Price of clothes up next month
11:34 AM | Author: EmerGence
By K.M. LEW

PETALING JAYA: Consumers will have to pay more for new clothes this Christmas and the New Year after a surge in the price of cotton and yarn.
    The shortage of raw materials worldwide and higher demand for garments has led to the escalating prices of all raw materials for textiles and garments since early this year.
     Malaysian Textile Manufacturers Associa­tion chief executive officer Andrew Hong said local manufacturers had to absorb the higher manufacturing costs and cope with surging raw material prices.
     He said all raw material prices had surged by 25% to 40% in the past two to three months.
     He foresaw prices of apparels at retail outlets increasing next month onwards as manufacturers would pass on some of the costs to end users eventually.
     He explained that flooding in cotton-producing countries like China, India, United States, Pakistan and Brazil had caused the serious shortage of supply of raw materials.
     Hong said he expected the price of cotton to stabilise only in the middle of next year when the production of polyester fibre, a substitue for cotton, increased.
     “Currently, polyester fibre producers are struggling to increase production. They need time to enlarge their production capacity,” he added.
     Grand Bell Trading Sdn Bhd, a manufacturer and retailer of Skiva undergarments, has plans to increase retail prices for its products next month.
     Its chief executive officer Joseph See told The Star that the price of cotton was “surging crazily” last month, and its manufacturing unit had to pay 60% more for raw materials.
     He said the company was bearing the increasing manufacturing costs since January.
     “We have no choice but to pass on some of the costs to consumers by raising retail prices by about 20% next month,” he said.
     See expected retailers in the undergarment industry to increase prices by at least 25%.
     Sports and casual wear retailer Cheetah Holdings Bhd executive director Chia Kee Kwei also said prices of apparel and garments would be increased from next month.
     “We are still working on a new pricing list for our products according to the manufacturing cost,” he said, adding that 70% of its apparels were imported.
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Malaysian charged with hacking into US bank
11:24 AM | Author: EmerGence
By K.M. LEW

