wanted list since this month,” he said at the state police headquarters yesterday.

Mokhtar said the arrest of the 11 brought the total to 16 suspects held by the police. He said four suspects in the

recent arrest had convictions for theft, rape and bur-glary, while another was wanted for theft. On Aug 4, police arrested four men and an Indonesian woman, aged between 25 and 30, for a series of bur-glaries and car thefts in south Johor. State police then issued a state-wide all-points bulletin for the remaining members of the gang. With the latest arrest, Mokhtar said police were con-fident of solving seven robbery cases in the city. “How-ever, police are still on the lookout for the leader. ”The criminal group was named after its de facto 40-year-old leader, who is known as “The Rat”. On Aug 4, police arrested four men and an Indonesian woman, aged between 25 and 30, for a series of bur-glaries and car thefts in south Johor. State police then issued a state-wide all-points bulletin for the remaining members of the gang. “The suspects, aged between 25 and 35, have been detained in connection with the robbery. Investigators also believe that they are part of the Rat Gang that has been high on the wanted list since this month,” he said at the state police headquarters yesterday.

Kamarul Zaman said the event encouraged more Malaysians to lead a healthy life. Present were director-general Datuk Seri Dr Hasan Abdul Rahman and Putra-jaya Corp president Tan Sri Dr Aseh Che Mat. To ease congestion at toll plazas, Shaziman said PLUS had set up 750 temporary toll booths, bringing the total number of booths to 1,500 nationwide. It had also increased the number of PLUS Ronda teams assigned to 24-hour patrols on its highways, from 139 to 153 units. Shaziman said the KL-Karak highway’s daily traffic volume of 97,850 vehicles was expected to increase by 84 per cent to 180,000 vehicles throughout next week. To ease congestion at toll plazas, Shaziman said PLUS had set up 750 temporary toll booths, bringing the

total number of booths to 1,500 nationwide. It had also increased the number of PLUS Ronda teams assigned to 24-hour patrols on its highways, from 139 to 153 units.to 24-hour patrols on its highways, from 139 to 153 units. It had also increased the number of PLUS Ronda teams assigned Shaziman said the KL-Karak highway’s daily traffic volume of 97,850 vehicles was expected to increase by 84 per cent to 180,000 vehicles throughout next week. To ease congestion at toll plazas, Shaziman said PLUS had set up 750 temporary toll booths, bringing the total number of booths to 1,500 nationwide. District police chief Su-perintendent Azman Salim said the thieves had gained entry into the shop through the empty shoplot next to it at Jalan Besar here.

“The theft was discovered by the shop’s employees when they came to open for business today at 9am,” he said here yesterday.“We are investigating whether the incident was an inside job,” he said, noting that this was the first theft incident at the goldsmith shop. The latest operation saw 11 people, including a wom-an, arrested after a robbery at a house in Taman Pelangi here at 10.25am on Aug 16. Sources said the thieves had initially targeted the safe box which kept the more valuable jewellery. Those wishing to view the latest traffic updates can do so by following @LLMin-fotrafik or @plustrafik on Twitter or calling PLUS at 1-800-880-000 for more details.

Johor police chief Datuk Mokhtar Shariff showing the items seized from the gang. Pic by Zulkarnain Ahmad Tajuddin.

HEALTHY HABITS: Pak Man only ate fresh food and never smoked

JERTIH: CENTENARIAN Abdul Rahman Abu Bakar, reportedly Ma-laysia’s oldest man, died at his house in Kampung Denger, Bukit Puteri, here, on Sunday. He was 117. His eighth wife, Saadiah Hamat, 71, and son Mohamad Deraman, 56, were by his side when Abdul Rah-man, who was also known to many as Pak Man, died. One of Pak Man’s daughters, Arina Abdul Rahman, 46, said her father started losing appetite about two months ago. “He was fit up till the middle of Ramadan, when he was unable to fast,” she said.Before his death, Pak Man, who had been married eight times, earned national attention after being high-lighted by the media recently. According to his relatives, Pak Man maintained a healthy lifestyle by eat-ing fresh food and vegetables while refraining from unhealthy habits like smoking, which lead to his long life. He was buried at Tanah Perkuburan Kampung Denger yesterday after-noon.The state Health Department had ac-

corded him the Senior Citizen’s Icon during the state-level World Health Day celebrations held recently. From his eight marriages, Pak Man had five children, 25 grandchildren, six great grandchildren and four great-great grandchildren. Pak Man, who had worked as a caretaker, also avoided unhealthy food that contained excessive amounts of sugar or salt, or those deemed too oily and high in choles-terol. JOHOR BARU: THE office of Shafie Ahmad at the

