Digest on Malaysian News

Chin Hock Nam, a taxi driver who called himself “Uncle” was jailed 14 years and ordered to be whipped five times for raping, attempting to rape and molesting seven underage girls. 14 years is too light. What has becoming of Malaysian judge. Chin Hock Nam should be sentenced for LIFE.

He was sentenced to 82 years in jail but will only be behind bars for 14 years as the Ampang Sessions Court ordered that the sentences run concurrently from his date of arrest.

Chin Hock Nam, 54, changed his mind and pleaded guilty to all charges when the case, which was supposed to be tried in camera, began yesterday.

In sentencing, Ampang Sessions Court judge Azwarnida Affandi said she took into consideration the fact that the offences had become rampant and that all his victims were underage as well as Chin’s guilty plea. Azwarnida, you are too lame for giving him 14 concurrently years. Chin Hock Nam should stay and rot in prison for 82 years !.

Azwarnida jailed him 14 years and ordered that Chin be caned twice for each of the two counts of rape.

She also jailed him 14 years and ordered him to be whipped once for the attempted rape charge.

Azwarnida also jailed him eight years for each of the five molest charges involving four victims.

Ahmad Najib Aris, convicted of the rape and murder of IT analyst Canny Ong six years ago, lost his final appeal against conviction. The former aircraft cleaning supervisor next appointment will be with the hangman.




From TheStar
Canny Ong’s killer to hang, Ahmad Najib loses final appeal

PUTRAJAYA: Ahmad Najib Aris, convicted of the rape and murder of IT analyst Canny Ong Lay Kian six years ago, lost his final appeal against conviction.

It’s the gallows next for the former aircraft cleaning supervisor.

This follows a unanimous decision by the Federal Court to uphold his death sentence for the crimes committed on Ong, whose charred remains were found in a manhole near a highway construction site in 2003.

Federal Court Judge Zulkefli Ahmad Makinuddin who read the judgment, said the court was satisfied there was circumstantial evidence and evidence in its entirety to come to the conclusion that it was Ahmad Najib, 33, and no one else who was responsible for what happened to Ong that night.

The appeal was heard before a five-man bench comprising Chief Judge of Malaya Arifin Zakaria and Federal Court Justices Nik Hashim Nik Ab Rahman, S. Augustine Paul, Hashim Yusoff and Zulkefli.

In his 47-page judgment, Justice Zulkefli said evidence by relevant prosecution witnesses also showed that Ahmad Najib was seen with Ong at various places that night.

Justice Zulkefli said the Court of Appeal had made a correct finding in relying on the chemist’s report that the circumstantial evidence, including the discovery of Ong’s bloodstains on the trousers found in Ahmad Najib’s house, pointed to the fact that no one else, except Ahmad Najib, was responsible for what happened to the victim.

Justice Zulkefli affirmed the conviction and death sentence by the High Court which had also been affirmed by the Court of Appeal.

He said the Court of Appeal was right in accepting the High Court’s decision that Ahmad Najib was seen at the various scenes or locations and was found to have been with Ong at 7th Mile, Jalan Klang Lama, between 1am and 5am on June 14, 2003.

Zulkefli said a DNA test confirmed Ahmad Najib’s semen in Ong’s vagina which proved that he had intercourse with the victim.

“The contents of the chemist’s report have the direct effect of linking the appellant (Ahmad Najib) to the commission of the rape and murder of the deceased (Ong),” he said.

Ahmad Najib, wearing a black and white short-sleeved shirt and black trousers, was composed when the verdict was announced.

After the proceedings, Ahmad Najib, who was accompanied by his mother, Rapipah Ahmad, and youngest sister Suhana, was asked to comment on the court’s decision.

He said: “I had expected this decision.”— Bernama

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Malaysia is becoming more famous internationally for the wrong reason. Malaysia is now ranked among the top 10 illegal wildlife smuggling hubs in the world, specialising in transporting pangolins, birds and clouded monitor lizards.

The wildlife is smuggled out of the country through the Kuala Lumpur International Airport and Penang International Airport, and through the sea via Johor. And I thought our Airports are pretty secured.

Apparently the security at our airports suck and enforcement from the Foresty, Wildlife, National Parks and the Police all closed their eyes on this issue. Yes, Syed Hamid Albar is also to be blamed.