NEW YORK: A Malaysian man, charged on Thursday with hacking into computer networks of the US Federal Reserve Bank (FRB) and a defence contractor, was caught by Secret Service agents while selling stolen credit card numbers for US$1,000 (RM3,200) at a diner in New York.
     Court documents released by US prosecutors said the man, identified as Lin Mun Poo, 32, was arrested on Oct 21, hours after arriving in New York.
     He was indicted by a grand jury on Thursday on four charges, including hacking into the system of a US central bank branch in Cleveland, Ohio.
     “In his post-arrest statement, the defendant admitted compromising the computer servers of a number of major financial institutions and companies,” US prosecutors in Brooklyn wrote in a letter to US District Judge Dora Irizarry, who was assigned the case.
     It said Lin admitted exploiting a vulnerability he found in the bank’s computer system.
     “The Federal Reserve Bank in Cleveland, Ohio, has confirmed that an FRB computer network was hacked in June 2010, resulting in thousands of dollars in damages, affecting 10 or more computers,” the letter said.
     A court hearing for the judge to consider a government request to continue to detain Lin was postponed. No new date has been scheduled yet. Lin’s court-appointed lawyer was not available to comment.
     Lin is a Malaysian with no professional or family ties to the US, the letter said. He arrived at New York’s John F. Kennedy airport from Europe with a round-trip ticket, planning to return on Nov 22.
     “Within hours of his arrival at JFK, US Secret Service agents observed the defendant selling stolen credit card numbers for $1,000 at a diner in Brooklyn and arrested him shortly thereafter,” the letter to the judge said.
     Other allegations against Lin include possession of more than 400,000 stolen credit cards and debit cards on an encrypted laptop computer that the agents seized.
      If convicted, he faces a potential maximum prison sentence of between six-and-a-half years to eight years.
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Never too old for good sex life
10:40 AM | Author: EmerGence
By K.M. LEW
KUALA TERENGGANU: Sex is not just for the young and an inaugural workshop has been organised to rejuvenate the sex lives of elderly couples in Terengganu.
     A host of health specialists and geriatricians, including renowned sex therapist Prof Dr Mohd Ismail Mohd Tambi, have been invited as facilitators in the pioneer workshop to start tomorrow in Setiu. Some 300 senior citizens are expected to take part.
     The pioneer workshop, a brainchild of the Terengganu Family Development Foundation (YPK) comprises a series of courses with modules exclusively designed for elderly couples to bring back the joy of sex in their marriage.
     One focus was on how the participants should maintain a high level of self-hygiene and what to wear when the couples were together.
     YPK director Mohd Shafaruddin Mustafa said the workshop was aimed at correcting the perception of many that elderly couples had had enough romance after being married for decades.
     “Many of them are lonely although their spouses live with them,” he said in an interview.
      In most cases, couples had strained relationships in their twilight years as they slept in separate bedrooms and focused on other matters, mainly the welfare of their children and grandchildren.
     “This is unhealthy as elderly couples could still continue to have vibrant intimate relationships especially with all kinds of therapy and health supplements available these days,” Mohd Shafaruddin said.
     He also observed that senior couples easily get agitated with each other, probably due to their own aging process which could strain their union.
     “All these can be prevented if they were given tips on how to make their twilight years more exciting through renewed intimacies.”
     Mohd Shafaruddin lamented that elderly couples also seldom communicate with each other and were very embarrassed to openly talk about their health issues like erectile dysfunction or even menopause.
     “Through the workshops, we hope those with health problems could seek help from a panel of health specialists. The first session received an overwhelming response, and we believe those in other districts would be just as eager,” he said.
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E-bike must meet basic standards
10:39 AM | Author: EmerGence
By K.M. LEW
PETALING JAYA: The electric motorcycle must meet the basic standard dimensions of a petrol-powered motorcycle, including its length and the size of its wheels, for it to be registered with the Road Transport Department (JPJ).
     JPJ director-general Datuk Solah Mat Hassan said the vehicle must also be equipped with headlights, signal lights and brake lights, adding: “The braking system must be of a certain mark as it will be used on public roads.
     “While such motorcycles are not expected to be occupying the fast lane, it cannot be too slow either as that could obstruct traffic flow and endanger the rider,” he said yesterday.
     The Star recently reported that electric motorcycles were set to hit Malaysian roads as early as the first quarter of next year.
     This is following the amendment to the Road Transport Act 1987 to exempt the vehicle having to register the engine and chassis numbers with JPJ.
     The amendments are up for second reading in Parliament and will be debated at policy stage in the middle of next month.
     At present, Modenas and Eclimo Sdn Bhd are ready to assemble electric motorcycles.
     Modenas, the national motorcycle company, will offer the 1kw-powered motorcycle, currently referred to as CTRIC, which uses five sealed lead acid gel batteries and can hit a maximum speed of 110kph and travel up to 65km on a single charge. Its selling price is expected to be below RM5,000.
     Eclimo will offer Penan, a scooter that uses the more expensive lithium-ion polymer battery pack which it claims will offer a similar performance to a 125cc petrol-powered motorcycle.
     The scooter will be able to travel up to 120km at an average speed of 50kph while the battery can be recycled at the end of its life span of about 100,000km. It is expected to be priced slightly above RM10,000.
     Both companies said their motorcycles had undergone several private tests with encouraging results.
     Solah said the motorcycles would be evaluated by the department’s Vehicle Type Committee to test their roadworthiness.
     A licence was also needed to ride the motorcycle, he said, adding: “It is after all, similar to the petrol-powered motorcycle, so you need a valid licence to ride it on public roads.”
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AirAsia to open new hub in Chiang Mai
10:31 AM | Author: EmerGence
By K.M. LEW
BANGKOK: Beginning Jan 24, AirAsia will open a new hub in Chiang Mai, and launch daily flights from there to Hat Yai and Singapore.
      Thai AirAsia chief executive officer Tassapon Bijleveld said the move would offer more connectivity for people who wished to travel to or from the northern city of Thailand to Singapore or Hat Yai in Southern Thailand.
      Chiang Mai is known for its abundant natural beauty and rich culture and about five million tourists visit the destination every year.
      Hat Yai is Thailand’s important financial city in the south and Singapore is known as a shopping haven and excellent weekend destination.
      Tassapon said the new hub would also allow travellers to connect to Bangkok, Phuket and Kuala Lumpur. AirAsia, the leading and largest low-cost carrier in Asia, offered a special promotional price starting from 690 Baht (about RM69) per way from Chiang Mai-Hat Yai and 1,490 Baht (about RM149) per way for Chiang Mai-Singapore, he added.
      Booking is open Wednesday until Nov 28 for travel from Jan 24 until Nov 10.
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Couple and twin sons killed in road accident
10:28 AM | Author: EmerGence
By K.M. LEW

IPOH: A couple and their twin sons died when the car they were travelling in was involved in an accident with three other vehicles at the 377th kilometre of the North-South Expressway near Slim River.
      Their two other children were injured in the midnight Wednesday mishap that also involved a trailer, lorry and taxi, about 130km from here.
      Tanjung Malim deputy OCPD Deputy Supt Anuar Osman said the family was heading north from Labu, Negri Sembilan, to their hometown in Lenggong, northern Perak, to celebrate Hari Raya Haji.
The dead were Shaful Fadzilah Shahar, 35, Siti Suzana Md Nor, 33, and their six-year-old twins Fitri and Fikri.
      “The couple and Fitri died on the spot due to serious head injuries while Fikri, who suffered similar injuries, was pronounced dead at the Slim River Hospital.
      “Their other son, Firdaus, eight, was admitted at the same hospital with light injuries while their four-year-old daughter Fatihah, who was seriously hurt, was rushed to the Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital in Ipoh,” DSP Anuar said.
      He said a trailer had rammed into the back of the Proton Iswara driven by Shaiful.
      “The impact of the crash caused Shaiful’s car to ram into the back of a lorry. A taxi that was in front of the lorry was also hit but its driver escaped with minor injuries,” he said, adding that the driver of the trailer was also injured.
      He said it was believed the driver of the trailer was speeding and failed to break in time near the Slim River turn-off where vehicles had slowed down, adding that the wet weather could have also been a contributing factor.
      Meanwhile, in Kinabatangan, Sabah, the driver of a car was killed while two others suffered serious injuries in a three-vehicle pileup at the 68th kilometre of Jalan Sandakan-Lahad Datu near here, reported Bernama.
      The dead was identified as Nursia Yusof, 24, from Tawau while the identity of two other drivers whose vehicles were also involved in the accident, was not known yet.
      Kinabatangan police chief DSP Jaini Abdul Kadir said during the 10.50am incident, Nursia was driving from Kinabatangan to Sandakan when her car collided head-on with another vehicle from the opposite direction.
      “Upon impact, the Nursia’s car swerved to the left and was hit by another vehicle which was coming from Kinabatangan,” he said.
      The injured have been admitted to the Kinabatangan District Hospital and were reported to be in stable condition while Nursia’s body was also sent to the same hospital for post-mortem, he said.
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Eight teenage girls held over beating
10:26 AM | Author: EmerGence
By K.M. LEW
KUCHING: Eight female secondary school students were detained in connection with the beating of a female schoolmate.
     The girls, ages 16 to 17, were rounded up in a police operation from 11.30pm to 1am at their homes in Kampung Gita here yesterday.
     Their 16-year-old female schoolmate was beaten unconscious outside the school grounds on Thursday after she was accused of being conceited and a show-off.
     Kuching district police chief ACP Mun Kock Keong told The Star that statements from the eight girls were recorded and they were released at around 8am yesterday.
     “Investigation under Section 147 for student offences is nearing completion,” he said.
     At 11.30am on Thursday, the victim from Taman Sri Wangi in Petra Jaya was approached by a group of female schoolmates after she had gone to the school to return her loaned textbooks as she was allowed to return home early as it was the last day of the school term.
     She was said to have been ambushed outside the school grounds in Semerah Padi and was beaten up and left on the ground unconscious.
     A friend who happened to pass by took her home before contacting the victim’s sister.
     She suffered bruises to the head and body and was rushed to the Sarawak General Hospital.
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A three-year-old boy takes 10km bus ride alone and unattended
4:58 AM | Author: EmerGence
By K.M. LEW


