The Maid - The Loan

Nora*'s mother had just secured a deal with a sugar factory when it offered Rp13,000,000 (S$1,880) for Nora's two-year old quarter acre of sugarcane plantation.

The mother will use the money to renovate part of their house as she had the feeling that very soon, Singaporeans will want to visit her family.
Time is running out before these Singaporeans appeared at their front door.

Since Ramadhan is next month, it is better that the mother start renovating the house now.

Nora could not said no to her mother, as what the woman was earlier assured by her daughter, come July, Nora will receive her first salary of about Rp3,500,000.
But the mother did not know that Nora had spent two months idling in Batam before her first employer employed her to work with his family in the western part of Singapore.

And, Nora knew that she was cheated by her Indonesian agency.
Since she paid her own passage to Batam, she knows salaryless working in Singapore will be reduced to six, and at the most seven months.
Not nine months as she is facing now!

Nora's family was at the most critical period when her father met with an accident and their failed chilli plantation due to erratic weather that I had blogged earlier, exhausting all financial resources.
They were left totally dry but her children have to be in school and life has to go on.

So, Nora took drastic and unwavering step leaving her 3 young children with her aged mother and bedridden father to be in Batam last Ramadhan.

When others working in faraway land all converged home in Ramadhan to be together for the festive Syawal, Nora left home during the fasting month, leaving her children not only without their father who had simply left his family to pursue his own living, but without their mother too.

To reach Batam, Nora desperately went around asking for loan.

Normally Rp800,000 (about S$116) would be more than enough airfare.
But it was the peak period Ramadhan.

Since demand was more than supply, ticket prices went spiraling, that Nora had to ask for another loan of Rp500,000.

I used to fly to Jakarta from Hang Nadim Airport in Batam to Jakarta.
It costs less than S$100 for return ticket.

But last year, when I offered to pay a family of four's passageway to return home to Semarang from Batam, to spend their Syawal with their aged parents, whom they had not for met more than ten years, ticket price was already Rp1.2 million (about S$170).
And it was around two months away from Syawal.

The husband's mother was always in tears, longing for her only son and never before seeing her two granddaughters, when the couple called home.

Bear in mind, it was after a field day running counter after counter for wanting to secure the cheapest price.
Bear in mind, it was weeks before Ramadhan, in July, not August, and the ticketing girl said, ticket price went up each passing day.

So, I understand Nora's predicament.

******

The loan had been bothering Nora.
It was really a heavy burden on her shoulder, the biggest stone she ever had on her shoulder, as there was no such thing as to wait for nine months to earn her first salary working in Saudi.

And to tell her mother that her first salary will only be in September, she did not know how to create sentence from the limited words she has.

******

The cruel maids' world, she only knew and encountered after her two years in Abha, Saudi Arabia.

After her two years of working abroad, after repeatedly hearing others kept saying, she was one of the exceptionally lucky maid, it led her to make a nazar, a promise to slaughter a goat and holding a feast for her village folks after completion of honouring her another two years with the same employer.

When her second two-year contract was completed, upon landing at the airport, immediately after exiting the immigration counter, another maid who returned home together within her group from Jeddah, was struggling and gripping tight, holding Nora's baggage from being pushed away by unknown and suspicious men, hovering around the airport preying from victims.

These vultures, as if being tipped-off, always knew the schedule of return-home maids and many had fallen to become penniless victims, robbed of belongings upon stepping on homeground.
These maids often return to their families not only financially broke, but with shattering brokenhearted too.

The goodhearted maid refused to let Nora charted her home journey with just her and the driver.
Since it was almost nighttime, despite her children and family were all eagerly waiting for her, she was dragged to follow the goodhearted maid home, in Surabaya too.
She was forced to spend her night there.

The 'saint' maid personally chose reliable transportation for Nora to safely reach her waiting family.

******

Before Nora embarked in search of greener pasture in Singapore, she made a prior nazar, to do the same as what she did before.

But when she worked with her first employer here, she often complained to HIM, what HE gave her was not what she wanted.
She told GOD, her nazar is no trivial matter to look into.
She will do more when HE Gives her more than she had asked for.

As what she told Me, this time, upon completion of her two-year contract, she will qurban, slaughtering a kibasy.
She will ask someone to find the best mountain goat with good meat, the biggest mountain goat yet to be found.
She hope all Nyai's Children will be able to join in the feast she will be going to offer to all her villagefolks.
GOD willing.    

******

I had told My Husband of Nora's loan since March.

To Him, just get the heaviest stone off on her shoulder, just pay up for her.
After all, it costs Us less than RM400.

Yes, I'll pay up, but not then, in March.
I'll wait until July.
No wonder the zakat, the tithe, He handed Me to give away early this year, I kept postponing.

****** 

Yesterday, I told Nora, since it is already July, the promised time has come for her to honour her loan payment.
The promise will be fulfilled when we reached City Plaza.

Nora quickly closed her mouth with both hands when she heard herself shouting loudly
"Ibu..."

Upon signing the transfer slip, she claimed weightless on both shoulders.
The heaviest stone had automatically slipped away.

