Another Vehicle Was Stolen

I am always grateful that everyday, around 1 to 2pm, there is always a Balai Polis Bergerak, sort of mobile police post, passing by my house.
The policemen on wheels usually make their rounds, around the neighbourhood, while most people are indoors having their lunch, or taking their afternoon nap.

The owner of the provision shop in front of my house was twice robbed of their earnings.
The second time, his hand was severed, almost totally chopped off by the robbers.
Since then, the shophouse was always grilled.

A 24-hour restaurant at the corner of the street was also robbed.
Although the sign 'Restoran Kassim' is still displayed, it has since shifted its business to a nearby shophouse along a busy road.

My children had their motorcycles being stolen too, but not at home.

My son had his bike stolen at the parking lot of Giant Plentong.
Earlier on, when he was still studying, his bike was stolen in the gated compound of his friend's house in Shah Alam, in the month of Ramadhan.
Someone, using machinery, lifted it out of the compound during sahur time.

My daughter then sent her motorcycle to his brother, as he needed it more than her.
She had once had her bike stolen too, while parking at the U surau where she is still studying today.

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This evening around 6.30, while I was transfering a plant to a bigger pot, a worried looking man was seen frantically running up and down the road.
With a flimsy paper, like a delivery invoice or quotation, in his hand, I assumed he was looking for the right address.
I kept seeing him walking neither here nor there, but at the extreme opposite side of the road where I was.

When it was 7, about time that I retreated, he suddenly walked in front of me.
He knew I was observing him all these while.

"Lori saya kena curi." 
Then he hurriedly ran and walked away.

His lorry was stolen.
All I can say to myself, pity that deliveryman and lorry driver, for wanting to earn an honest living...                 

There's Thing That Money Can't Buy (2)

There's Thing That Money Can't Buy (1)  

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How Far Can The Mubaraks Run? — Paul Gilfeather

FEB 16 — You would have thought that with an entire country to suppress, toppled Egyptian dictator Hosni Mubarak would not have had enough time to pursue the kind of business deals which has allegedly seen him amass a US$50-billion (RM155 billion) fortune.
Even if Mubarak refused to share his wealth with the people of Egypt, his family flourished during his years in power. Both his sons, Gamal and Alaa, are billionaires and share in their father’s massive property portfolio stretching across Europe’s most expensive cities, America and the Middle East.
His wife Suzanne, 69, the grand-daughter of a dirt-poor Welsh miner, was so extravagant she was nicknamed Marie Antionette, after the opulence-loving Queen who lost her head in the French revolution.
As the former First Lady and her two sons fled to London, baggage handlers at the city’s Heathrow Airport claimed to have spotted the group with around 100 pieces of designer luggage.
You are forgiven for allowing yourself to imagine the kind of glittering riches which may have been tucked away inside these suitcases. For the Mubarak family had become symbols of excess and corruption in Egypt.
Since grabbing power in 1981, the 82-year-old despot is believed to have used every hour of every day to increase his vast fortune through corrupt deals with foreign investors. He did this while his own people struggled to keep their heads above the breadline.
Fortunately, we now live in a world where fleeing dictators suspected of stealing from the very people they are supposed to represent are hunted down and their assets frozen.
And the encouraging noises coming out of Egypt and Europe over the past couple of days suggest that, before long, the Mubarak family will become international outlaws wanted for fraud and the misappropriation of state funds.
You only have to look at the recent case of deposed Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali to see what the authorities have in store for the Mubarak family.
Mass riots over poverty and unemployment in the centre of Tunis last month lit the blue touch paper for Egyptian protesters — and, in the process, Ben Ali was forced to relinquish the reins of power and flee amid charges of fraud and corruption.
Tunisia’s former First Lady, Leila Ben Ali, is even even accused of stealing 1.5 tonnes of gold from the country’s central bank as she and her family made a break for Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. Even as they ran for their lives, it is alleged they halted their uncomfortable journey into exile to grab what they could like thieves in the night.
Coincidentally, I happened to be interviewing the Secretary-General of Interpol on Friday and Mr Ronald Noble told me it was he who took delivery of Ben Ali’s arrest warrant.
If similar charges are brought against Mr Mubarak and his family in the coming weeks, Noble is a face they will come to know as they look over their shoulders.
When I asked the Interpol chief about the former Egyptian President, he told me: “Let’s take Tunisia. It had this conflict, the President was accused of engaging in criminal conduct to the extent of fraud and the misappropriation of funds, and Interpol was asked to seek his arrest internationally.
“We got the allegations, we got the underlying arrest warrant, we got the charges, and Interpol notified the world that the former President of Tunisia was now being sought for arrest by the new government. In Egypt we have not been asked for any kind of assistance yet.”
But moves are certainly afoot. Switzerland said it would freeze the assets of Mubarak family members at the weekend.
And yesterday, the British government alerted officers from the country’s Serious Organised Crime Agency (Soca) to begin tracing Mubarak’s accounts after the incoming Egyptian regime made a formal request for a freeze on the assets of the ousted President.
Soca bosses will coordinate their search with European Union Finance Ministers in Brussels, who will ultimately oversee the operation. But it is more likely the crucial evidence needed for an Interpol arrest warrant will come from the new government in Egypt.
The people of Egypt are this week holding a series of funeral processions for those killed by thugs in the anti-protest violence.
Ultimate, victory for Egypt is close at hand, but now it is down to the country’s new government and the leaders of the EU to bring down the final curtain on Hosni Mubarak’s dreadful regime. — Today
* Paul Gilfeather is the principal correspondent with Today.
* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication. The Malaysian Insider does not endorse the view unless specified.