From TheStar

Malaysia a hub for wildlife smuggling
By YENG AI CHUN

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia is ranked among the top 10 illegal wildlife smuggling hubs in the world, specialising in transporting pangolins, birds and clouded monitor lizards.

The wildlife is smuggled out of the country through the Kuala Lumpur International Airport and Penang International Airport, and through the sea via Johor.

South-East Asia regional director for Wildlife Trade Monitoring Network Traffic Azrina Abdullah said Malaysia was a transit and harvest hub for illegal wildlife trade.

“We are among the top 10 smuggling hubs together with Manila, Medan, Singapore and the United States.

“Hanoi is also catching up as a smuggling hub,’’ she said after attending a lecture by Bryan Christy, the author of The Lizard King: The True Crimes and Passion of the World’s Greatest Reptile Smugglers at the Academy of Sciences Malaysia yesterday.

During the talk, Christy touched on a chapter in his book which chronicled the dealings of a Penangite regarded as the top reptile smuggler in the world.

Azrina said the smuggled wildlife would end up in cooking pots in China; pet shops in Germany, the European Union countries and the United States.

“It is especially easy to smuggle reptiles because they are small and cold blooded,” she said.

She added that one could smuggle a snake by “balling” it and tying it up for long flights as it could withstand cold temperatures and survive on minimal food.

“Smugglers are also known to export dangerous wildlife species with valid papers as a front. The illegal wildlife are placed below the legal ones,” she said.

She added some smugglers even dispensed tips to buyers on how to smuggle their new ‘pet’ home on a long haul flight.

Azrina said Malaysia was the preferred hub because of its strategic location and low-risk.

“If you get caught smuggling drugs, you can be hanged. But if you are caught smuggling a tiger, you are fined,’’ she said.

Azrina said NGOs were lobbying for stricter laws under the Protection of Wildlife Act 1972 (PWA).

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Judge Datuk Mohd Zaki Md Yasin of the Shah Alam High Court will decide today if three individuals have to enter their defence (prima facie) on a charge of murdering Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu, who was allegedly shot before her naked body was blown up with explosives two years ago. Prosection closed the case five weeks ago. The court proceeding has gone on for almost two year.

The three accused individuals are Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri, Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar (both members of the Special Action Unit/Unit Tindakan Khas (UTK) and a renowned political analyst and strategist Abdul Razak Abdullah Baginda.

The high profile case has generated a big following especially when there were rumours of a public figure linked to the murder, revelations of intimate involvement of one of the accused with the victim and some shady business dealings.

If the three accused are discharged, the court would do great criminal injustice to Altantuya Shaariibuu and her family as well as the Malaysian public.

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Sekama Police Station in Kuching is manned with incompetent policemen. This case involve the public calling Sekama police station requesting for assistance to track down the suspects but were taken aback when told by the officer at the other end of the line that they would have to lodge a police report of the incident first.

A crime has occurred and the police need you to report the incident first before they can pursue the suspects. What kind of crime prevention is that ? The least the police officer at the station could do is to redirect the assistance to the mobile police unit instead of asking for an incident report.

The police department should discipline that policeman for lacking public apathy.








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Source: theborneopost.com/?p=36457

Public lament slow response from police

KUCHING: Two snatch thieves managed to escape despite the best efforts from the public, which saw one couple ramming into the suspects’ motorcycle but this did not stop the duo from escaping yesterday.

Of more pressing concern was the alleged slow response from the police despite being contacted by the couple soon after the thieves escaped on foot into a nearby jungle after nearly being knocked to the ground.

The incident happened near Taman BDC when two men riding a black-coloured motorcycle snatched a handbag belonging to a 41-year-old woman from Jalan Green around 3.30pm. The handbag contained RM6,000, which the woman had withdrawn about an hour earlier from a bank at Mile 3.

After leaving the bank, the woman headed to BDC to meet up with a friend and was in the middle of a conversation when the suspects rode up and grabbed the purse from inside her Toyota Unser.

The woman and her friend, however, immediately gave chase and nearly knocked the motorcycle down, but the duo managed to avoid the vehicle and disappeared into Lorong 3 of a nearby housing area.

At that point, a couple, coincidentally driving past the area, witnessed the incident and joined in the chase. Familiar with the housing area, the couple knew the snatch thieves would have to double back out as the lane was a dead end and, true enough, encountered the suspects on their way out.