Towards Lesser Crime In JB (14)

Rape (3)

A 24-year-old single mother was in a car with her boyfriend when a man armed with a knife opened the car door at a traffic light junction at about 2.25am on Monday, May 16.

The man then pointed the knife at the boyfriend and ordered him to drive the car to a house in Teluk Jawa, Pasir Gudang, while an accomplice followed on a motorcycle.
Upon arriving at a house there, the suspects tied the boyfriend before raping the woman.
They also robbed them of cash and their mobile phones.

Upon tip-off, police arrested both suspects at a house along Jalan Bayan in Seri Alam, within nine hours after the rape in a new housing project in Teluk Jawa.
One of them, aged 25, has eight previous records for burglary, theft and assault.

****** 

Jailed – Drunk Labourer Who Raped Woman 
By FARIK ZOLKEPLI 

JOHOR BARU: A 32-year-old labourer who admitted that he was drunk when he raped a woman on Aug 5 was sentenced to 10 years’ jail and seven strokes of the rotan.
K. Paramasivan pleaded guilty to raping the 24-year-old woman at a booth in JP Perdana at about 8pm.

Sex fiend: Paramasivan being led away after he was jailed for rape.
 

The facts of the case stated that he had earlier abducted the victim and taken her to the booth.
He punched and slapped the victim repeatedly in the face and other parts of her body before raping her.
However, a police patrol unit managed to rescue the victim and arrest him following a scuffle.
In mitigation, Paramasivan said he had a family to support.
“I was drunk and I deeply regret my actions,” he said.
DPP Jasmee Hameeza Jaafat asked Sessions Court judge Salawati Djam­bari to mete the maximum sentence due to the seriousness of the offence and the victim’s injuries.
“The accused also has previous convictions for robberies as well as rape,” he said.
Meanwhile, Paramasivan was also charged with stealing the victim’s two mobile phones and a gold necklace while causing hurt.
That case has been fixed for mention on Sept 17.

Source: The Star - Wednesday, August 18, 2010

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Are We Too Lenient With Rapists At Times?

THE Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of Law defines RAPE as ‘unlawful sexual activity and usually sexual intercourse carried out forcibly or under threat of injury against the will usually of a female or with a person who is beneath a certain age or incapable of valid consent because of mental illness, mental deficiency, intoxication, unconsciousness, or deception — see also STATUTORY RAPE.’Note: The common-law crime of rape involved a man having carnal knowledge of a woman not his wife through force and against her will.
Even without referring to the dictionary, we all know what rape is about. But do we really know or understand what rape victims have to go through? The reality is that unless we are the victims or one of our loved ones is unfortunate enough to fall prey to such a violent act, we will not be able to comprehend the horror and trauma of rape. Victims are scarred for life.
I was reading an article about the anti-rape legislation and that induced me to look up the dictionary for the finer definition of this heinous crime.
It’s interesting to learn that by and large, we seem to be sending the wrong signals about rape, beginning with the laws that let off too easily those who commit such a crime to an attitude that it is all right for men to be aggressive while women must suffer in silence.
Women’s groups in the country have claimed that rape is one issue this country has not dealt with properly and I agree with them.
A report this week in a national daily struck me. In December 2008, a man who raped his eight-year-old daughter was sentenced by the Sessions Court in Muar, to 25 years jail and 15 strokes of the rotan. This sentence was later affirmed by the High Court.
Yet last Monday (March 22), the Court of Appeal commuted the convicted felon’s punishment by six years jail and five strokes of the rotan. Several questions come to mind with this new judgement.
Why was this evil perpetrator’s sentence reduced? Who thought his sentence was too harsh? But what about the life sentence on the little girl? Have the judges contemplated this at all? Who knows the anguish and who can measure the mental and physical scars that will torment the poor girl for the rest of her life?
The layman in us will not be able to understand what was in the minds of the judges when they shortened the sentence on appeal. Have they not seen the mixed messages coming out of this? It sets a poor example and a precedent for the disturbed and evil men who feel they can violate and abuse the rights of children who are too young to defend themselves.
With a clearer picture and understanding of the issue at hand, I think we must all give our undivided support to women’s groups who have espoused legislative changes and greater justice for rape victims.
The All Women’s Action Society (Awam) has been asking for the abolition of the stipulation on corroborative evidence such as physical injuries in rape cases for a long time. It also wants compensation for rape survivors.
Awam and other women’s groups say whatever is lacking in the law is but a reflection of the flawed societal attitudes regarding rape, its perpetrators and their victims. So far, such legislation has been long wanting.
According to Awam, it appears that there is high tolerance for men who go around bragging about their sexual prowess, which they equate with being ‘real men’.
“Masculinity allows aggression, which leads to rape. There is a thin line between the two,’’ the society adds.
Women’s Aid Organisation executive director Ivy Josiah has also been quoted as saying that ‘in cases of violence against women, be it in the form of rape, physical abuse or sexual harassment, women are told to be silent’.
But Josiah says this does not stop people from looking with contempt at a woman who has been raped ‘’because losing her virginity carries a social stigma’’. These double standards largely explain the prevailing insensitivity of even authorities and health workers toward rape victims.
It must be made clear to all that rape cases have been on the rise in the country and the crime has reached a stage where it has frighteningly become just an everyday, common affair.
Sarawak is also not spared of this ‘scourge’. Police statistics show that the number of statutory rape cases in the state has been on the increase. The police report is too lengthy to go into this column but suffice to say, the statistics are alarming. The reported cases run in several thousands for the whole country.
Some cases can be real violent too and victims were even murdered. There was a recent report of a woman being gang-raped and then set on fire. Then, a 15-year-old ethnic Indian student was raped and murdered, prompting a bitter public outcry. A woman and her daughter were also raped by her 41-year-old son-in-law and a Dutch tourist was gang-raped at a rubber estate. These cases took place in Kuala Lumpur.
Then in Kuching, remember the 14-year-old schoolgirl who was raped at the overhead bridge in Petra Jaya on a busy afternoon in May 2009? In the same week, a 12-year-old girl was taken from her school to a jungle in Samariang and raped. And surely, we have not forgotten the long running saga of the rape of Penan girls.
These are only the reported cases. What about those which were unreported, either for reasons of shame or sheer ignorance?
And part of the reason for under-reporting lies in legislation. Malaysian legal advocates have long had problems with the laws pertaining to rapists and other sexual offenders. They point out that the sentences meted out to those found guilty are too light.
Also, there is the question of definition. Under Malaysian law, rape occurs only when a man forcefully penetrates a woman’s sexual organ with his penis. Using another object such as bottle or a stick, therefore, does not constitute rape.
Yes, the dictionary clearly defines rape — it is torture at its worst! It is such a horrifying, heinous crime and it is high time that we have new legislation that truly punish perpetrators with the same degree of human suffering that they have inflicted on their victims.
No, this is not vengeance. This is justice!