Source: The Malaysian Insider - Wednesday, February 16, 2011

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To know more, read: U.S. Had Year Of Warnings Over Egypt  

Crooks In Uniform Too

Sunday August 1, 2010 - Rogue Cop And Accomplices Held

PETALING JAYA: A police constable believed to have been involved in a series of robberies since three years ago has been arrested.

The 27-year-old was arrested along with two of his accomplices at his home in Gombak on Friday, said Selangor police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar.

“All the suspects are in their 20’s and have been involved in at least five gang robbery cases, with the last being two weeks ago somewhere in Gombak,” he said.

It is learnt that the constable, who had been attached to the Petaling Jaya district headquarters since two years ago, also had a disciplinary record, which included poor work attendance.
Sources also revealed that the suspect was armed when arrested.
A urine test result showed the suspect was positive for drugs.

The suspect has been remanded and the case investigated under Section 395 and 397 of the Penal Code.

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Sunday July 18, 2010 - Feeding On Fear Of Cops

Whenever we encounter the police, we freeze and think that we have done something wrong.

Crooks who impersonate our law enforcers play on this fear.

Paul Jambunathan remembers talking on his mobile phone while crossing the road one day.
He saw a police car passing by and automatically put his phone down.
He was not committing any crime; he just thought he was.

Jambunathan, a clinical psychologist, attributes this reflex action to a case of classical conditioning.

“Most people associate the police with punishing us for doing something wrong (although we haven’t),” he says.

Billy Lim* has a similar story.
He admits to always talking on the phone while driving.

A few times, he has caught sight of someone in a fluorescent jacket similar to those used by the police, and he ended up panicking.

“Very often it turns out to be someone from the local council or even a road construction worker,” he says.

But the sight of the vest is enough to give him the chills.

Unfortunately, criminals who impersonate the police or other enforcement agencies work on this fear, says Jambunathan.

Over the years, there have been cases of people impersonating police officers, which is a crime under the Police Act.

Impostors have used the police uniform to commit robberies, extortion and even rape.

“Even when I see the words POLIS, I become nervous for no reason. It could even be someone wearing a plain T-shirt with the word POLIS on the back,” says Lim.

MCA Public Services and Complaints Department head Datuk Michael Chong agrees that the public may not be able to tell the difference between a genuine police officer and a bogus one.

“If they stop, they might get robbed but if they don’t, they might get shot,” he observes.

He says that it is easy to impersonate an enforcement agency with numerous shops selling uniforms and paraphernalia of all these enforcement agencies, including the police.

“The only thing I can’t buy is a gun. Even then, I can get a toy gun. If I stand by the roadside wearing the uniform, some people would not be able to tell the difference,” says Chong.

He adds that anyone can buy Rela (Volunteers of Malaysian People) outfits complete with their rank.
Rela officers are often called up for crime-prevention duties and they have the power to make a citizen’s arrest and hand the perpetrator over to the authorities.
They can also check identity cards and passports, and nab illegal immigrants.

The easy availability of Rela uniforms in shops and online has made it easy for crooks to impersonate its volunteers to commit crimes.

In 2006, robbers masquerading as Rela members drove off with RM47million worth of microchips from the air cargo complex in Penang.

Major Jen Datuk Abdul Aziz Ibrahim, the assistant chief of staff, Personal Services of the Royal Malaysian Armed Force (RMAF), says there have been many cases of people misusing the army uniform.

One of the main reasons is to get the attention of girls, says Abdul Aziz.

“It is impossible to stop the shops from selling the uniforms as they have valid business licences.”