Without a moment’s hesitation, the couple rammed into the suspects and knocked them to the ground but the duo still managed to pick themselves up and took off on foot into a nearby secondary jungle.

At that juncture, the couple told reporters that they called the Sekama police station at 3.45pm requesting for assistance to track down the suspects but were taken aback when told by the officer at the other end of the line that they would have to lodge a police report of the incident first.

Expressing dissatisfaction over the apparent lackadaisical attitude of the police, the husband added that a mobile patrol vehicle (MPV) only showed up at the scene about an hour after the incident and dismissed the ‘quick response’ ability by police as nothing more than empty talk.

“They call for cooperation from the public and say they can respond in less than 10 minutes. Had they been quick, I am confident the suspects could have been arrested as they were only running on foot,” he lamented, adding that even though his car was damaged in the incident, it would have been worthwhile had the duo been caught.

The motorcycle was later taken back to the police station for investigation while the victim lodged a report of the incident.

Police are investigating.

Imagine a girl being abducted by two men who were high on Syabu and raped and still alive to see the culprit being punished by the law. Despite her ordeal and pain, she survived. Most abducted woman ended being both rape and murder victim.

Syabas to Sabah Session Court in expediting the case and Keningau police for arresting the kidnappers. It was also pure luck that Keningau police stumbled upon the kidnapper's car and gave a chase.

The first devil, Mohd Arifin Bidin, 29, was sentenced to 56 years' jail and 25 strokes of the rotan, while another devil Mohd Sahrizal Suhaili, 21, was given a 45-year jail term and 20 lashes.

Frankly, for their hideous crime, Mohd Arifin and Mohd Sahrizal should be each mettled with 100 years jail term and 100 strokes of the rotan.

And for Kota Kinabalu police, a big booo for them for insufficient patrols, lack of crime prevention jobs and unable to control the menaces of Syabu in Kota Kinabalu.




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Source: nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Friday/National/2223241/Article/index_html (Apr 25, 2008)

Duo get long jail terms, rotan for kidnap, rape

By : Joniston Bangkuai

KOTA KINABALU: Two men who kidnapped a 22-year-old university student, raped her and forced her to perform oral sex on them were jailed a total of 101 years and ordered to be given 45 strokes of the rotan.

Mohd Arifin Bidin, 29, was sentenced to 56 years' jail and 25 strokes of the rotan, while his friend Mohd Sahrizal Suhaili, 21, was given a 45-year jail term and 20 lashes.

The sentences were meted out by Sessions Court judge Duncan Sikodol after the duo pleaded guilty to eight charges of kidnapping, raping, forcing to perform oral sex and causing grievous hurt to the girl.

Both accused were unrepresented, while senior federal counsel Suhaimi Ibrahim appeared for the prosecution.

Mohd Arifin and Mohd Sahrizal were jointly charged with kidnapping the girl, a second year student of Universiti Malaysia Sabah, at 6.50pm on April 15 at Kingfisher Park. Each received sentences of five years' jail for this.

They were also jointly charged with causing grievous hurt to the girl between 6.50pm and 5am while travelling from Kingfisher Park here to Kampung Rompon in Tambunan. They were each sentenced to five years' jail and ordered to be given five strokes of the cane for this charge.

Separate charges were framed against the two accused for raping and forcing the victim to perform oral sex.

Mohd Sahrizal, an unemployed from Kota Belud, was charged with raping the girl between 6.50pm and 10pm on April 15 at the old Kota Kinabalu-Tambunan road and forcing her to perform oral sex on him at the same time and place.

He received 20 years' imprisonment and 10 strokes of the rotan for the former and 15 years' jail and five lashes for the latter.

Mohd Arifin, a fishmonger from Bongawan, was charged with raping the girl twice between 6.50pm and 10pm on April 15 at the old Kota Kinabalu-Tambunan road and between 2am and 4am on April 16 at the same place. He was sentenced to jail terms of 23 years' and ordered caned 10 times for each of the charges.

Sikodol ordered the jail sentences for both accused to run concurrently.


Source: dailyexpress.com.my/news.cfm?NewsID=57135 (Apr 25, 2008)

Duo claim driven by Satan

Kota Kinabalu: The Sessions Court here on Thursday heard how two local men had kidnapped a 22-year-old Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) student in a stolen car, then assaulted, sexually abused and raped her during a 10-hour ordeal which only ended after police came to her rescue last week.