Source: The Borneo Post - Saturday, March 27, 2010

Towards Lesser Crime In JB (12)

Rape

Four men, S. Aramagam, 30, M. Viji Kumar, 29, B. Devandran, 22 and Steven Lim Beng Chuan, 21, on Friday 13, 2011, received a jail term totalling 64 years.

They were also ordered to be collectively caned 52 times for robbing a couple of more than RM15,000, including some electrical items.

Worst still, they raped the wife at their home in Kangkar Pulai, Johor Bahru, at between 6am and 7am on February 28 last year.

Except Viji Kumar, the others admitted to also raping the 27-year-old wife after tying up her husband.

Aramagam also forced the woman to perform oral sex on him.

Sessions Court Judge Zambri Bakar sentenced Aramagam to 20 years' jail and ordered him to be given 16 strokes of the cane.

Steven Lim and Devendran were each sentenced to 18 years' jail and ordered to be given 14 strokes of the rotan for their double crimes - robbery and rape.

Viji Kumar, the only person who did not commit the rape, was sentenced to 10 years' jail and ordered to be caned eight times.

Each of the four men, however, will only serve 10 years in prison as the judge ordered the jail sentences to run concurrently from the date of their arrest.
DPP Norashikin Ibrahim prosecuted the case while all the accused were not represented.

The men were seen staring downward in a sombre mood before Judge Zambri Bakar.

But after the judge stepped down and left the courtroom, the four men switched to jovial mode and started to joke and laugh among themselves.
They could still laugh and joke among themselves despite the heavy sentences passed on them.

Earlier, they had pleaded for leniency after pleading guilty to a total of seven charges against them.

Camera shy: Two of the four robbers being led out of the Johor Bahru court. 

Photo: The Star
 

The four men had refused to leave the court room, saying they did not want to be caught on camera by press photographers waiting outside the court.

"What are they going to do with my picture? Are they going to post it up?" one of them was heard saying in Tamil, quoting from The Star.

A court policeman later led them out through a back entrance.

According to the facts of the case, the husband had woken up and was about to perform his prayers when he noticed intruders were inside his double-storey house.

The intruders had entered through an unlocked window at the back of the house.

They grabbed some knives from the kitchen and threatened the husband.
One of the men had threatened him with a knife.

The husband tried to put up a fight, but was beaten up.
Another man repeatedly hit him with a golf club.
They then tied up the victim with his wife's clothes.

They then left him in one room and took his daughter and his wife to another room upstairs.

The woman, who study at a local university, pleaded to them to release her.

But they started beating her and threatened to kill.

The robbers took turns to rape her.

The husband, in his 20s, then rushed the woman to the hospital.

After the gang rape of the Kangkar Pulai housewife on February 28 last year, 22 men were rounded up in connection with the rape and robbery.

One of the detainees was found to be the mastermind behind the crime.

He was then detained by a special task force led by Johor CID chief Senior Asst Comm II Datuk Amer Awal.

******

Three months later in June, police launched massive hunt for four notorious Indonesian robbers.

They not only took away cash and valuables during a house break-in, but they also raped another housewife, the owner’s 50-year-old wife in full view of the man and his teenage daughter.