Mary Chan* recalls a uniform theme party that was organised by her company.

She says that most people were dressed in army fatigues. She herself wore a police uniform she had ordered on the Internet.

“My uniform was quite plain and anyone could tell it was fake. But the army uniform of the others looked real,” she says.

Malaysian Crime Prevention Foundation (MCPF) vice-chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye agrees that impersonation of police and other government security personnel is an issue of concern.

The MCPF has received some complaints of impersonations of police personnel, he acknowledges.
He says the Government should take note of the problem and check outlets that sell these uniforms and paraphernalia freely.

“This problem has existed for quite a while. The sale of these items should be tightened to prevent abuse,” he warns.

Lee says the police should educate the public on what to do when confronted by impostors.

The police have always reminded people to ask for authority cards when they are sceptical about the status of the uniformed man.
But not many people do that, unfortunately.

Emily Abdullah says she would not be able to tell the difference between an impersonator and a real police officer.
She has been stopped at police road blocks but has never asked to see their identification.

“Not that it never occurs to me but I just want to get everything over with as quickly as possible,” she says.

Jambunathan says it is the public’s right to ask for identification and they have to let go of the misconception that the police would be antagonistic if they do so.

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Training is needed for one to become a police officer.
However, for a few hundred ringgit, it is possible for one to look like a cop.

As was reported by The Star July 18, 2010, police accessories are sold openly and police uniforms are available in some stores in and around the city. Discount can be obtained too for a few items purchased at Pertama Complex in Kuala Lumpur.



A pair of police shoulder badges can  be bought for RM37 at a uniforms wholesaler shop

Which one is real?

A police badge purchased at Pertama Complex. The fake badge is at the bottom. It is hard for the layman to tell the difference between the two badges.

 Similar badges: There is little difference between the police shoulder tag purchased at Pertama Complex (bottom) and one found on a policeman’s uniform.

The reporter purchased two police badges and a sticker for RM35 with the word POLIS in bold letters (to be stuck on the back of a jacket or vest).

When asked for a receipt, he was told to write his name and police identification number by the shopkeeper but when told that he was not a policeman, the shopkeeper looked worried and said he was not permitted to sell the items to civilians.
The reporter managed to convince the shopkeeper all the items were for personal use only.

The shop also stocked badges of other enforcement agencies such as the Prisons Department.

Road Transport Department (RTD) emblem, twin army medals and a pair of police shoulder badges can  be bought for RM37 at a uniforms wholesaler shop.

Although the shop assistants were surprised as only one of each item were bought, they did not ask any further questions after explaining the items for personal use only.

People usually bought the badges in bulk.

One can have a police integrity badge for RM11.90, handcuffs for RM28 and RM58 for the more expensive cuffs which were of higher quality and had double locks.

Unlike army and Rela uniforms, police uniforms, however, were more difficult to get compared to which are easily purchased from any uniform shop.

When asked about getting the police uniform at one shop, a letter of authority from Bukit Aman is needed for the purchase.

***All Sources: The Star

The Reluctant Organs Have Their Final Say

The Star: July 12, 2010 - Tainted Organ Transplants

 

SUBANG JAYA: Some Malaysians who went abroad for organ transplants have returned home with HIV, hepatitis and other problems, a World Health Organisation (WHO) adviser said. “It is time to amend laws and establish a full-time agency to have more and ethical organ donations in the country,” said Prof Dr Francis Delmonico, calling on legislators to push for laws against organ trafficking and transplant tourism in Malaysia.
He also suggested that the authorities look into the possibility of organ donation for cases of cardiac death and not only in brain dead cases.
“There are many cases of Malaysians going abroad for organ transplants.
“There is no guarantee of the quality of organs. In many cases, the patients returned with HIV, hepatitis and other problems,’’ said Dr Delmonico, a WHO adviser on human organ transplantation.
He was speaking at a forum on “Organ Trafficking and Transplant Tourism – The Need for Regulatory and Legislative Control” at the 13th Scientific Meeting of the Malaysian Society of Transplantation at the Grand Dorsett Hotel here on Friday night.
Dr Delmonico said the commercialisation of organs go against the Istanbul Declaration, which proclaims that the poor who sell their organs are being exploited.
The declaration, signed by participants of an international summit on transplant tourism and organ trafficking in 2008, concluded that organ trafficking and transplant tourism violate respect for human dignity and the principles of equity and justice and should be prohibited.
Health Ministry head of nephrology services Dr Ghazali Ahmad, in his talk on “Hurdles of Living Unrelated Organ Donation” said that in 2009, 17 kidney failure patients received transplant from dead donors and nine from live donors.
In 2008, there were 53 from deceased donors and one from a live donor. In 2007, it was 45 from deceased donors and three from live donors.
The statistics were gathered after patients returned home from abroad to seek post-transplant treatment.
Kidney transplants made available from deceased donors were believed to be organs from executed prisoners in China.