Johor Heritage Foundation building, Jalan Petrie is only a little larger than the usual work cubicle in other companies. But it belies the cultural officer’s passion for his work which revolves mostly around the conservation and

preservation of an age-old art form, the zapin dance, which originated from Hadramaut, Yemen, and now laced with local accents and style. Shafie’s flamboyance in regaling his work is reflected in his gratitude towards the foundation’s unrelenting efforts to study and archive various zapin styles in the districts of Johor for more than a decade.“Once we went to a house, but I’m not sure in which district. “The zapin master had not been practising. He is an imam now.“We tried for days to persuade him to teach that particu-

lar style. However, the old man refused. “We knocked on his door almost every night. “He scolded us, and at one point, tried to chase us away. “But in the end, he gave in and we managed to learn so much about zapin from him.” The zapin dance, which is an iconic symbol of traditional Johorean art, is popular for its dexterous and graceful moves, which involve detailed footwork and gyrations of the body, accompanied by an ensemble of musicians playing the fiddle-like gambus, the small drum marwas.

Shafie’s passion preserves zapin

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“1Malaysia concept benefits all“

Driver held over untaxed cigarettes

KUDAT: The 1Malaysia concept has benefited every-body, especially in ensuring that no group is neglected, said Wanita Umno division chief here, Datin Aminah Ambrose.Read more: ‘1Malaysia concept benefits all’ - General She said attempts by the opposition to look for flaws and cook up negative stories about the concept were gim-micks to gain political mile-age. “Nobody can deny that the 1Malaysia concept, mooted by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has fostered national unity. “On the other hand, the op-position pact is fragile.“However, they refuse to admit their weaknesses,” she said at the Kudat Wanita Umno division delegates’ meeting and Hari Raya Aidilfitri open house here on Sunday. Bernama

Traffic may increase 300pc on highways

Probe into ‘suspicious’ Suara transactions

MUAR: Police detained a lorry driver and seized contraband cigarettes with unpaid tax of more than RM1.4 million during a Op Selamat roadblock here at 2am on Sunday.

Deputy Muar police chief Superintendent Sahadan Jaafar said police detained the white Inokom 3-tonne lorry at the Jalan Bari second link and found 310 boxes of contraband cigarettes. He said police arrested the 30-year-old lorry driver from Alor Star, Kedah.The cigarettes are valued at RM155,000 with unpaid Cus-toms duty of RM1.41 million. Sahadan said the suspect, upon conviction, could be fined 10 times the value of the cigarettes or RM1.55 mil-lion. He said initial investiga-tion revealed the driver was instructed to deliver the ciga-rettes, believed to have been smuggled from a neighbour-ing country, from Air Hitam in Johor to Malacca. “The suspect claimed he had met an individual in Sin-gapore who offered him

“The reality is that all these highways will see an increase in the number of vehicles be-cause of the Raya and school holidays,” he said during a press conference at Persada PLUS yesterday. “I urge all motorists to be patient on the road and drive safely.” As for the East Coast Expressway (LPT), its con-cessionaire Anih Berhad, pre-dicted an increase of 130,000 vehicles to its daily average of 32,843 vehicles, result-ing in a 295 per cent traffic increase. Shaziman said the KL-Karak highway’s daily traffic volume of 97,850 vehicles was expected to increase by 84 per cent to 180,000 ve-hicles throughout next week. To ease congestion at toll plazas, Shaziman said PLUS had set up 750 tem-porary toll booths, bringing the total number of booths to 1,500 nationwide. It had also increased the number of PLUS Ronda teams assigned to 24-hour patrols on its highways, from 139 to 153 units.

Anih Berhad had also increased the number of toll lanes from 99 to 126 lanes for the Raya week. “Temporary contra-flow lanes will also be placed to ease congestion on stra-tegic locations such as the Sungai Dua toll plaza head-ing southbound and between Km32 and Km39 heading east towards the Genting Sempah tunnel until Aug 18.” Shaziman said the KL-Karak highway’s daily traffic volume of 97,850 vehicles was expected to increase by 84 per cent to 180,000 ve-hicles throughout next week. To ease congestion at toll plazas, Shaziman said PLUS had set up 750 tem-porary toll booths, bringing the total number of booths to 1,500 nationwide. It had also increased the number of PLUS Ronda teams assigned to 24-hour patrols on its highways, from 139 to 153 units. Shaziman said the KL-Karak highway’s daily traffic volume of 97,850 vehicles was expected to increase by 84 per cent to 180,000 ve-hicles throughout next week.