KUALA LUMPUR: With his milk bottle in his hand, a three-year-old boy climbed onto a public bus on his own and went on a more than 10km ride before a good Samaritan brought him to a police station.
Bystanders recalled seeing the boy, who was wearing a red shirt, at the bus stop near the Sri Sabah Flats here at noon yesterday.
"A woman in her 40s noticed that the boy was alone and unattended.
"She then carried the boy when she got off the bus near Jalan Tun Hussien and took him to a police station to lodge a report," Cheras acting OCPD Supt Abdul Rahim Hamzah Othman Supt Abdul Rahim said.
Police took photographs of the boy before handing him over to the Welfare Department in Jalan Pahang. His photographs were distributed at the Sri Sabah flats area where he was first spotted.
At 5.30pm, a couple came to the Cheras district police station claiming that their child had gone missing while the husband was washing his car.
"We could not reunite the boy with his parents as the welfare centre had already closed. We will return to the department today and send the boy back," Supt Abdul Rahim said.
However, he said police would be conducting a DNA test to confirm if the couple were indeed the boy's parents. Supt Abdul Rahim said if the test was positive, police would take action against the couple for negligence.
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Fried onions and used condom for dinner
10:01 PM | Author: EmerGence
By K.M. LEW

     A USED condom was found in a 100gm packet of fried onion that was sold at a convenience store in Singapore, Sin Chew Daily reported.
     A 46-year-old air-con mechanic only be known as Ho told a daily in Singapore that he and his wife had the fried onion as a side dish for dinner last Saturday.
     When the couple finished eating, they poured the remaining fried onion into a container but to their horror they saw a used pink condom among the content while emptying the plastic bag.
     “It is ridiculous that a used condom could be found inside a packet of fried onion. If it is an insect, we can still understand and forgive,” said Ho.

     > Chinese dailies reported that a hospital in Singapore had used wrong sperm cell during an In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) process for a couple resulting in the test tube baby being born of a different skin colour as the parents.

     Oriental Daily News said the Singaporean Chinese woman and her Caucasian husband demanded an explanation from the hospital when the baby of a much darker skin colour was born on Oct 1.
The couple in their 30s decided to conduct a blood and DNA test. A report showed that the baby had a different blood group.

     When they confronted staff at the hospital, they were told that it could be due to a mix-up in the sperm cell being used during the IVF, reported the daily.


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Boy dies in Deepavali fire tragedy
9:31 AM | Author: EmerGence
By K.M. LEW

KUALA LUMPUR: It was a sombre Deepavali for the family of a three-year-old boy who perished in a fire in his flat in Batu Caves near here on Thursday.
     A. Praveen Dhurai, who had celebrated his birthday two weeks ago, was laid to rest at a Hindu cemetery in Taman Kepong yesterday.
     Praveen, who was with two older siblings. was in his house on the third floor at Jalan 3, Centre Point when the incident occurred at about 11.30am. His parents were away at the time.

Deep sorrow: B. Anadhurai sharing the grief of his wife Puguniswary as their son Saravanan, five, looks on.
 
     Police believe he had died due to burns and smoke inhalation.
     Gombak OCPD Asst Comm Abdul Rahim Abdullah said the victim, the youngest of five siblings, had injuries to his hands and face.
     “We believe the cause of death is asphyxia,” he said, adding a post-mortem would be conducted at the Selayang Hospital where the body was sent.
      He said initial investigation revealed that the fire was caused by a short circuit.
     At the Selayang Hospital mortuary, Praveen’s mother S. Puguniswary, 36, said she and her two other children had gone to Chow Kit to buy groceries for Deepavali while her husband B. Annadurai had gone to Puspakom.
     “My husband forced his way into the burning house to look for our son and found him on the floor. He was still breathing at that time,” she said.
     He sent Praveen to Hospital Kuala Lumpur but the boy was pronounced dead on arrival.
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Floods hit more areas in Kedah
9:26 AM | Author: EmerGence
By K.M. LEW


ALOR SETAR: Several new areas in Kedah have been hit by floods, including Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Azizan Abdul Razak’s home at Jalan Sultanah here.
     Azizan, who lives in the house with his wife Tok Puah Faekah Sheikh Hamzah and son Mohamad Azizan, 28, moved out from the house at about 11am yesterday after it was submerged in one metre of water.
     Also flooded was the compound of the state police contingent at Jalan Stadium.