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The Straits Times: June 7, 2010 - Black Organ Market Rakes On Poverty And Hope

Organ trafficking middleman Liu Qiangshen sits in the court showing his side scar left after a liver transplantation operation. (photo by Beijing Morning Post)

Barely coming of age and lacking money, 19-year-old Yang Nian sold almost two thirds of his liver, for which a Beijing patient in urgent need of organ transplant paid 150,000 yuan (S$21,900).

But the money only ended up in the hands of organ trafficking middleman Liu Qiangsheng, who assembled a score of hatchet men to beat up a scarred Yang when he came to claim his liver fees. Yang got a mingy 25,000 yuan (S$3,660), not the promised dole of 35,000 yuan (S$5,130), the Beijing Morning Post reported Thursday.

The stomach-turning report details Yang's wait for a suitable buyer in a slum along with other reluctant donors in central Hebei province as well as his physical checkup and identity forgery in order to pass for a legal organ supplier for the Beijing patient

The Beijing patient, at first unwitting of Yang's pathetic compensation, was also threatened by the middleman if he dared refuse further payment out of previous bargain.

"We only learned later that the middleman Liu just gave Yang that little, we are very angry, but we are also very scared and could do nothing," said the patient's wife. The couple paid a huge sum to the middleman, only with borrowed money.

The case, still under investigation, shed light on a rampant organ trafficking market reigned by unscrupulous middlemen, intertwined with hospitals sometimes, who rake in the organ donation dearth in China where for every 150 patients in the waiting line of organ transplant there is only one legal donor.

The black organ market is so organized that it runs like an assembly line.

The middlemen draw together a group of illegal donors, mostly male, offering food and board before ushering them through a series of medical examinations to kick out the unhealthy and the unprofitable, like those with AB blood, accounting only 5 percent of the general population.

The middlemen even help to bribe doctors and secure a better hospital, not to mention the cheap identity fabrication as in Yang's case, since organ donation by a living individual should be among relatives in China.

While, for the most part of the job, it is waiting, sometimes endlessly, for a suitable buyer. That's why most middlemen choose to foster a large donator group, increasing the chance of medical matches, and larger profits.

In Thursday's news report, a middleman in eastern Jiangsu, surnamed Wang, bragged how he fostered 190 underground donors in the past two years and successfully channeled over 30 transplant cases. Another in northeastern Shenyang assured that he could secure an organ donation in three days, and could even offer an extra donor as a backup.

So far the only organ donation regulation in China is a toothless bylaw which forbids, rather than criminalizes, organ trafficking as illegal business operations. Legal specialists said the punishment doesn't fit the crime.

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The Star: June 7, 2010  - China's Grisly Human Organs Market

China's human organs trade is grisly but lucrative

China's black market for human organs is booming.

Nearly 1.5 million people require organ transplants every year but according to the Health Ministry, only ten thousand can get what they need.

China banned organ transplants from living donours in 2007 (with the exception of spouses, blood relatives or adopted family members) and it was not until last year that a national campaign to coordinate donations after death was launched.

A defendant charged with trafficking human organs testified recently that half a liver can cost up to RM21,980.95, while an entire transplant, which includes operation and recovery costs, runs at about RM66,710.00.

"The crime can damage society and moral values," says the Procuratorial Daily.
"I believe I was helping people, not harming others. I saved the life of the person who received my liver. He was only in his 30s. I do not regret it," says defendant, Liu Qiangsheng.

Human organ traffickers have helped raise the percentage of transplants from living donors in China up to 40 percent in the last few years.

This number is up from 15 percent in 2006. Despite this, two-thirds of all organs harvested for transplant in China come from executed criminals.
"Executed prisoners are definitely not a proper source for organ transplants," said Vice Minister Huang Jiefu.
China is trying to move away from the use of executed prisoners and curb illegal trafficking by developing new sources for organ transplants.

A voluntary donation scheme is in the works, but may prove very difficult to implement due to China’s cultural bias against removing organs after death.
While change is in the works, organ trafficking remains a dark and grisly aspect of black market operations.

Whose Haven Is Johor Bahru?

It was reported in The Star 2 days ago that residents of Taman Majidee are living in increasing fear for the past 20 years as criminals are getting more daring and aggressive.