To ease congestion at toll plazas, Shaziman said PLUS had set up 750 tem-porary toll booths, bringing the total number of booths to 1,500 nationwide. It had also increased the number of PLUS Ronda teams assigned to 24-hour patrols on its highways, from 139 to 153 units. It had also increased the number of PLUS Ronda teams assigned to 24-hour patrols on its highways, from 139 to 153 units.

It had also increased the number of PLUS Ronda teams assigned to 24-hour patrols on its highways, from 139 to 153 units.to 24-hour patrols on its highways, from 139 to 153 units. It had also increased the number of PLUS Ronda teams assigned Those wishing to view the latest traffic updates can do so by following @LLMinfotrafik or @plustrafik on Twitter or calling PLUS at 1-800-880-000 for more details.

TRANSFER OF FUNDS: Companies Commission finds that foreign firms sent between RM500,000 and RM600,000

KUALA LUMPUR: INITIAL findings by Companies Com-mission of Malaysia (SSM) revealed an array of “highly suspicious” fund transactions between Suara Inisiatif Sdn Bhd and human rights group Suaram. They included several groups transferring funds of RM500,000 and RM600,000 into Suara Inisiatif accounts in 2009 and 2011 respec-tively, said Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consum-erism Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob. Ismail Sabri said the groups included the US-based National Endowment for Democracy, Open Society Institute in New York, South-east Asian Centre for e-Media and the German embassy . He said SSM would

be probing Suara Inisiatif Sdn Bhd, which has been funding Suaram. “We will carry out the necessary investigations on the Suara Inisiatif transac-tions which were deemed ‘highly suspicious’. “Suara Inisiatif is reg-istered as a trading company with SSM, but SSM’s initial findings have revealed that their trading activities were a

mere 0.06 per cent,” he said during a press conference at the SSM headquarters yester-day. He said this led the authorities to believe that the company was established for the sole purpose of receiving funds and transferring them to a third party, which in this case was Suaram. He said the reports showed that the activities

often involved fund transac-tions between several interna-tional groups. SSM will also look into the fiduciary duties of Suara Inisiatif as there were “some doubts and suspicions” that questioned the nature of the trading company. “If necessary, SSM will call upon the company’s secretary, auditors and ac-countants for elaboration on

the allegations.” Ismail Sabri also said if Suaram was misusing its funds, it did not fall under CCM’s duties to carry out the investigations. “If investigations are required, Bank Negara should probe Suaram’s sources of money under the Anti-Money Laundering Act 2001.” Ismail Sabri said since this issue had sparked intense public interest, neces-sary action against Suaram could only be taken by Bank Negara or after seeking con-sultation with the Attorney-General and finally taking the group to the court. On calls for SSM chief executive officer Naim Daruwish’s resignation by several groups here on the lack of action against Suara Inisiatif, Ismail Sabri said these were baseless as SSM was carrying out its duties. Naim was present at the press conference.

TRANSFER OF FUNDS: Companies Commission finds that foreign firms sent between RM500,000 and RM600,000

KUALA LUMPUR: INITIAL findings by Companies Com-

mission of Malaysia (SSM) revealed an array of “highly suspicious” fund transactions between Suara Inisiatif Sdn Bhd and human rights group Suaram. They included several groups transferring funds of

RM500,000 and RM600,000 into Suara Inisiatif accounts in 2009 and 2011 respec-tively, said Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consum-erism Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob. Ismail Sabri said the groups

included the US-based National Endowment for Democracy, Open Society Institute in New York, South-east Asian Centre for e-Media and the German embassy . He said SSM would be probing Suara Inisiatif Sdn Bhd, which has been funding Suaram. “We will carry out the nec-essary investigations on the Suara Inisiatif transactions which were deemed ‘highly suspicious’. “Suara Inisiatif is registered as a trading company with SSM, but SSM’s initial find-ings have revealed that their trading activities were a mere 0.06 per cent,” he said dur-ing a press conference at the SSM headquarters yesterday. He said this led the au-thorities to believe that the company was established for the sole purpose of receiving funds and transferring them to a third party, which in this case was Suaram. He said the reports showed that the activities often involved fund transactions between several international groups.

By PUNITHA KUMAR | punithak@nst.com.my

The bumber-to-bumper crawl on the Penang Bridge yesterday as people head back to their hometowns for hari Raya Aidil-fitri. The traffic volume on the bridge and other highway is expected to increase tremendously today and tomorronw.

Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob (right) and Companies Commission of Malaysia chief executive officer Mohd Naim Daruwish at the press conference in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. Pic by Zulfadhli Zulkifli

Dr Mahathir: Malays can lead the way

Thieves bore into goldsmith’s shopSUNGAI SIPUT: Taking ad-vantage of an empty shoplot situated next to a goldsmith’s shop which they had targeted, a group of thieves bore a hole into the jewellery shop and carted away an unspecified amount of gold items. District police chief Su-perintendent Azman Salim said the thieves had gained entry into the shop through the empty shoplot next to it at Jalan Besar here. “The theft was discovered by the shop’s employees when they came to open for business today at 9am,” he said here yesterday.Initial investigation showed that the shop’s alarm had been disabled.“We are investigating wheth-er the incident was an inside job,” he said, noting that this was the first theft incident at the goldsmith shop.Sources said the thieves had initially targeted the safe box which kept the more valuable jewellery.

Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad being presented with a honorary doctorate in Leadership and Empowerment of Malay Communities by UNS-Solo rector Prof Dr Ravik Karsidi at Universitas Sebelas Maret yesterday.

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MIRI: This oil town has been in a festive mood this past week as it hosts this year’s state-level celebration of Yang Dipertua Negeri Tun Abang Muhammad Salahuddin Abang Barieng’s 91st birthday. It culminated yesterday with a mass rally and parade at an open stadium. Awash with hundreds of flags and bunting hoist-ed along the town’s main streets, which were gaily lit up at night, a festive mood was whipped up not only among the people here but also the hundreds who had streamed across the border from Brunei to join in the festivities. State Housing Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg on Friday described the celebration as a “three-in-one celebration” -- the birthday, Merde-

ka Day which fell on Aug 31 and Hari Raya Aidilfitri which Muslims celebrated on Aug 19. Abang Johari, who is also the minister in charge of the celebration, said the theme of this year’s cel-ebration was development achieved by the state. More than 10,000 people from 97 uniformed and non-uniformed contingents took part in the parade.The celebration proper kicked off on Friday night with a thanksgiving at Masjid At-Taqwa. Yesterday, Abang Salahuddin hosted a tea party for all those conferred honorary titles.Since Sarawak joined Malaysia in 1963, the state has had five Yang Dipertua Negeris. Abang Salahuddin was the third and sixth Yang Dipertua Negeri, making him the first person to

hold the post twice. He was first appointed in 1977 for a five-year term to succeed Tuanku Bujang Tuanku Othman.Abang Salahuddin was reappointed in 2001 to succeed Tun Ahmad Zaidi Adruce Mohamed Noor, who died in office in 2000. His private secretary for 12 years ACP Khir Busrah yesterday described the Yang Dipertua as a “most down to earth leader who can mix around with all”. Awash with hundreds of flags and bunting hoist-ed along the town’s main streets, which were gaily lit up at night, to join in the festivities.

MIRI: This oil town has been in a festive mood this past week as it hosts this year’s state-level celebra-tion of Yang Dipertua Negeri Tun Abang Muham-mad Salahuddin Abang Barieng’s 91st birthday. It culminated yesterday with a mass rally and parade at an open stadium. Awash with hundreds of flags and bunting hoisted along the town’s main streets, which were gaily lit up at night, a festive mood was whipped up not only among the people here but also the hundreds who had streamed across the border from Brunei to join in the festivities. State Housing Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg on Friday described the celebration as a “three-in-one celebration” -- the birthday, Merdeka Day which fell on Aug 31 and Hari Raya Aidilfitri which Muslims celebrated on Aug 19. Abang Johari, who is also the minister in charge

of the celebration, said the theme of this year’s cel-ebration was development achieved by the state. More than 10,000 people from 97 uniformed and non-uniformed contingents took part in the parade.The celebration proper kicked off on Friday night with a thanksgiving at Masjid At-Taqwa. Yesterday, Abang Salahuddin hosted a tea party for all those conferred honorary titles.

Since Sarawak joined Malaysia in 1963, the state has had five Yang Dipertua Negeris. Abang Salahuddin was the third and sixth Yang Dipertua Negeri, making him the first person to hold the post twice. He was first appointed in 1977 for a five-year term to succeed Tuanku Bujang Tuanku Othman.Abang Salahuddin was reappointed in 2001 to succeed Tun Ahmad Zaidi Adruce Mohamed Noor, who died in office in 2000. His private secretary for 12 years ACP Khir Busrah yesterday described the Yang Dipertua as a “most down to earth leader who can mix around with all”. Awash with hundreds of flags and bunting hoisted along the town’s main streets, which were gaily lit up at night, to join in the festivities.

Miri in festive mood past week

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