Ledang OCPD Supt Harun Idris earlier said police had rounded up 22 illegal immigrants to ascertain the whereabout of suspects.

The robbers broke into the house in Kampung Sengkang near Bukit Gambir in Johor at about 3.30am.

Armed with parang, they forced themselves into the house while the couple and four of their children were asleep.

They tied them before ransacking and taking RM1,300 and jewellery worth about RM5,000.

One of the robbers then decided to force himself upon the wife, in full view of the husband and their 13-year old daughter.

Towards Lesser Crime In JB (11)

Snatch Theft (2)

Mat Dugong Held For Over 50 Snatch Thefts

JOHOR BARU: Months of using the same motorcycle and modus operandi to snatch the belongings of his victims proved to be the downfall for a notorious snatch thief known as "Mat Dugong" here on Friday.

The 25-year-old man, who used a black Kawasaki Kips, had been under police surveillance for several weeks and was believed to be linked to about 50 cases of snatch thefts in the city.

His hefty physique, which had been described by his victims in their reports, gave him the nickname Mat Dugong, after the large marine mammal.

It is learnt that the man, who had a 24-year-old accomplice, usually targeted people carrying expensive gadgets such as iPhones, Acer notebooks and DSLR cameras.

The man was arrested at a house in Kempas early Friday by a criminal investigation team from the Johor Baru (north) district police headquarters about 8.30am.

In the house, police found mobile phones, smartphones, wristwatches, wallets, cameras and portable wireless broadband devices. These were believed to have been taken from the suspect's victims.

His accomplice was later picked up at a house in Jalan Puchung, Taman Perling, the same day.

Police also seized a motorcycle believed to have been used by the duo, as well as a Proton Iswara.

Initial investigations revealed that the suspect and his accomplice had used the same modus operandi for more than six months.

Both suspects would wear overalls to give the impression that they were factory hands working in Singapore.

They would target pedestrians, mainly young people in their 20s and 30s.

Some Singaporeans had also fallen victim to the two suspects.

The duo's target areas were mainly busy roads such as Jalan Skudai and also the Taman Perling residential area.

The suspects were also believed to have snatched the belongings of other motorcycle riders.

Source: New Straits Times - October 24, 2010

******

Man Becomes A Victim Of Snatch Theft And Shooting

JOHOR BARU: After allegedly losing more than RM5,000 to a snatch thief, another misfortune hit the victim – he was shot twice during an argument with a security guard here.
Johor Baru South OCPD Asst Comm Zainuddin Yaacob said the incident happened at a moneychanger’s shop in Jalan Harimau Tarom at 5pm yesterday.
Relating the events that led to the shooting, ACP Zainuddin said the victim had earlier gone to the shop with his brother to exchange some cash.
However, the money totalling more than RM5,000 was allegedly lost to a snatch thief at Taman Majidee while they were on their way home.
The man reported the matter at the Majidee police station and returned to the moneychanger’s shop to try to view a closed-circuit TV footage that might show if anyone had followed him.
“The man spoke to the security guard who was reluctant to show him the footage,” said ACP Zainuddin, adding that an argument broke out between the two.
In a scuffle that followed, the guard allegedly fired two shots from his handgun, both of which hit the complainant in the waist.
ACP Zainuddin said the victim had been warded at the Sultanah Aminah Hospital while the guard had surrendered his weapon and turned himself in.

Source: The Star - Sunday, July 18, 2010

******

A snatch theft and robbery gang in Johor Bahru is halted with the arrests of six members between the ages of 19 and 26, who were high on the wanted list.

Johor police chief Datuk Mokhtar Shariff said the gang members were notorious and had been active in JB for the last three months before they were caught here in early February, 2011.

"Three of the six suspects also had prior convictions for vehicle theft and extortion."

The authorities also recovered stolen vehicles, computers, digital cameras, hand-phones and cash in local and Singapore currencies during a raid at a house in Skudai Kiri.

They also seized two packets of amphetamine-type stimulants from the gang, whose members were also tested positive for syabu.

In a separate case two weeks earlier, in January, police were tracking down members of another notorious robbery gang linked to at least 17 cases of wayside robberies and snatch thefts.

Its 22-year-old leader was nabbed in Jalan Meldrum and was detained under preventive laws.

****** 

Volunteer Loses Life Chronicles To Snatch Thief

JOHOR BARU: An Australian volunteer may have lost 25 years of her life chronicles as a volunteer among orphans in Timor Leste after her handbag was snatched at a shopping mall here on Tuesday.