Steady hands: Fire and Rescue Department officers carrying former principal of Kolej Sultan Abdul Hamid, Baharuddin Abd Majid, 64, to drier ground after floods inundated his house in Taman Uda, Alor Setar, yesterday.
 
     The number of evacuees in the state has increased to 40,212 as Taman Uda, Lorong Bayu, Taman PKNK and Taman Rakyat in Kota Setar were also hit by floods.
     Azizan, when met after chairing a meeting with federal and state government agencies, said 140 relief centres had been opened in Kubang Pasu, Kota Setar, Pokok Sena and Padang Terap.
     A National Security Council operations room spokesman said 100 evacuation centres were still open.
     Meanwhile, the Langkawi Recreation Club and nine other non-governmental organisations have launched a flood relief fund for the state.
Proving that nothing can stop the joyful celebrations of this Festival of Lights, Alor Setar MIC Youth chief W. Thiruchandru, 32, (right) and his friends (all seated) attending the Deepavali celebrations at the home of contractor K. Murugan, 51, (left) and his wife R. Rajama, 54, at their flooded house at Kampung Telok, Sungai Korok, Alor Setar yesterday.
     Club president Datuk Mansor Ismail said they hoped to collect as much as possible during the one-month fund-raising period until Dec 5, to be channelled to the flood victims.
     In Kangar, the floods eased slightly yesterday morning, with 1,375 of 15,159 evacuees allowed to return home and 11 of the 55 evacuation centres closed.
     But state Drainage and Irrigation Department director Nishad Mohamed Shaffy has warned about the possibility of a second wave of flooding.
     He said if there was heavy rainfall in the next few days, the department might be forced to re-open the six floodgates at the Timah Tasoh dam.
     The water level in Kangar had subsided significantly but several roads were still impassable to light vehicles.
     In Kota Baru, the Kelantan Welfare Department has assured the people that it will be able to provide foodstuff to flood victims for up to 10 days.
     Its director, Mohd Noor Chik, said the RM100,000 allocation would ensure there was enough food for evacuees during the period should a second wave of flooding hit the state.
      The floods had subsided in Kelantan, with 475 evacuees allowed to return home.


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Man drowns while attempting to save newly-wedded wife
9:22 AM | Author: EmerGence
By K.M. LEW

KUANTAN: A man drowned while attempting to rescue his newly-wedded wife after both of them were swept away by strong currents during a family picnic at a recreational spot in Kampung Pasir Kubur, Sungai Lembing here Saturday.
     It is learnt that Mohd Hazrul Abdul Jalil, 26, had taken his wife Norfaridah Mohd Amin, 26, together with his mother and younger brother, Mohd Helmi, 25, to the spot for a picnic at 10.30am.
     Relating the incident, Mohd Helmi said his brother and his wife had gone for a dip at the deeper end of a river when they were suddenly swept away by the strong currents.
     "My brother tried to push his wife up to the surface before they were swept away to a shallow part of the river where passers-by hauled them up to the river's bank," he said.
     He said one of the passers-by performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation on his brother, but paramedics who arrived soon after pronounced him dead.
     The wife escaped unhurt.
     Mohd Helmi said his brother, who worked at the Farmers' Organisation Authority in Perak, married Norfaridah, last month.
      The body was taken to Tengku Ampuan Afzan Hospital for post mortem.
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Penang man fined RM10,000 for porn clips
9:59 AM | Author: EmerGence
By K.M. LEW
A 21-year-old mobile phone kiosk operator from Bukit Mertajam, Penang was fined RM10,000 by a magistrate’s court for having a laptop containing pornographic video clips saved in a few folders.
Tang Wei Khang from Taman Juru pleaded guilty to committing the offence at J & S Communication Trading sales counter in Megamal Pinang complex, Prai at 8.50pm on Aug 24.
The offence, under Section 5(1)(a) of the Film Censorship Act 2002, is punishable under Section 5(2) of the same Act.
Under the Act, an offender can be slapped with a minimum fine of RM10,000 or a maximum fine of RM50,000 or jailed up to five years or both.
Prosecuting officer Alias Md Yusof had pressed for a stiff penalty, stressing that porn material was among the main causes of immoral activities among youths, including baby dumping.
Tang, who was not represented, pleaded for a lenient sentence as this was his first offence.
He also promised not to repeat the offence.
Magistrate Arif Mohd Sharif then ordered Tang to pay RM10,000 within six months.

