07/05/2025

WEDNESDAY | MAY 7, 2025

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Husband among persons probed in Datin Seri abduction

Alor Setar airport runway closed after RMAF aircraft incident ALOR SETAR: The Sultan Abdul Halim Airport runway was closed yesterday evening due to an aircraft-related incident at 5 pm. In a statement, Malaysia Airports said the closure of the runway was to facilitate the removal of a Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) aircraft and the subsequent runway clearing works. As at press time, a Notice to Airmen was issued and the runway closure was expected to continue until 10.30pm, reported Bernama. There was also no elaboration or details on the incident. “During the closure, all flight operations at AOR will be affected,“ said the statement. “Passengers including those travelling (to KLIA) for Haj are advised to check with their respective airlines or Lembaga Tabung Haji for the latest flight information,” it added. The authorities were waiting for the runway to be declared safe and open for flight operations by the Civil Aviation Authority Malaysia before the airport would provide further updates.

o Investigation still ongoing including on claims actual police officers involved, motive yet to be established, says IGP

Anti-Corruption

Commission

(MACC) Anti-Money Laundering Act probe allegedly involving her husband, who is said to be a Sarawakian businessman. “Based on the IGP’s statement it appears that they (the police) perhaps realised that in the absence of a ransom demand, he (the victim’s husband) would be the one to benefit from her disappearance in view of the ongoing and lengthy court battles in Singapore and Malaysia involving substantial assets,” he said. Sivanathan, who was scheduled to meet her at the MACC headquarters and lodged the initial police report on her disappearance, said the Grab driver ferrying Ling reported that the vehicle was stopped by three cars, from which a man wearing a police vest and a woman dressed as a police officer emerged. Ling went missing at 3.02pm on April 9. Three vehicles reportedly blocked the car she was in, forcing her to step out. She was then seen getting into one of the three cars. Ling has not been seen or heard from since. in an

Ű BY IKHWAN ZULKAFLEE newsdesk@thesundaily.com

decide,” he said. “The representation was filed in July 2023, but we have yet to receive any response from AGC. We are requesting the court to make a decision, as this matter has been delayed for two years. “We are requesting that the case be dropped. If the prosecution wishes to recharge it at a later date, that is their right.” Shafee said it is not in the best interest of justice for Najib’s case to remain unresolved for an extended period. Najib was absent from court yesterday as his presence was exempted. Mohd Ashrof told the court that he had no further directions pertaining to Shafee’s DNAA application and thus left the decision to the court. After considering the arguments from both sides, Muniandy told Shafee that the AGC should be granted one final opportunity to assess Najib’s representation. He approved Mohd Ashrof’s request for a one-month extension and scheduled June 11 for the AGC to announce its decision regarding the representation. He also ordered Mohd Ashrof to be prepared with his submissions concerning Shafee’s DNAA application. On Feb 3, 2019, Najib claimed trial to three charges of money laundering involving RM27 million in illegal proceeds, allegedly received through his three AmPrivate Banking accounts at AmIslamic Bank Berhad at the AmBank Group Building in Jalan Raja Chulan. – Bernama He also investigating claims that Ling’s abductors are actual police officers. “The probe is looking into the CCTV footage acquired and witness statements recorded,” he said, adding that to date, at least 16 individuals have had their statements recorded. Razarudin said this includes a statement that was initially recorded from the victim’s husband. “Our investigators will also record statements from the victim’s children,” he said, adding that the motive behind the kidnapping has yet to be established. When asked about the CCTV footage, he said he would be chairing a meeting with the special task force to receive the latest updates on the case. “If any of those involved are found to be errant personnel, we will not tolerate it,” he said. said police are

KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court here was told yesterday that the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) has yet to decide on Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak’s representation to drop three additional money laundering charges involving RM27 million from SRC International Sdn Bhd funds. During case management proceedings, deputy public prosecutor Mohd Ashrof Adrin Kamarul informed Judge K. Muniandy that the representation is still pending and requested a one-month extension to update the court on its outcome. Meanwhile, Najib’s lead counsel, Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, asked the judge to grant a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) for his client, noting that the representation had been filed nearly two years ago. Shafee said the former 72-year-old Pekan MP’s representation has not changed in terms of facts and they have yet to receive any reply from the AGC since 2023. “May I ask formally, Yang Arif , because I think it would probably assist the AGC to decide one way or the other. If Yang Arif were to grant a DNAA on this matter, because it has been two years and it is sitting in Yang Arif’ s docket for too long. “I think this is the best way to deal with the matter (DNAA). It takes pressure from everyone, and a decision can be made at their own comfort. “We are only asking for a DNAA because if they want to reignite the case, they can always do that and there is no pressure on them to PETALING JAYA: The husband of Datin Seri Pamela Ling ( pic ) is one of the individuals being investigated in her kidnapping, said Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain. The nation’s top cop, however, said investigations are still ongoing and several other individuals are still being considered as suspects. “Following the victim’s disappearance, I ordered the formation of a special task force involving elements from the Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department and the Kuala Lumpur police,” Razarudin said at Bukit Aman yesterday. He added that the case is being investigated under Section 363 of the Penal Code for kidnapping.

On whether the victim was still believed to be in the country, nearly a month after her disappearance, Razarudin said they did not want to jump to conclusions given the current circumstances. “We believe the victim’s husband is still in Malaysia,” he said. Ling’s lawyer Datuk N. Sivananthan told theSun that Ling was only in the country to get her statement recorded by the Malaysian

AGC yet to decide on Najib’s SRC representation

Prostitution ring involving foreign women busted PUTRAJAYA: The Immigration Immigration personnel with foreigners rounded up during a raid at a massage parlour in Jalan Bukit Bintang yesterday. – BERNAMAPIC

the premises. “Also

“Customers pay between RM250 and RM1,200 per session, with payment transactions conducted either in cash or online,” he said in a statement. He added that the operation began at 7.15pm on Sunday, involving a team of personnel from the intelligence and special operations division of the Immigration Department headquarters in Putrajaya. Acting on public information and intelligence gathered over two weeks, the team was deployed to stake out business and residential premises and successfully apprehended two Malaysian men believed to be caretakers of

detained two Vietnamese men, seven Vietnamese women, four Indonesian women and one Laotian woman,” he said. Ismail said initial checks found that one Vietnamese woman and one Laotian woman possessed valid social visit passes; two Vietnamese men had overstayed, while the other foreign nationals did not possess any valid travel documents or passes for staying in the country. He added that the team also seized 19 mobile phones, five Vietnamese passports, one Laotian passport, a work record book and a business transaction ledger. – Bernama were

Department detained 16 people, including two local men, in a special operation at two separate locations, as part of a crackdown on prostitution involving foreign women. Immigration deputy director general (management) Ismail Mokhtar said all the individuals, aged between 19 and 61, were detained around Pandan Perdana in Kuala Lumpur and Seri Kembangan in Selangor. “The modus operandi used involved offering prostitution services by foreign women by advertising their services on social media to attract customers.