Lala Noronha (pic), 55, who is writing about her experience after spending much of her life among orphans, lost her passport, a digital camera, three USB drives and a recording device, which she had used to dictate her experiences.
The woman said the incident happened while she was having her breakfast at a fast food outlet in City Square Johor Baru shopping mall here at 8.30am on that day.
“I was shocked when a well-dressed man who was sitting a few tables behind me suddenly snatched my handbag,” she added.
Noronha added that without her pictures and recording device, she was not sure how she could continue writing her autobiography.
“I began writing the book two years ago and it is now only 70% completed.
“I am supposed to finish writing the book and have it published by Novem-ber,” she said in between sobs.
Noronha said her autobiography would detail her life experiences in working closely with the Malaysian army and police in their peacekeeping mission in Timor Leste.
“My only hope is to retrieve my recording device and USB pen drives, which contain most of the pictures and journals chronicling my work in Timor Leste and Malaysia.
“I would like to appeal to the man responsible to return these items,” she said, adding that the he could keep the cash.
When contacted, Johor Baru (south) OCPD Asst Comm Zainuddin Yaakob confirmed the case.

Source:  The Star - Sunday, January 31, 2010

Towards Lesser Crime In JB (9)

Robbery

Suspected Robber Dies In Car Chase

TANGKAK: A suspected robber was killed after his car skidded into a canal during a high-speed chase of his intended victim in Kampung Parit Keliling near Kesang here.
A man had just left his workplace near Bakri and was driving home when he spotted a Proton Waja trailing him at about 3.30am yesterday.
He sped away after he crossed the Muar River, but the Proton followed him into Kampung Parit Keliling in Kesang.
The man managed to lose the Proton after a sharp bend, but was shocked when his father told him later in the morning that there was a car in the canal.
He rushed to the spot and saw the car was the Proton Waja that had trailed him earlier, with the driver dead.
The man and his father then informed police about the car and the dead man in the canal.
Ledang police chief Supt. Harun Idris confirmed the incident, and said the police were investigating the case.

Source: The Star - Wednesday, May 4, 2011

******

Beware Of JB 'Syringe Robber': He Threatens To Jab You With 'AIDS-Tainted Blood'

A man approached STOMPer Tommi with a syringe and demanded money from him at a Johor Bahru petrol kiosk today (May 2).

The man claimed that he was infected with AIDS, and the syringe was filled with his blood.

STOMPer Tommi relates the harrowing incident:

"Drivers to JB beware! The old AIDS stunt is back.

"Last week my friend met an approximately 40-year-old small-built Chinese man at the Shell petrol kiosk beside the customs.

"He claimed that he had AIDS and held a syringe with some blood in it.

"He would demand that you handed over your cash.

"My friend handed over 100 plus ringgit to him.

"Today I personally met a man at the same petrol kiosk trying to pull the same stunt.

"He waited for me to get into my car and before I could close the door he approached me.

"He said the same things but before he could react I slammed my door against his head and gave him a kick. I then slammed my door shut.

"I sounded my horn to attract attention.

"He calmly stood up and walked off.

"I wanted to get down to alert other fellow Singaporeans there and the kiosk attendant but my wife saw him signalling to some people across the road.

"Worried for our own safety, we decided to drove off.

"Drivers please beware."

STOMP understands that there were similar robberies in the past that involved syringe-wielding men targeting Singaporeans visiting Johor Baru.

Source: Singapore Seen. Stomp - Tuesday, May 2, 2011

******

'Eggstra' Careful

Johor police chief DCP Datuk Mohd Mokhtar Mohd Shariff said end of last month, a chain of text message about eggs thrown at windscreens in Johor Bahru so motorists could be robbed when they stop is untrue.

This particular SMS has been circulating for several months and has resurfaced. 

Police officers had not received a single report lodged on such an incident.

They had not received any report of people falling victim to a text message that had been circulating in Johor Bahru.

The message, widely circulated through SMS and also by email, says:   

“Message from PDRM — 

cautioned motorists about robbers who divert their attention with an “egg attack”. 

It says:  

“If you are driving at night and are attacked with eggs, 

do not operate the wiper or spray any water. 

You can drive until you reach a safer place because eggs, 

when mixed with water, 

become milky and block your vision up to 92.5 per cent. 

Then you are forced to stop at the road side and become a victim of robbers.”

"This is a new technique used by robbers in Johor Baru. 

Please inform your friends and relatives.” 

Police said it was probably the work of a mischievous individual among the public.

The SMS was an irresponsible act who wanted to create confusion and fear.

However, people must always be careful and alert of their surroundings.

The people could check with the police if they came across such SMSes to ascertain the truth.

****** 

A Close Shave For A Librarian In Permas Jaya 
by Goh Siew Mei

Two robbers drove away in silver Honda City, which belongs to a high school library supervisor at Permas Jaya yesterday.
The incident took place around 6.25am at Jalan Permas 12/21, while Chai was reversing his car out his porch to pick up his neighbours son before sending him to school.
Chai, who works at the Foon Yew High school said he saw a car approaching very fast from the side as he was reversing his car. As soon he saw two person in the car wielding parang, he ran out of the car and asked his neighbour’s son to run inside the house.
“I was lucky as the robbers only managed to take the car and not hurting us,” said a shaken Chai.
According to him, he lost his briefcase, some documents, a cheque book and some of his student’s record books.
The car was later recovered at 10.00 am, when it was spotted by a parent, who is on the way to send his child to school. The car’s drivers side door and passengers door was slightly dented and the documents were intact.
Chai later lodged a police report at both Johor Jaya and Permas Jaya police station.