Tang, who was accompanied by his family members, paid the fine.
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Witness - dragon boat occupants "swallowed" into sea after crashing into barge
9:50 AM | Author: EmerGence
By K.M. LEW
GEORGE TOWN: A boat slammed into a barge moored off Macallum Street Ghaut before its occupants was “swallowed” into the sea, the dragon boat accident inquest was told.
     Assistant coach Yee Bee Fat described the dramatic moments when five Chung Ling High School students and a teacher perished in the water during the tragedy.
     The inquest at the Coroner’s court was to determine how the accident happened.
     “We had completed a round of training and decided to turn back when I heard a crashing sound.
     "When I looked up I saw our boat was pushed towards the barge.
     “The students panicked but I told them to sit down and not make any quick movement,” he told the inquiry.
     Then suddenly, he said, the boat tilted to the right and he was thrown into the sea.
     “It all happened so fast. I managed to hold on to the boat using my left armpit and I also pulled two students with my right hand.
     "Then, a strong current sucked me underneath the barge. I somehow managed to swim and surfaced,” he said.
     Earlier, Yee, told the court that a student claiming to be the captain of the school dragon boat team had called him on Jan 16 requesting for training the next day.
     He said he told the pupils to come between 7am and 7.30am after he was told that the school had been informed about the proposed training.
     The club’s coach Tan Kok Thek testified that the pupils were reminded to wear the life jackets during training but some took it off because of the heat.
     He said he also similarly took his life jacket off after a while due to the hot weather.
     However, he said, he did not force the pupils to remove theirs.
     On Jan 17 this year, the six drowned in a dragon boat tragedy when the boat they were in hit a barge and capsized.
     There are about 10 witnesses who have yet to testify. The inquest is scheduled to continue on Dec 29 and 30.
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Death toll rises to four, almost 50,000 evacuated as floods worsen (Update)
9:49 AM | Author: EmerGence
By K.M. LEW

KUALA LUMPUR: The death toll has doubled to four and two more people are feared to have drowned as the flood situation in Kedah and Perlis continued to worsen this evening, with almost 50,000 moved to relief centres.
     However, the situation in Kelantan has improved tremendously, with all the 475 evacuees having returned home by this afternoon and the sun shining brightly for most of the day.
     Almost 5,000 people were moved to relief centres in Kedah today, taking the total number of evacuees in the state to 33,413 this evening.
     The bodies of two girls who fell into an irrigation canal in Kedah yesterday were recovered this afternoon, raising the death toll to four in the state. Meanwhile, two children are feared drowned after they fell into an irrigation canal.
     Close to 2,000 people were evacuated in Perlis today, raising the number of evacuees in the state to 15,027 by the evening.
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Woman run over while trying to save son
10:39 PM | Author: EmerGence
By K.M. LEW
SEREMBAN: A woman managed to save her four-year-old son from being knocked down by a speeding Proton Gen 2 – but was herself killed when she failed to get out of the vehicle’s way.
     Parvathy Chinnakano, 36, had just crossed the road with her son after throwing rubbish when she saw two Proton Gen 2 cars heading their way in Pajam near here.
     She quickly pushed her son to safety but was knocked down by one of the speeding cars. Both drivers sped off.
     It in understood that Parvathy lived in a house behind a row of shophouses along the main road.
     An eyewitness, Sharizat Mohd Saimi 19, who was in a van parked by the roadside, said he saw her walking along the emergency lane seconds before the accident happened.
     “She had just crossed the road when she was hit,” he said. “The two cars looked to be racing with each another,” he said.
     The impact caused the victim to be flung against the van, said Sharizat, who was waiting for a friend who had gone to buy groceries at a nearby store.
     His friend Imran Shafie, 21, said he rushed out of the store when he heard a thud.
     State traffic police chief Asst Supt Halil Hamzah said his men had been alerted to look out for the two vehicles.
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No plastic bags from January
10:35 PM | Author: EmerGence
By K.M. LEW

GEORGE TOWN: Come Jan 1, plastic bags will be practically banned state-wide.
     The move – an extension of the current “No Plastic Bag Day” in shopping centres and hypermarkets on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays – means that no plastic bags can be used every day by almost all business sectors.
     The ruling will cover all hypermarkets, supermarkets, departmental stores, pharmacies, fast food restaurants, nasi kandar outlets, convenience stores including petrol kiosks and chain stores.
     Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said the move would reduce the state’s carbon footprint.
     “Mini markets and sole proprietorship businesses will have to adhere to the ruling on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays in order to ensure the renewal of their licences.
     “Previously, they only had to adhere to the ruling on Mondays,” he said when tabling the 2011 Budget at the state legislative assembly yesterday.
     Lim’s two paragraph announcement on the wide-ranging plastic ban was buried inside his 27-page budget speech, apparently catching many by surprise.
     To promote the “No Plastic Bag Day” ruling, the state will distribute 500,000 brochures to create public awareness besides erecting educational billboards.
     On July 1, last year, Penang became the first state to implement a “No Plastic Bag Day” ruling in shopping complexes and hypermarkets every Monday, before it was extended to Tuesdays and Wednesdays as well from Jan 2.
     From July 1, 2009 to Oct 28, a total of 32.5 million plastic bags were saved under this campaign.
     Shoppers who did not bring their own reusable bags were charged 20 sen for each plastic bag when making purchases.
     The money collected from the sale of plastic bags went to the “Partners Against Poverty” Special Fund to help the state’s hardcore poor.
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Floods worsen; two dead; two feared drowned; over 36,000 evacuated
10:24 PM | Author: EmerGence
By K.M. LEW