Mohd Ariffin Bidin, 29, and Mohd Sahrizal Suhaili, 21, who claimed they were driven by Satan to commit the heinous crimes, which sent shock waves across Sabah, felt the full brunt of the law by the time proceedings came to end at the courthouse.

Altogether Ariffin was handed a 59-year prison sentence along with 35 strokes of the cane, while Sahrizal was meted a total prison sentence of 48 years and 35 lashes of the cane.

Arifin, from Kampung Tarap, Bongawan, will however only serve 31 years behind bars and Sahrizal, of Kampung Pirasan, Kota Belud, 28 years as the court ordered the prison terms for some of the offences to run concurrently.

Ariffin, a mechanic, and Sahrizal, unemployed, pleaded guilty before Judge Duncan Sikodol to all the charges.

Senior Federal Counsel (SFC) Suhaimi Ibrahim appeared for the prosecution.

They were jailed five years and fined RM1,000 in default five months' jail each for jointly kidnapping the student at 6.50pm on April 15, this year at the Kingfisher Roundabout, Jalan Bangka-Bangka, Likas.

Both were also sentenced to five years' jail plus five strokes of the cane for voluntarily causing grievous hurt to the student.

They admitted committing the offence between 6.50pm and 5am on April 16, this year at the Kingfisher Roundabout and Kampung Rompon, Tambunan.

Sikodol ordered the sentences for kidnapping and causing grievous hurt to run concurrently.

Ariffin was handed 23 years and 10 strokes of the cane for raping the student between 6.50pm and 10pm on April 15, along Jalan Kota Kinabalu-Tambunan.

He was also given the same punishment for raping the student between 2am and 4am on April 16, also along Jalan Kota Kinabalu-Tambunan.

The sentences were, however, ordered to run concurrently but consecutively with the five years' jail for the kidnapping charge.

Sahrizal was sentenced to 20 years' jail plus 10 strokes of the cane for raping the student between 6.50pm and 10pm on April 15, along Jalan Kota Kinabalu and Jalan Tambunan.

He was also jailed 15 years plus five strokes of the cane for committing carnal intercourse against the order of nature to the student between 6pm and 10pm on April 15, also along Jalan Kota Kinabalu and Jalan Tambunan.

The sentences were ordered to run concurrently but consecutively with the five years' imprisonment for kidnapping the student.

Ariffin was also sentenced to 51 months' jail and fined RM15,000 in default 18 months' imprisonment when he pleaded guilty in the Magistrate's Court to stealing three cars.

Sahrizal, too, was jailed by the Magistrate's Court to a total of three years' jail and RM10,000 fine in default 14 months' jail for stealing two cars.

Both will serve the sentences imposed by the Magistrate's Court consecutively with those meted out by the Sessions Court.

In presenting the facts of the cases, SFC Suhaimi told the court that police investigations revealed both accused had planned to commit the crimes using the vehicle that they had stolen.

SFC Suhaimi said they approached the student from behind with Ariffin behind the wheel. Sahrizal dragged her into the car and they sped off towards the city centre.

He said the victim had tried and struggled to escape but was kicked, beaten, bitten and punched by Sahrizal.

Ariffin then drove towards Keningau and on the way tied the student's hands with masking tape and, at the same time, Sahrizal cut her clothes to strip her.

SFC Suhaimi said that while they were passing Gunung Emas (Mile 29, Jalan Kota Kinabalu-Tambunan), the student tried to escape by opening the door while Sahrizal was pulling down her jeans but he pulled her inside the car. He also kicked her abdomen and head.

During the struggle, the binding on the girl's hand broke but Sahrizal tied her hands again using her brassiere and panty before raping her.

According to SFC Suhaimi, it was the first rape incident. He said Sahrizal also forced the girl to perform oral sex and sexually abused her.

The SFC also told the court that Sahrizal and Ariffin then switched places in the car without stopping it.

He told the court that Ariffin then raped the student between 6.50pm and 10pm and repeated the act for the second time between 2am and 4am while they stopped at a place along the road.

Suhaimi said the student, who was in dire pain all over her body because of the rape and assault, pleaded to her captors to release her and send her to hospital but ignored by them.

She continued pleading to them until they were tracked down by Keningau police.

Suhaimi said Ariffin also had changed the car's registration number from SAA 4558 N to SAA 1558 N.