Source: Komuniti Kini - April 4, 2011

******

Two men, who are part of a gang involved in attempting to break-in into a factory at the Plentong Industrial Area factory, were detained during an operation in Plentong industrial area.

Johor police received information about the suspicious behaviour of 10 men in the area at 4.14am on Monday, April 11.

When the men saw the police, two of them who were in a car tried to reverse into the officers, who then, had to shoot at the tyres before arresting the two who were in the said getaway car.

One of the suspects had a previous conviction for dishonestly receiving stolen property in a gang robbery.

A third suspect fled in a Perodua Kancil with the registration number JGK 468. 

The fleeing car rammed into three police motorcycles before fleeing the scene.  

Eight others managed to escape into the darkness.

Police seized a Yamaha motorcycle and a Proton Waja belonging to the robbers, along with a paper cutter, a bunch of Allen keys, watches and screwdrivers. 

In another case on Saturday, police arrested a man, in his 40s, who was involved in stealing and dismantling of lorries at Bandar Seri Alam. 

He had seven previous police records, which included theft and drugs abuse.

Police seized a Suzuki lorry, a Honda motorcycle and a host of spare parts.

In yet another case on the same day, police arrested three men, one of them had three previous police records, aged between 20 and 47 at the Perling- Pasir Gudang Highway for possession of a fake pistol. 

They were in a Proton Waja, which the chassis number and engine of the Proton car was found to have been altered.

Towards Lesser Crime In JB (5)

Impersonating Police Officers

Bogus Cops Get Six Years And Cane

JOHOR BARU: Two lorry drivers were sentenced to six years’ jail and two strokes of the cane for impersonating police officers to rob six foreigners.
Mohd Firdaus Abdullah, 34, and Mohd Nazri Abdul, 32, yesterday pleaded guilty to committing the offence at Taman Universiti on April 12 at about 5.30pm.
According to the facts of the case, they impersona ted police officers and robbed the six foreigners of RM395, a handphone and their pas sports.
Sessions Court judge Nu’ Aman Mahm ud Zuhudi ordered that the jail term start from the date of arrest.
Meanwhile, an unemployed man pleaded guilty in a magistrate’s court to stealing a tin of Milo.
According to the charge sheet, Md Razali Doll, 54, had stolen the chocolate powder worth RM31.99 from a supermarket ne ar Jalan Pandan at 6.4 5pm on April 19.
Magistrate Hafizah Johor Ariff Johor sentenced him to five years’ jail an d fined him RM2,000.
Hafizah said Razali had committed eight similar offenc es since 1978, hence the long jail term , although this offence was not serious.

Source: The Star - Saturday, April 23, 2011

******

Singer Loses Money And Mobile Phones To Bogus Cops

A KOTAI (stage show) singer clad only in his underpants chased after two robbers in a hotel in Johor Baru, reported Nanyang Siang Pau.
Raymond Chen You Hua, 53, claimed that the two men had robbed him of a total of RM6,337, and two mobile phones from his room on the second floor of the hotel.
He said the two men, believed to be in their 30s, had earlier cornered him in the room when he was just clad in his underpants.
Chen said that after identifying themselves as policemen, they ransacked his belongings before fleeing from the room with his money and mobile phones.
He said he then gave chase but lost them on the first floor.
He told reporters during a press conference called by the Johor MCA and Gerakan on Thursday that he was dissatisfied by the lack of action by the hotel in resolving the robbery.
He said he had lodged a complaint with the hotel after the incident in October because he believed that the men had entered his room with a hotel key as there was no sign of forced entry.

Source: The Star - Saturday, January 29, 2011

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Bogus Cop Who Claimed To Be From Bukit Aman Detained 
Submitted by Adam

JOHOR BARU: Luck ran out on a bogus cop who has been collecting money by conning the public, when police arrested him last Friday, while trying to withdraw money that was banked him by his victim.
The 31-year-old, claiming to be from Bukit Aman, had duped a number of people in Kluang and collected money in the pretext of helping them.
Johor police chief Datuk Mohd Mokhtar Mohd Shariff, said the man was detained when withdrawing RM10,000 from a bank after initially requesting RM50,000, apparently claiming that the victim was involved in a 'black money' scam.
"The bogus cop had contacted the victim and claimed that the victim was involved in a black money syndicate in Hong Kong and to settle the matter, had requested RM50,000," he told reporters at the Johor police headquarters, here today.
Mohd Mokhtar said the victim had later banked in RM10,000 into the account of the bogus cop.
The suspect, believed to have cheated four other people, was arrested while trying to withdraw the money.