The neighbourhood used to be a nice place to live in the 70s but now no one can walk the streets alone without worrying about snatch thieves and robbers.
Many residents hope for a stronger police presence in the neighbourhood to curb multiple crimes, especially house break-ins. The question lingers of why the police had not been keeping an eye on the neighbourhood with the high crime rate there.

Zainab Ibrahim, 54, a retiree living with her daughter, son-in-law and 2 grandchildren, had her house been broken into at least 10 times in the past 30 years. She had also been a victim of snatch theft 3 times last year.

Low, 57, a businessman echoed Zainab’s sentiment that the crime rate in the area was much lower 20 years ago.
He owns a shop lot in the area and it is disturbing that so many crimes occur on a monthly basis.  

A retired doctor Another resident, Govind, 71, said crime was a common occurrence in the neighbourhood.

Almost every month, a house is robbed so it is no more a surprise news hearing about the robbery attempt on June 1, about 300m from his house, where robbers used a woman as a human shield when pursued by a security guard.
In the robbery attempt, a 19-year-old girl, a Datuk's daughter, suffered head injuries in the botched heist at her house has died around 10.45pm on Thursday.

The security guard opened fire on the 3 robbers while trying to escape with stolen goods on Tuesday night.
It was earlier reported that one robber involved in the heist was shot dead and another shot in the leg by the security guard.
The third robber was arrested after a car chase near Taman Kebun Teh.

Johor Baru (South) OCPD Asst Comm Zainuddin Yaakob said that police would step up patrols in the housing estate. “We are aware of the residents’ concerns. We will increase patrols as well as police presence,” he said.
He urged anyone with information on any crime related cases to contact the police hotline at 07-2212999 or the nearest police station.

Upon reading this, and reading the police statement of  "we will increase patrols and he urged anyone with information on any crime related cases to contact the police", my instinct of the ever increasing crime rate will never dip with such answers given.

I am about to share my story with readers in this blog when my eyes caught another news of JB city council taken to task for inaction.

The Johor Baru City Council has been taken to task for failing to act on public complaints despite numerous calls from local representatives.
Johor Baru MCA division chief Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong (pic) said the council must take drastic action in dealing with the people’s complaints or face the wrath of the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC).
“We feel disappointed over the lack of cooperation by the city council in taking action on complaints.
“For example, the residents in Taman Century have been complaining about excessive noise from nearby nightclubs, but they (city council) have not taken action,” he told newsmen after the division’s annual general meeting, which was launched by MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek.
Dr Wee said the people in Taman Century wanted the council to ensure that the clubs kept out the noise but to no avail.
“Lack of action by the city council reflects badly on the Barisan Nasional government.
“If the mayor does not take action on public complaints, then the party has to report the matter to the MACC,” he said.
He added that he and Johor Baru MP Datuk Shahrir Samad had visited places which the people had complained about.
“The people’s concerns must be heard and acted upon quickly. The cooperation of the council is paramount towards ensuring the people’s support for Barisan here,” he said.
On the AGM, Dr Wee said that the party had grown more stable under the leadership of Dr Chua.
“The Chinese community is happy that the party is voicing their concerns on various matters,” he said.

Today, JB's mayor has defended the MBJB.

Mayor Mohd Jaafar Awang has defended the Johor Baru City Council (MBJB), which has been criticised for allegedly not being proactive towards complaints.

The city council, he said, was doing its part to address issues brought to its attention but it could not promise that all the problems could be solved.
He said the council was trying its best but “it is premature to say that it has not been taking any action on the complaints”.
Jaafar was responding to remarks made by Johor Baru MCA division chief Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong on Sunday that MBJB had failed to act on public complaints, even those raised by local representatives.
Dr Wee cited the example of Taman Century residents, who were upset about the loud noise from nearby nightspots, but MBJB allegedly did not act on the complaints.
Contacted by The Star, Jaafar said it was unfair to blame MBJB as “we are only human and cannot assure that all problems will be solved”.
“All problems are noted during council meetings regardless if they are brought up by local representatives or the public. And we always follow up on them,” he said.
Jaafar also said that Dr Wee should forward details of the grouses he received to the council.
“We would also like to urge residents who have complaints to come to our office every Thursday from 2pm to 5pm if they feel that their problems are inadequately addres­sed,” he said, adding that no appointment was required.
Jaafar said the city council had also received complaints via telephone.
“As for the residents in Taman Century, I would like to state that we have visited the area but we did not find that the noise was disturbing,” he said.
Besides MBJB, he said the district office was also in charge of issuing entertainment licences and it was equally responsible for taking action against loud entertainment outlets.

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As for now, JB is all defended. Save my breath.