Most retail shops seem to be running out of dry or canned foods such as salted fish, sardine, eggs and rice.
KUALA LUMPUR: The death toll has risen to two and more than 36,000 people have been driven to relief centres by this evening as the floods in Perlis, Kedah and Kelantan worsened, forcing the closure of roads, rail services, schools and government offices.
     Kedah is the worst hit of the three states, where the floods have claimed two lives, so far, and forced the evacuation of 25,088 people as at 5pm as well as washed out the plans of several Hindu families to celebrate Deepavali on Friday.
     Up to 11,411 people had moved out of their homes in Perlis and 475 in Kelantan.
     In KEDAH, Kubang Pasu police chief Supt Sawaludin Hamenudin said the body of a German woman, Erna Fisher, 64, was recovered Wednesday near her house in Kampung Kerenjis, Kota Giam, in Jitra after she was reported missing at 8.30pm on Tuesday.
     A Form One student Mohd Zaki Amani Shaari, 13, drowned Tuesday after he slipped and fell into a flooded padi field while fishing with his brother in Kampung Charok Bongor in Padang Terap.
     Sawaludin also said that two sisters Siti Nadia Syukor, 13, and Sharifah Syukor, eight were feared drowned after a motorcycle they were riding pillion on crashed into an irrigation canal in Kampung Telaga Mas in Pokok Sena Wednesday.
     The rider, Intan Malik, 14, clung onto a tree branch and was rescued by villagers, he added.
     In KEDAH, the 25,088 evacuees are from four districts, namely Kubang Pasu (15,613), Padang Terap (3,105), Kota Setar (5,331) and Pokok Sena (1,039).
     A spokesman for the National Security Council operations room said the evacuees were taking shelter at 94 relief centres in the four districts, 45 of them in Kubang Pasu, 35 in Padang Terap, nine in Kota Setar and five in Pokok Sena.
     He also said that 803 evacuees in Padang Terap were allowed to return to their homes at about 1pm.
     Among the flood-hit villages and towns in Kubang Pasu are Kampung Changkat Setoi, Kampung Paya Lantau, Kampung Malau, Changlun, Jitra and Kodiang.
     The level of the Sungai Bata there this evening was 9.58 metres, above the danger level of 9.14 metres.
     A check by Bernama in the Kota Setar district revealed that the floodwaters there had risen to 0.7 metres in most places. The rain had stopped, but the water was flowing in from the Padang Terap district.
     The following roads remained closed this evening:
KOTA SETAR 1. Jalan Pantai Johor - Gunung Keriang 2. Jalan Kuala Sungai - Sungai Baru 3. Jalan Alor Setar - Kepala Batas 4. Jalan Kepala Batas - Bukit Pinang 5. Jalan Hutan Kampung - Kepala Batas 6. Darulaman Highway (several stretches)
POKOK SENA 1. Jalan Lengkuas - Derang 2. Jalan Derang - Batu 11 Pokok Sena
KUBANG PASU 1. Jalan Tanah Merah - Wang Tepus 2. Jalan Kepala Batas - Kemunting 3. Jalan Jitra - Sungai Korok 4. Jalan Tunjang - Teluk Malek 5. Jalan Teluk Malek - Kampung Naga 6. Jalan Jitra - Bukit Wang 7. Jalan Napoh - Wang Tepus 8. Jalan Changlun - Kodiang 9. Km10.2 to Km28 of North-South Expressway
PADANG TERAP 1. Jalan Kampung Kubu - Simpang Nai Teh 2. Nai Teh - Kampung Tengah junction 3. Jalan Kuala Nerang - Kampung Tanjung 4. Jalan Kampung Tanjung - Puncak Janing 5. Jalan Kuala Nerang - Durian Burung 6. Jalan Batu 19 Kuala Nerang - Kampung Rambuntan 7. Jalan Masjid Kuala Nerang - Kampung Rambutan 8. Jalan K. Nerang - Barokhas 9. Jalan Kampung Tanjung - Tok Pelu
     The road link between Jitra and capital Alor Setar has been cut off after several roads were flooded up to one metre in stretches, making them impassable to light vehicles.
     The two main roads Alor Setar-Hutan Kampung and Alor Setar-Kepala Batas have been flooded, along with several village roads, which usually serve as alternative routes.
     A check by Bernama revealed that the daily activities of the people have been crippled and several camps had been erected here and there as temporary shelter for the flood evacuees.
     Most retail shops seem to be running out of dry or canned foods such as salted fish, sardine, eggs and rice.
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Floods: More than 19,000 evacuated, one dead
12:03 AM | Author: EmerGence
By K.M. LEW
ALOR SETAR: More than 19,000 people have been evacuated in Kedah and Perlis, while a 13-year-old boy drowned after he was swept away by floodwaters.
     Padang Terap OCPD Deputy Supt Ku Yaacob Ku Hamad said the incident occured while the boy was fishing at Kampung Charok Bongor, near Kuala Nerang, around 5pm Tuesday.
     Villagers found the body of the boy, identified only as Mohd Zaki, an hour later.
     In Jitra, a 64-year-old German woman has been missing after she slipped and fell into floodwaters as she was leaving a house in Kampung Kerenjis Kota Giam with her son and Malaysian daughter-in-law.
     Police said Erna Fischer slipped and fell into the floodwaters at 8.30pm on Monday and has not been found yet.
     Kubang Pasu OCPD Supt Sawaluddin Hamenuddin said police, with the Fire and Rescue Department, Civil Defence Department and villagers, have mounted a search for the woman.
     Meanwhile, Kedah National Security Council spokesman Ridzuan Yahya said Tuesday that 10,834 people from Kubang Pasu were evacuated to 31 relief centres, while in Padang Terap, 3,478 were moved to 33 centres and in Kota Setar, 709 to eight relief centres.
     The number of evacuees in Pokok Sena increased to 488 people, who were evacuated at seven relief centres.
     He said the water level at Sungai Bata in Kubang Pasu district was recorded at 10.22m, above the danger level of 9.14m.
     He added that in Kota Setar, the water level at Sungai Kepala Batas was recorded at 5.02m, above the danger level of 3.80m, and Sungai Pantai Johor recorded 2.72m, above the danger level of two metres.
     Ridzuan said Sungai Naka river in Padang Terap district, Sungai Kubu and Sungai Padang Sanai were below the danger levels.
     Four relief centres in Padang Terap were closed and 166 people were allowed to return home.
     In KANGAR, Perlis Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Md Isa Sabu said more than 4,000 people have been evacuated to 42 relief centres.
     He added that about 11,000ha of padi fields belonging to the Muda Agricultural Development Authority (Mada) and individuals had been damaged since the rains started on Sunday.
     State Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) director Nishad Mohamed Mohd Shaffy said the cause of the flooding was due the sudden rising of water for a few days at several main rivers.
     Nishad said the Timah Tasoh dam reading was at 30.49m at midnight, beyond the 29.6m, which is classified as the danger level.
     "However we are confident if the weather stabilises, the water level will reduce to normal in three days," he added.
     DID director of water resources and hydrology Hanafi Mohamad Noor said the red alert warning was terminated by the Meteorological Department at noon Tuesday.
     He said the flood was caused due to abnormal rainfall since Oct 30.
     "The water level at all the stations in the state still shows the rising of water despite the rainfall slowing down," he added.
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RON 97 price up 5 sen and reflects global petrol market price
4:44 AM | Author: EmerGence

