KUALA LUMPUR, May 23 — The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has started its investigation on a claim of possible corrupt practise involved in the case of a restaurant manager charged with raping an under-age girl in Kota Kinabalu. MACC director of investigation, Datuk Mustafar Ali, in a statement here tonight, said the investigation by …

KUALA LUMPUR, May 23 — The Barisan Nasional (BN) and opposition parties have 21 days to file election petitions as the Election Commission (EC) has gazetted the official results of the 13th General Election (GE13) yesterday. BN secretary-general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor said the coalition’s lawyers were scrutinising the results where …

KUALA LUMPUR, May 23 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, in conjunction with Wesak Day, called on Malaysians regardless of race or ethnicity to come together as one. He said Malaysia was growing steadily towards Vision 2020, and stressed that it was possible to achieve only if the people could be united in times of peace and …

KUALA LUMPUR, May 23 — The police have released 18 protestors, including four women, who were arrested for allegedly refusing to disperse at a gathering in front of the Jinjang police station near here last night.  Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk Mohmad Salleh said they were released on police bail after their statements were taken. The …

KUALA LUMPUR, May 23 — United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) today welcomed the decision by the Attorney-General Chamber and Sabah Welfare Department to protect the best interests of the 13-year-old who was married by a 40-year-old man who allegedly raped her. Unicef Malaysia in a statement today said the government’s quick action and strong …

KUALA LUMPUR, May 23 — The Najib administration has shown the spectre of 1987 looms large behind its call for a “national reconciliation” through the home ministry’s crackdown today against opposition figures and their media, a DAP lawmaker has said. PKR parliamentarian Chua Tian Chang, PAS’s Tamrin Ghafar and socio-political activist Haris …

KOTA KINABALU, May 23 — The intrusion incident in Lahad Datu by militants from the southern Philippines in February this year was not related to the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on illegal immigrants in Sabah, the commission was told today. Commissioner of Police (CP) for Sabah Datuk Hamza Taib said the police had talked to the intruders and …

KOTA KINABALU, May 23 — The legal counsel for Riduan Masmud, who was charged under Section 376 of the Penal Code (Statutory Rape) before the Kota Kinabalu Sessions Court recently in a case which has received widespread media coverage, wants all parties concerned to immediately cease making any statements that are defamatory of him. Loretto S. …

KUALA LUMPUR, May 23 — The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) should be given more power to fight graft with the introduction of new legislation, the Malaysian Bar has said. The Malaysian Bar today asked the government to help ensure that everyone complies with the anti-graft agency’s proposals, including mandatory assets declarations to …

KUALA LUMPUR, May 23 — The police have set up a special team from Bukit Aman to investigate the death of a 32-year suspect at the Kuala Lumpur Police Headquarters lockup on Tuesday due to the presence of criminal elements. Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk Mohmad Salleh gave an assurance that no police officers and men would be excluded from the …

KUALA LUMPUR, May 23 — Former National Feedlot Corporation (NFCorp) director Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Salleh Ismail told the Sessions Court here today that he believed 100 per cent in businessman Datuk Shamsubahrin Ismail to provide advice and consultancy service to help restore the good name of the company and his family. Mohamad Salleh, 65, said …

GEORGE TOWN, May 23 — Police will take action against the group of men who disrupted a candlelight vigil in Esplanade last night that resulted in a scuffle, injuring a reporter and an activist. George Town district police chief ACP Gan Kong Meng said they have identified the men involved and that they would take swift action against the …

PUTRAJAYA, May 23 — The police must surely have the basis and solid evidence to detain Pakatan Rakyat vice-president Tian Chua and two others today under the Sedition Act 1948, said Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. He stressed that he was not involved in the detention of the opposition leader as well as PAS activist Tamrin Tun Ghafar …

KUALA LUMPUR, May 23 — Several roads in the city will be closed from 7pm till midnight tomorrow to faciltate a float parade in conjunction with Wesak Day. City traffic police in a statement here said the convoy would start and finish at the Maha Vihara Temple in Jalan Berhala, Brickfields. The roads affected are Jalan Berhala, Jalan Sultan Abdul …

KUALA LUMPUR, May 23 — Pakatan Rakyat (PR) lawmakers Chua Tian Chang and Tamrin Ghafar, and political activist Haris Ibrahim, have been arrested for sedition and will be held overnight at the police lockup in Jinjang today. According to Haris’s lawyer Gobind Singh Deo, the trio, who were picked up separately for questioning this afternoon, are …

PUTRAJAYA, May 23 — Pandan Member of Parliament Mohd Rafizi Ramli has to stand trial in the Sessions Court for allegedly violating the Banking and Financial Institutions Act (Bafia) by revealing confidential banking details linked to the National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) issue. This follows the Court of Appeal’s decision today which dismissed …