In mitigation, Hamid Ismail, who was the duty counsel for both accused, pleaded for an appropriate sentence for them saying their pleading guilty had saved the court time and expenses.

He said both accused also regretted their actions.

Sahrizal and Ariffin also pleaded for a lenient sentence.

When asked by the judge why they committed the offences, both said they were under the influence of alcohol and Syabu. Ariffin added that they were overcome by evil lusts.

Meanwhile, SFC Suhaimi urged the court to pass deterrent sentences to both accused.

"Can we bring back the good time of the victim, the glow and shine of the girl? She will forever have this trauma of having to go through hell. Who should be protected? The victim or the accused."

"The public interest demand them to be severely punished under the law.

Even the maximum sentence meted out cannot bring back the girl's virgin status," SFC Suhaimi said.

He said not only they hurt the girl but also the public with what they had done, adding the bite marks on the victim's face by the accused could be there for the rest of her life.

"At least this court knows how long the accused will be behind bars at least until her natural years. The victim in now 22 years old, a university student, she should have a bright future," said the SFC, in urging the court to impose severe punishments on the accused.

He proposed that both accused's jail sentences to be consecutive after the expiry of the jail sentence for car theft imposed on them earlier by the Magistrate's Court.

After the proceeding, Sahrizal and Ariffin were whisked to the Kepayan prison.

SFC Suhaimi was assisted by Deputy Public Prosecutor Raja Zaizul Raja Zaharudin and Assistant Public Prosecutors Hasmizulizam Hamidon and Effizah Ernie Idris.

The police are doing their level best to fight and prevent crime in Kuching but with the wrong techniques and tactics. Fighting crime from the sky by the Police Air Wing Unit is not effective when their helicopters are not equipped with night-vision, infra-red and/or body heat sensors.

Using naked eyes to spot suspect(s) under their spotlight is like looking for a needle in the haystack. It is even difficult when doing spotting from inside a moving helicopter. Bear in mind that the suspects will be moving under cover of darkness and under tree canopy. In addition, the Police Air Wing Unit (PAWU) need to work hand in hand with the ground unit to be effective.

That's mean PAWU can only assist for searching and scouting missions provided the ground unit is nearby the search area. Without using the latest night-vision equipment and detection sensors, the PAWU is just called to make a big show.

That's lead me to say that Datuk Abdul Rahman Hussin, the Acting Sarawak police commissioner is using the deployment of PAWU to show the public that he is working to solve the high crime rate and to calm public fear. But in truth, his plan is hastily executed with flaws and that will surely undermined the effectiveness of PAWU involvement in crime fighting and prevention in Kuching area.


Youtube: Helicopter night search



Youtube: Night vision scope

Related posts:
* Kuching no longer a peaceful city
* Where are the General Operation Force
* Kuching residents over-run by armed gang break-in into houses



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Source: theborneopost.com/?p=34410 (Apr 22, 2008)

Fighting, preventing crime from the sky

By Churchill Edward, Irene C and Jacob Achoi

KUCHING: The state police are deploying helicopters in crime busting and prevention as well as to support its Mobile Patrol Vehicle (MPV) unit.

The public, however, gave mixed reactions to the whole affair with some believing the use of helicopters may not be cost-effective and poses a safety hazard to members of the public and policemen (the Heli Cops) alike.

Others are kind enough to adopt a wait-and-see attitude and letting them try to perfect the lofty method of crime-busting and prevention.

Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) Central Women Section deputy chairman Cheng Yi said that it is still too early to comment on it.

“It has hardly been a week. They (the police) must have some good reasons to come up with such a method,” said Cheng when contacted yesterday.

“I believe that logically, helicopters are not used for chasing people, but to look for clues and signs of hideouts like abandoned houses and bushes as well as for missing loot. When they see such things, the helicopter cops will alert the ground patrolmen.”

On the personal safety of officers manning the helicopters, Cheng said that they are supposed to be experts knowing what exactly to do.

Recently the police conducted some raids and other cases they found what appeared to be housebreaking tools, she said.

But the problem is whether the suspects they caught could be convicted, she said. SUPP Youth chief Alan Sim, who was vocal on security and crime prevention matters during his political campaign, shared Cheng’s views.

He said it was still too early to say whether or not the helicopters are effective for crime prevention. “Give the police a chance. If they are able to curb crime in the city, then it is not a waste of public fund,” said Sim. He added that helicopters could play an important role in tracking criminals or burglars on the run.