By K.M. LEW

KUALA LUMPUR: The price of RON 97 is up 5 sen to RM2.15 per litre from Tuesday and reflects the price of petrol in the global market, said Deputy Domestic Trade, Co-operative and Consumerim Minister Datuk Rohani Abdul Karim.
      The price of the more widely used RON 95 remains at RM1.85 per litre.
      "It was announced on July 16 that the price of Ron 97 will be subjected to a managed float,'' she said this in her reply to Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad (PAS - Kuala Selangor) during Question Time.
      Dr Zulkefly had asked whether the enforcement division of the ministry monitored the price increase of essential goods in his original question.
      Before asking the supplementary question, Dr Dzulkefly also said that the increase of price for RON 97 - five sen per litre - would create an impact on people.
      "Those who use the petrol will feel the impact,'' he said.
      Rohani said the price would be determined by the world market and announcements would not be made in the future about price changes.
      "When the price declines, please also raise the matter and express your gratitude,'' she told Dr Dzulkefly.
      It was reported on July 16 that the government had decided to withdraw the petrol subsidy for RON 97 and subject it to a managed float.
      Price of RON 97 would be determined by an automatic pricing mechanism.
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Dragon boat tragedy: Boat swerved suddenly to the left, inquest told
4:41 AM | Author: EmerGence

By K.M. LEW

GEORGE TOWN: A coroner’s court here was told that the dragon boat used for sea training before the tragic incident on that day had suddenly swerved to the left, causing it to nearly hit a barge moored in the sea.
       Student Lim Way Yang, 16, said a few of them who were seated on the left side of the boat then had to use their pedals to deflect the boat from knocking into the barge.
       He said the boat then became unstable, but he was unsure if the boat had capsized.
      “A few of us then fell into the sea but we still managed to cling on to the boat.
      “I also heard a few others shouting each others names,” he told the court on the second day of the inquest into the dragon boat tragedy that occurred on Jan 17.
      Lim, the sixth witness, was among 18 students and coaches on board the boat before the incident took place.
      He said he felt exhausted nad let go of the boat but moments later found himself clinging to a tyre attached to the barge.
      He said the life jacket he on kept afloat when he let go of the boat.
      He added that coach Tan Kok Thek and Lee Khay Yam, who was Chung Ling High School’s Dragon Boat Club chairman then, threw them a rope from the barge.
      He said about seven of them, including Tan and Lee, were then pulled to safety by a fisherman’s boat that was passing by.
      In the boat tragedy, a teacher and five students from Chung Ling High School drowned after their dragon boat capsized during a training session at sea off Macallum Street Ghaut.
      The boat with 18 people on board became unstable after it was hit by strong waves.
      It crashed into the barge that was moored nearby and capsized after it was slammed by a second wave.
      A total of 28 witnesses are scheduled to testify before Coroner Noor Aini Yusof in the four-day inquest, which continues Wednesday.
      Deputy Public Prosecutors Suhaimi Ibrahim and Tan Guat Cheng assisted in the inquest and counsel Tham Shein Shyong represented the Chung Ling High School.
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Floods: More people evacuated in Perlis; schools closed
4:39 AM | Author: EmerGence