Source: Malay Mail - Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Towards Lesser Crime In JB

Crime in Johor Bahru have reach new highs in my personal view.Especially house break ins, snatch thieves and robberies. They, the criminals are now very bold and very well equipped. They commit crimes even at broad daylight!It is one thing to lose valuables but the emotional trauma? Wouldn't one fear for one's belongings, love ones or one's own well being?  I have known cases around me and myself included have fall victims of these crimes.But where does one go to next? How does one help to inform the right people to take steps to help prevent crime and not wait till its too late. People seem to turn away or brush off matters like these until it happens to someone close or some important person. It is truly very very sad.. Crime prevention is not political, its not racial. There is no monetary gains nor is it meant to gain popularity it is about (a)the community's welfare.There are poorly or not lighted back lanes, deserted or abandon houses there must be steps taken to monitor these areas or upgrade them.Patrols during the day, patrols into back lanes whether they are pitch dark or lighted. There is no blaming of anybody or departments or what have you. Its just making/taking steps to prevent crime. A very simple issue.I personally don't even know if writing in this blog will help me establish or get the message out to the right people but least I have tried.

This is a blog written by Rencetan on May 1 2009, in The Star daily.
 

The recent parang incident in Johor prompted me to blog again about crime in JB.
A gang of three armed robbers chopped off the left arm of 28-year old Wang Kai Yin, a car repairman in Kulai, Johor Bahru because they only managed to get RM300 cash and a mobile phone from the victim.
Out of anger, one of the three men on two motorcycles cut off his arm when told he had no more money after surrendering his wallet.

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Earlier, I had blogged about robbers in Taman Majidee using 19-year old Cheng Jun Wei as human shield when pursued by a security guard.
She suffered head injuries and subsequently passed away two days later.

A month later, a man allegedly lost more than RM5,000 to a snatch thief at a money changer shop in Taman Majidee.
To aggravate matter, he was shot twice at his waist during an argument with a security guard.

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In January last year, at The Store in Taman Sentosa JB, 31-year old Singaporean Ms Joanne Tan, was dragged about 10 metre for refusing to let go her handbag.
She was slashed on the left arm.
After two snatch thieves gave up on her, a car ran over her feet.

For readers information, all these place are less than ten-minute ride from where I stay.

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Last May, the police target to reduce Johor crime index by at least 30% in 2010, especially in the Iskandar area, JB South.
And in the first nine months of 2010, police crime index was down by 24.17% or 5,369 cases.

A year earlier, there were 22,211 cases which included property and violent crimes.
I sincerely hope that the 30% target had thus been achieved.

Two weeks before the announcement was made, even JB South OCPD Asst Comm Zainuddin Yaakob, home alone, had a dawn shock when he was tied up and robbed at knife point in his own house a year earlier.
The suspects, all believed to be Indonesians ransacked his home before fleeing.

Two weeks later, Huzaimah Yahya, wife of Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yasin political secretary,
Syahrin Md Jamaluddin, was tied up during robbery, car stolen, house ransacked, fridge, pots and pans raided in Kampung Sinaran Baru, Skudai around 2am.
This is the second break-in for them after two years.

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Then in September 2009, a 29-year old SBS 160 bus captain was robbed and slashed with a parang on his upper hands when 2 men in their 30s, posed as passengers, demanded his wallet containing RM260 and S$40 before fleeing.
He was treated in a hospital in JB and later transferred to National University Hospital in Singapore to undergo surgery and receiving treatment for the deep gash on his left wrist that cause bone fracture.

The men had initially wielded their weapon on a middle aged Chinese woman trying to rob her.
She then shouted for help which drew the bus captain's attention and stopped the bus while on its way to Malaysia Customs Checkpoint.
When the bus captain requested the two men to stop their doings, that was when the incident started.
The three passengers, however, were not injured.

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Although this parang incident on a Singapore boy happened way back in 2005, but the scar will be visible for a very long time.
The trauma and memory will stay for a very much longer time.

But I feel and sympathise greatly for this Kangkar Pulai family:

Burglars broke into a house in Kangkar Pulai here early Sunday and gang-raped a housewife after tying up her family.

The incident occurred at about 6am when the husband, who woke up to perform his prayers, discovered at least eight men inside his double-storey house.

The intruders, who had entered through an unlocked window at the back of the house, grabbed some knives from the kitchen and threatened the husband before waking up his wife and baby.

While the husband, in his 20s, was being bound, at least six of the robbers took the wife upstairs .

The woman, who is also in her 20s and studying at a local university, pleaded to them to release her. But they started beating her and threatened to kill. The robbers took turns to rape her.

The husband, who tried to put up a fight, was beaten up.

The robbers fled with some cash and electrical items while the husband rushed his wife to the hospital where a police report was lodged.

They not only had their house broken into, but the wife was gang raped too.

Can the traumatic experience be easily forgotten?
Their nerves be calmed?
How courageous may the couple be to overcome their trauma and fear?
How determined they may be, can they just move on with life?
Adjusting themselves, blending normally with society?
It's unnerving even to read the dreaded news...

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Today, glad to say, situation has indeed improve.

Prior to this, I am not exaggerating things up, but I had seen a person being kidnapped along Jalan Tebrau, house break-in in Kampung Melayu and several cases of pickpocketing at the old immigration and the current Kotaraya Bus Terminal.
Except for snatch theft at Taman Suria, all incidents happened in crowded areas in broad daylight.

Burglary, house-breaking and illegal trespassing used to be a common occurrence in my neighbourhood too.
When a house was entered into illegally and properties looted, it's no more a surprise news.