On the safety of using helicopters, Sim said he was not the right person to ask about such matters.

Former soldier Lt Col (Rtd) Fabian Wong said helicopters could be effective for preventing and combating crime if the police knew exactly what they do.

“I believe the police know what they are doing when they decided to use the helicopters. They know the capabilities of helicopters. The issue is not cost effectiveness but rather whether they could maximise effectiveness in enforcement and operation,” he said.

He said it would not be cost effective if the police already had the helicopters and equipment but then failed to maximise their usage.

“Once we have them (helicopters) we must use them. If we are not successful the first time we try again. We must adopt trial-and-error in order to succeed,” he said.

“I think the helicopters can be used to identify and chase after escaping criminals. But then again our environment (such as thick jungle) may make it difficult for the heli-cops to spot the criminals. “Perhaps the helicopters could be fitted with equipment like night vision devices and extra strong spotlights.”

Santubong member of parliament Datuk Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said using helicopters showed that the police were serious in fighting crime such as the recent spate of robberies in the city.

He noted that since the deployment of helicopters, cases of armed robberies had decreased.

But whether the method could be sustained depended on the cost effectiveness, he said

“I am not against the high cost but I am not sure whether it can be done continuously,” said Wan Junaidi who is chairman of the Ex-policemen Association of Sarawak. He recalled the time when the police could not even sustain the cost of petrol and spare parts for their mobile patrol teams.

He said the police should continue to curb criminal activities even when the cases had decreased drastically.

According to him, criminals would always strike again when they knew that the police were slowing down. The police, he said, should study the current policing system which might not be relevant anymore.

He cited countries like Hong Kong and Singapore where policemen had been successful in curbing crime.

Police in these countries, he said, would not stop at apprehending criminals, but would even take stern action against little wrongdoings like illegal parking.

Bandar Kuching MP Chong Chieng Jen said helicopters should only be used to pursue criminals on the run.

“If it’s just used to patrol the city from the sky, then it may be a waste of public fund. How effective is such method of crime prevention?” he asked, adding that he preferred to wait and see the outcome of the method.

“On safety hazard, this would depend on the company maintaining the helicopters. How good and professional is the maintenance company? How are its track records in such a role?” he asked.

Chong is also Kota Sentosa assemblyman and state secretary of Democratic Action Party (DAP).

Padungan assemblyman Dominique Ng said the rental, manpower, and maintenance of helicopters cost a lot of money and all these were at the expense of the taxpayers.

The government, particularly the police force, may have to consider its budget on security before going all out to use such method of crime prevention, he said. But it could be cost effective if helicopters were used to pursue robbers and thieves, he said.

“It may be a waste of public funds if helicopters are just for patrol purposes. How effective can such a method be?” said Ng, who is also the state liaison chief of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR).

“How frequent do they have to fly in order to call it effective?” he asked.

A more cost-effective method of crime prevention would be for the police to increase the number of its street patrols.

The police should seek the assistance of the army in its preventive duty or jointoperation if they still feel that they were understaffed, he said.

“Frequents patrols are now becoming more necessary as the rate of robberies in Kuching is getting ridiculous,” he said. On safety hazard, Ng said this would depend on the skill and professionalism of the pilot.

Heli-cops must be well-trained and well-equipped with personal safety gears. Some members of the public are still very sceptical with the whole idea.

A lecturer who seeks anonymity said: “If the police can’t catch burglars on firm ground, what makes them think they can catch them from the air? From the standard of their equipment and technical know-how, I fear more for their (policemen) safety and that of the people on the ground should something happen to their machine (helicopter). Also, burglars can hear and see them coming,” he said.

On Friday, acting state police commissioner Datuk Abdul Rahman Hussin said helicopters would be used to conduct aerial patrols day and night to complement its MPVs and patrolmen on the ground.

“We have two helicopters conducting patrols day and night — weather permitting of course — that are equipped with high powered spotlights for night patrols,” he said.

One of the helicopters was used recently to search for suspects in a nearby jungle after a failed robbery attempt at a house at Mile 12 Kuching-Serian road last Wednesday night.

Rahman insisted that the number of armed robberies in the first quarter of this year had declined compared to the corresponding period last year.