By K.M. LEW

KANGAR: The flood situation in Perlis worsened Tuesday morning with the number of evacuees rising to more than 3,000 compared with about 1,600 Monday night.
      A spokesman from the Flood Operations Room of the Perlis Welfare Department said the victims were being accommodated in 23 relief centres.
      Operations to trace victims who needed to be evacuated were still being carried out in all the affected areas.
      On Tuesday night, Perlis Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Md Isa Sabu visited the victims in several areas while former mentri besar Datuk Seri Dr Shahidan Kassim braved the flood waters to visit victims in the Tambun Tulang area.
      The Perlis Education Department ordered 11 schools to be closed Tuesday due to the floods. State Education Director Mansor Lat said the directive was only effective Tuesday and a new directive would be issued if there was a need to close the schools Wednesday.
      A check by Bernama showed that several roads in Kangar were inundated as well as several public buildings including the Hospital Tuanku Fauziah (HTF) which were flooded.
     Residents in Taman Bukit Kayangan, near here were also scrambling to save their belongings since the water level rose Monday night.
     Many residents in housing estates on the suburbs of Kangar had moved out because of the rising water level.
      In KEDAH, residents in the Kubang Pasu district, especially those areas affected by the big floods in 2005, were advised to be prepared to move quickly to a safer place because the water level was expected to rise.
      District Officer Datuk Noh Dahya said the report from the Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) and the Muda Agricultural Development Authority (Mada) showed that the water level in Kubang Pasu would rise due to water flow from the Padang Terap district.
      "Within six hours from 11.30 this morning, the water level will rise and possibly there will be a major flood such as the one in 2005, so we advise all residents to be prepared.
      "So far, almost the whole district is affected and residents in 33 villages in 16 mukim had been evacuated to relief centres," he told Bernama, here Tuesday.
      He said the water level in all Mada canals and rivers in the district had exceeded the danger level.
      In 2005, more than 11,000 residents were affected by the flood in Kubang Pasu. - Bernama
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Dragon boat tragedy inquest: One victim did not wear life jacket
9:41 AM | Author: EmerGence
By K.M. LEW

More than 20 people have been subpoenaed to attend the inquest into the cause of the dragon boat tragedy, which claimed lives of a teacher and five students, off Macallum Street Ghaut, Penang, on Jan 17
 
GEORGE TOWN: A coroner’s court was told Monday that one of the six victims of the dragon boat tragedy early this year was not wearing a life jacket.
      Fireman Abdul Muni Abdul Aziz, the operations officer at Beach Street Fire Station then, said Cheah Zi Jun, the fifth victim, did not wear life jacket when his body was fished out near the Tanjung City Marina seafront.
      He, however, said he was not aware of three other bodies which were also recovered from the same area on the second day of the incident as it was done by marine police.
      He added that the bodies of two other victims - teacher Chin Aik Siang, 28, and student Jason Ch’ng, 17 - which were found on the first day of the incident, had life jackets.
      Abdul Muni was among four witnesses who testified in the inquest into the Jan 17 dragon boat tragedy.
      The others were Corporal Salleh Che Dit, 55, Lance Coporal Zalaluddin Jaafar, 39, and Lance Coporal Wan Idris, 46, who testified before coroner Noor Aini Yusof at Magistrate Court here on Monday.
      Deputy Public Prosecutors Suhaimi Ibrahim and Tan Guat Cheng assisted in the inquest while counsel Tham Shein Shyong was representing Chung Ling High School.
      A total of 28 witnesses are scheduled to testify in the inquest.
      In the Jan 17 incident, a teacher and five students from Chung Ling High School drowned after their dragon boat capsized during a training session at the sea off Macallum Street Ghaut.
      The boat, with 18 people on board, became unstable after it was hit by strong waves. It crashed into a tugboat moored nearby and capsized after it was slammed by a second wave.
      The group had gone out to sea for their weekly training in preparation for a competition in July.
      The event had always been held at the Teluk Bahang Dam but the venue was changed last year to the Bandar Sri Pinang fishermen’s jetty off Jelutong Expressway.
     Among those to be called up to testify are friends of the victims who were onboard the boat when the incident occurred and those involved in conducting the dragon boat training.
     Police have recorded statements from 26 witnesses over the tragedy.
     Penang Forward Sports Club chairman Lim Choo Hooi, whose club assisted the school’s dragon boat training, said he welcomed the inquest.
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Floods: More than 3,000 evacuated in Kedah and Perlis
9:37 AM | Author: EmerGence
By K.M. LEW
ALOR SETAR: More than 3,000 people from some 50 villages in Kedah and Perlis have been evacuated to relief centres as non-stop rain caused havoc in the two states.
     The bad weather from Sunday also forced the closure of several roads, including KM10.2 of North-South Expressway in Changlun, causing massive traffic jams on either side of the expressway on Monday.
     The stretch was closed since 1pm after it was submerged under two-metre-deep floodwaters.
     Signboards were put up to tell motorists plying between Bukit Kayu Hitam and Changlun to use the Changlun-Kuala Perlis highway.
     In Kedah, more than 2,000 people from more than 35 villages in two districts in Kedah to been moved to relief centres.
     In Perlis, 1,218 people from 17 villages were evacuated to 10 relief centres in the state.
     A spokesman of Perlis Welfare Department Flood Operation Centre said that several stretches of roads were also submerged under about two metres of floodwaters, including Jalan Kaki Bukit and Jalan Titi Tinggi.
     Drainage and Irrigation Department director of water resources and hydrology Hanafi Mohamad Noor said water from Timah Tasuh Dam was released Monday morning after it reached the maximum level of 30m.
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