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My heavily pregnant neighbour on motorbike had her bag with RM800 and important documents inside, taken by biker next to her at a busy morning traffic stop at Tampoi. 
The husband was visibly shaken as he related his wife's nightmare.

She was to submit all documents relating to her maternity leave before being warded.
Still, they said, luck was with them as the incident happened when the traffic light was red.
If not, things can happen as that splashed aplenty in papers and prints.

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A friend in Kempas saw a lorry parked in-front of her Singaporean neighbour's house, unlock the gate, and never seen before men loading all furnitures onto the big vehicle.

Everything happened under her nose, she was watching them a along, knew no familiar faces.
Only after the lorry left, then she realised that her neighbour's house had been trespassed, looted off of all belongings.

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A friend who was shopping at Holiday Plaza with her family had their car driven away.
When CCTV was shown, they were surprised to see that barrier was lifted when it was supposed to be lifted with the ticket which they had in hand.

A senior parking attendant friend can just look when her boys go around with bottles and steel petrol from unsuspecting motorbikes they are supposed to look after at big shopping centres.
Although she pity the bike owners, what can she, alone, do against the boys.

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Two home alone grandmothers I used to visit in Kampung Melayu and Tiram were asked to open their gates.
The one in Kampung Melayu in her 80s, was twice had her house swiped out of handphones, laptops and other electronic valuables.

Luckily the one in Tiram, in her late 50s, asked the 'aggressive delivery man' to leave 'whatever parcel' he was to deliver, outside the gate as she had seen him riding his motorbike around the new housing estate few days earlier before the delivery incident.

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I was at a local hospital waiting for someone for his physiotherapy session when a man in his early 30s share his story.
He accidentally knocked at a closely parked car while reversing his, at a carpark in Pandan Wholesale Market.
He waited for the owner, apologising for the deed, but the owner brushed the incident off.

It was not far from the market when he was signalled to move aside.

Then, the car owner with his friend attacked him with parang at the busy roadside with workers returning home in early evening. 
He shielded his face with his arms and later found himself landed in hospital.

Beside both arms with deep wounds, all fingers on his left arm are very badly fractured fingers and needed support.
Hence, his daily therapy session.

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None of what I saw above, I read in prints and none of the heinous acts befell on others that were told by the victims themselves were ever reported.
Maybe, it will make the perpetrators become more braver and bolder?

There are many other incidents too, retold by relatives, neighbours and friends but it's not first hand experience for me to share.
Many online forumers share their bad experiences too.

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With very big money going to be spent and things are now looking promising, as what I saw and heard was all before 2010, I hope Syfc, A True Johorean, who poured his / her  heart in the Citizen Blog has finally decided to return home.

Though working and residing in singapore, my heart is still very much in JB as a true born johorean hailing from JB. In fact, i kept most of my savings in ringgit instead of singapore dollar for I aimed to returned to JB for good one day.

However, with the current crime rate in JB, it is astounding that much talk had been said but "visible" actions were as good as none. Though directive from PM is clear Ie. corruption free and serve the public, the "ground" level public servants aren't acting exactly as directed.

It is true that we see more police on bikes and cars patrolling the road but 99% of the time they are looking out for petty traffic offences or checking out individuals in decent family sedans instead of stopping over those illegally modified, darkly tinted cars with extremely loud and huge exhaust.

In that we do see police responding to directive from above to patrol the streets but the actions per se are not addressing the issue. It is like a child staring at a book for hours without reading and said he/she had studied. It serves no purpose.

I return to JB every weekend and I have defended JB very strongly infront of my singaporeans colleagues or friends that questioned the safety issues in JB. I often told them that if it is that unsafe, how come we Johoreans are still very much alive and kicking. But with the current crime rate, I do not think I am able to stay by JB defence anymore.

Lets face it, there are "industries" in JB that attracts the wrong people from elsewhere of the country relocating to JB. These "industries" are open secret to all, from selling of pirated dvds/vcds to ktvs to the flesh trade. These are illegal by law and also i believe illegal by islamic laws. So why are they flourishing in JB?

In KL, you see successful individuals either businessmen, professionals or corporate workers driving luxury cars like BMW etc. In JB, take a look around you and you will often notice a young man in early twenties, skinny with blonde streaks of hair, heavily tattooed, driving and owning a new BMW 5 series and suprisingly smoking in it with the cigarrette ash being thrown onto the floor board of the new BMW 5 series. Ever question how can these young man in their twenties afford such luxury? And the successful JB businessmen, professionals and/or corporate workers will most likely be spotted in a humble Japanese made cars for they fear being robbed (and sometimes life threatening) if they were to own and drive a BMW or Mercedez Benz.

What has become of JB? Is this current situation in JB congruent to the Southern Economic Region plan?

As a true Johorean at heart, I really wish JB will take off from the SER and be a worthy competitor to our neighbours who often have laughed off our "Malaysia Boleh" motto. I, for one, truely believes that "Kita memang Boleh"!

By syfc, 11-May-2007