“It is just that people are taking more notice because of several recent high profile cases involving VIPs, as well as those living in large houses in the so called elite areas,” he said when allaying concerns that the crime situation in the city is getting out of hand.

He then assured the public that the police were not focusing their attention on VIP houses or elite houses but also on ordinary residential areas as well.

Acting Sarawak police commissioner Datuk Abdul Rahman Hussin again insisted that the number of incidents in Kuching in the first quarter of this year had declined compared to the corresponding period last year.

His skull must be quite thick. I don't actually care what statistics he referred to. What I know is that the cases of ARMED ROBBERIES is on the rise. Heck, those armed gang even break-in into George Chan's house.

Imagine a gang of 6 to 9 armed men, forced their way into your home with you and your family inside ! So far, those armed gang, tied up their victims and ransacked the house for valuables. I am worried that if those gang are not brought to justice, there could be fatality among the victims in the future.

It is a horrible experience to have strangers ramming your bedroom door in the middle of the nights and rob you of your valuable and dignity.

So, as far as I am concerned, Abdul Rahman Hussin talking bull. Just a few year back, Kuching is relatively calms. Reported break-in cases confined to break-in when the owners are not a home. There is definitely something wrong with how the Polis operate in Kuching that the armed robbery are not scare of the Polis.




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Source: theborneopost.com/?p=34255 (Apr 19, 2008)

Hawk’s eye in the sky

By Gary Adit

Cops deploy helicopters in the face of accusations too little done against rising city crimes

KUCHING: Helicopters are now being deployed as the police seek to utilise all available resources to snare the gangs of armed robbers terrorising city residents.

Announcing this during a press conference yesterday, acting state police commissioner Datuk Abdul Rahman Hussin said the helicopters would be used to conduct aerial patrols day and night to complement the Mobile Patrol Vehicle (MPV) unit as well as officers patrolling the ground on foot.

“We have two helicopters conducting patrols day and night – weather permitting of course – that are equipped with high-powered spotlights for night patrols,” he said, adding that one was recently used to search for suspects in a nearby jungle after a failed robbery attempt at a house in Mile 12 Kuching-Serian road on Wednesday night.

In addition to officers from the contingent and district headquarters, Rahman said personnel from the Kuching and Miri General Operations Force (GOF) as well as the marine police had also been called up to help them conduct more patrols and man more roadblocks in the city.

He said that apart from the increase in the number of patrol teams and roadblocks, the police were also conducting ‘flushing’ raids in jungle hideouts and workers’ quarters at construction sites as some of the robbers might be seeking refuge there.

Calling once more for public cooperation to help bring an end to the spate of armed robberies, Rahman urged the public to call the 24-hour police hotline number (082-244444) if they spot suspicious persons or vehicles in their neighbourhood.

He said the response time of the police to a scene was largely dependent on how fast they received information from the public, thus highlighting the importance of cooperation between the public and the police.

“For those who wish to pass on confidential information to the police, they can directly call Kuching police chief ACP Wong Wai Loong at 019-6000237, deputy OCPD Supt William Poro at 013-8187040, Supt Pauzi Bujang at 013-8066028, or Kuching CID head DSP Kaderi Said at 013-8019252.”

When asked on the statistics of armed robbery incidents in the city, Rahman again insisted that the number of incidents in the first quarter of this year had declined compared to the corresponding period last year.

According to him, there were 25 such cases reported here from January to April this year compared to 33 cases over the same period in 2007, which translated to a reduction of about 24 per cent.

“It is just that people are now taking more notice because of several recent high-profile cases involving VIPs, as well as those living in large houses in so-called elite areas.”

He however assured the public that the police were not focusing their attention on VIP houses or on ‘elite’ areas only, but ‘normal’ housing areas as well.

Rahman said the majority of robbery cases occurred within the jurisdiction of the Gita, Sekama and Sungai Maong police stations, and that the police would be focusing on these areas because of an inherent lack of manpower in those stations to monitor such large areas.

Citing an example, the acting commissioner said the Gita police station had only 31 officers and one officer-in-charge with the rank of Chief Inspector.

As such, the police have ‘split’ the area into five smaller sectors to enable officers there to conduct patrols more easily with the aid of officers from the district headquarters.

On the issue of lack of manpower, Rahman revealed that the police-to-public ratio for Sarawak was 1:250.

However, the ratio for Kuching district was 1:400 due to the higher population.