KUALA LUMPUR, May 23 — City police chief Mohmad Salleh warned today the police will be taking stern action against politically-motivated candlelight vigils, saying such gatherings were illegal and were causing local residents “anxiety”. The police had arrested 18 people who were keeping a candle light watch outside the Jinjang police station here …

KUALA LUMPUR, May 23 — Non-governmental organisation Kelab Warisan Malaysia (KERIS) today lodged a police report against news portal Malaysiakini.com for publishing the text of a speech of a panellist at a closed forum held here on May 12. Its president, Mohd Khairul Azam Abdul Aziz, who is also a lawyer, claimed that the article titled …

KUALA LUMPUR, May 23 — Putrajaya will only face more wrath from right-thinking Malaysians if it continues its nationwide crackdown on opposition supporters, Datuk Ambiga Sreenavasan said today. The civil rights activist and renowned lawyer said the sudden series of arrests and court charges exposes the new government’s true face and intentions, …

KUALA LUMPUR, May 23 — The DAP vowed today to use its voice in Parliament to question the new Inspector-General of Police (IGP) on his alleged obsession with netting Pakatan Rakyat (PR) politicians instead of combating crime. The authorities appear to have mounted a widespread clampdown on opposition leaders and their supporters in recent weeks, …

KUALA LUMPUR, May 23 — All Malaysians should work together to protect and preserve peace and harmony in the country, said MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek. He said as long as everyone was united to work towards peace and harmony, the country would not be affected by extreme and aggressive ideologies that sought to disrupt the peace. “We …

SHAH ALAM, May 23 — The daughter of cosmetics millionairess Datuk Sosilawati Lawiya today expressed relief that the trial on her mother’s murder was finally over after three years. Erni Dekritawati Yuliana Buhari, 28, the eldest of six siblings, said she was satisfied with the court’s decision handed down to former lawyer N.  Pathmanabhan and …

PUTRAJAYA, May 23 — Six state Islamic religious councils and an association were allowed to be made parties in a dispute over the use of the word “Allah” in the Catholic Weekly publication The Herald. This means that lawyers representing the Terengganu, Selangor, Kedah, Malacca, Wilayah Persekutuan and Johor councils and the Malaysian Chinese …

KUALA LUMPUR, May 23 — A study on the redelinenation of electoral constituencies, which was postponed two years ago, will begin soon, said Election Commission (EC) deputy chairman Datuk Wan Ahmad Wan Omar. He said the redelineation of electoral constituencies and boundaries could be carried out in accordance with Article 113 (2) (ii) of the …

KUALA LUMPUR, May 23 — The national police chief and home minister should be held accountable for the latest death in police custody, Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram) said today when condemning the police for allegedly causing N. Dharmendran’s death. “SUARAM demands IGP Khalid Abu Bakar and Home Minister Zahid Hamidi to take responsibility over the …

KOTA KINABALU, May 23 — Foreign parents have said that they received blue ICs in Sabah through “Project IC” before applying for the late birth registration of their children, a court official told the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on illegal immigrants here today. Melissa Chia, a senior registrar in the Kota Kinabalu High Court, testified …

KUALA LUMPUR, May 23 — Over a thousand copies of PAS-owned Malay newspaper Harakah as well as DAP-owned The Rocket and PKR’s Suara Keadilan were carted off by home ministry officials from shops and several distribution centres in a nationwide raid today, as Putrajaya mounts an apparent crackdown against Pakatan Rakyat (PR) supporters. In a …

KUALA LUMPUR, May 23 — PKR has demanded the immediate release of party vice-president Chua Tian Chang and activist Haris Ibrahim, calling the Najib administration hypocrites for using the Sedition Act even after promising to abolish the pre-independence law. In a statement today, PKR communications director Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad condemned the latest …

KUALA LUMPUR, May 23 — Barisan Nasional (BN) was reminded today of recommendations approved last year by Parliament to improve the country’s current electoral system and for the coming redrawing of boundaries to ensure fair weightage is given to every vote. DAP election strategist Dr Ong Kian Ming mocked BN leaders Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi …

KUALA LUMPUR, May 23 — The grieving family of N. Dharmendran, the latest person to die in police custody, held a mock funeral where they perform prayers for the deceased’s remains at the Kuala Lumpur police headquarters here, in a symbolic gesture of protest against an incident that has drawn condemnation from opposition politicians and rights …

IPOH, May 23 — Two policemen pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court here today to two charges of bribery involving RM15,000 two years ago. ASP Ng Swie Chait, 34, and Lance Corporal Mohd Syafiq Omar, 29, were charged with committing the offence between 10pm and 11pm at the Commercial Crime Investigation Department at the Perak police headquarters …

KOTA KINABALU, May 23 ― Foreigners are responsible for 30 per cent of index crime in Sabah, the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on illegal immigrants heard today amid a perceived spike in criminal offences. Sabah police chief Datuk Hamza Taib testified today that foreigners committed 15 per cent of index crimes against locals ― including …