Voon Lee Shan of Sarawak Democratic Action Party is right when he advice the public not to blame the police department but the government securities policies. It seems that the police are doing their utmost best but could not improve or reduce the crime rate due to severe lack of manpower. The only sour feeling is that the head of police denied there is an increase in crime rate but in actual fact, crime rate is going up.

You may also question the police motivational issue. Gaji polis naik, kes jenayah pun naik. I mean, after getting better perks from the government, shouldn't the police force be more effective in fighting crime ?

This come to another point, what is the purpose of General Operation Force (GOF) ? To raid illegal workers squatters ? To do border patrol ? Never heard they conduct such operation though. What I know for sure is that, GOF definitely be present during Merdeka parade.

So other than marching during parade, what else did GOF do ? I guess loafing around in their base camps. A great under utilization of manpower isn't it. Literally makan gaji buta.

Couldn't the Home Ministry or Ministry of Internal Affairs instruct GOF to do street patrol to help the police to fight crime ? I guess those ministers are busy at Putra Jaya playing golf and polishing balls.



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Extracted from: theborneopost.com/?p=34179 (Apr 18, 2008)

Don’t blame cops for rising crime: Voon

‘Police are there only to implement security policies of the government’

KUCHING: People should not blame the police alone for the deteriorating security in the state as the government also has to shoulder the responsibility, said Batu Lintang assemblyman Voon Lee Shan.

The police were only there to implement security policies of the government and no one could expect a seriously under strength police force to cover such a vast area, he said in a press statement here yesterday.

Voon added the police in the state also lacked equipment and suffer from poor management of manpower pointing out that his party the Democratic Action Party (DAP) had brought forward these issues many times in the state legislative assembly and parliament.

He noted that it seemed that the state police force had not benefited from the recent massive procurement of bullet proof vests for the police as the police personnel here were almost never seen wearing the vests.

The DAP Sarawak treasurer asserted that there must be adequate manpower, proper management of logistics and deployment of police personnel to fight crime effectively.

“There is no reason why this government still allows the Administration Department, Special Branch and General Operation Force (GOF) to take away most of the manpower of the police force.

“Is this not mismanagement of manpower resources? The manpower in these three branches should be redeployed to strengthen the Crime Investigation Department.

Blindly hurling accusations and abuse against police officers would not solve the problem but only demoralise the force further hampering their ability in stemming the rise of crimes, Voon added.

“The authority that should be blamed is the government itself for its unsound security policy as the saying goes, ‘there are no bad soldiers, but there are bad generals’.”

The crime index showed a sharp increase of criminal activities from 156,316 reported cases in 2003 to 226,836 in 2006, marking a hike of 45.1 per cent, he added.

On Chinese and Indian youths lacking interest in joining the police force, Voon questioned what steps or policy the government had taken to encourage them to do so.

He noted that some members of the public, especially the Chinese, were reluctant to lodge police reports mainly due to the language barrier.

“This is due to the fact that they cannot communicate with police officers at the police stations as most of these officers could not understand Mandarin and also speak very little English. There were cases that reports were not properly taken due to communication breakdown, which at times landed the complainants in police lock-ups for crimes they came to report,” he said.

Abdul Rahman Hussin, Sarawak Deputy Police Chief should be place under a lie-detector machine when he said that house break-in cases have decreased in Sarawak, especially in Kuching.

For the past weeks, local newspapers companies were making brisk sales of their papers that highlighted house break-in cases involving high personalities in Kuching from politicians to businessman.

The house break-in cases by armed gang does not seems to slow down, yet the Deputy Police Chief claimed that the cases have decreased. He doesn't even furnished any statistics to support his claim.

Related posts:
* Apr 15, 2008 - Family robbed of RM200,000 in valuables
* Apr 14, 2008 - Mordiah’s family robbed second time
* Apr 12, 2008 - Crime rate in Miri surges by 19 per cent
* Apr 08, 2008 - Relaxing evening that turns into a nightmare
* Apr 08, 2008 - Five armed masked men rob family of RM20,000
* Apr 02, 2008 - Dr Chan’s house robbed
* Mar 31, 2008 - Home-storming robbers strike again
* Mar 29, 2008 - Ex-YB’s house robbed
* Mar 18, 2008 - Would-be thief gets stuck in broken roof tiles
* Mar 12, 2008 - Failed break-in suspects spotted and caught


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