01/08/2025

FRIDAY | AUG 1, 2025 5 Drug conviction on self-employed man upheld PUTRAJAYA: The Federal Court upheld a 30-year prison sentence and 12 strokes of the cane imposed on a self-employed man convicted of trafficking 755g of methamphetamine. A three-member bench comprising judges Datuk Nordin Hassan, Datuk Hanipah Farikullah and Datuk Lee Swee Seng dismissed Loh Fung Nian’s final appeal against his conviction and sentence. Nordin, who chaired the bench, held that the issues raised by the defence were insufficient to overturn the prosecution’s case, which had been proved beyond a reasonable doubt. “We find the conviction is safe. The conviction and sentence are upheld,”he said on Wednesday. Loh, 36, was initially sentenced to death by the High Court in Shah Alam on Nov 21, 2021, after he was found guilty of trafficking the drugs. The offence was committed at the international departure area of the Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (KLIA2) in Sepang, Selangor at 12.27pm on May 15, 2019. On May 2, 2024, the Court of Appeal dismissed Loh’s appeal against his conviction but allowed his appeal to commute his death sentence to a 30-year imprisonment term with 12 strokes of the cane. His sentence took effect from the date of his arrest on May 15, 2019. According to the facts of the case, on the day of the incident, a body search by a policeman on duty in front of the Gate Q departure lounge in KLIA2 found a bulge on both of Loh’s thighs, prompting the authorities to escort him to a room for further inspection. There, he was asked to remove his trousers, revealing plastic packets secured to his inner thighs with adhesive tape, along with an additional packet hidden in his underwear. The packets contained crystalline substances suspected to be methamphetamine. He was subsequently arrested. Loh, in his defence, said he was an innocent carrier with no knowledge of the drugs. He said he had befriended a man named Jeff, who invited him to seek work in South Korea. Jeff allegedly introduced him to an agent named Kent, who offered them factory jobs. Loh claimed that Kent and another unidentified man later asked him to deliver packages to another agent, assuring him that the contents were not illegal. He was told to hide the items to avoid paying taxes. – Bernama Immigration Dept raids spa, 22 arrested KUALA LUMPUR: The Kuala Lumpur branch of the Immigration Department raided a massage parlour and uncovered prostitution activities. The raid was carried out on a spa at Jalan Sultan Ismail in Bukit Bintang at about 4.45pm on Wednesday based on public complaints. Director-general Wan Mohammed Saupee Wan Yusoff said during the raid, a total of 22 individuals were arrested, comprising 15 foreign women, five foreign men and two local men. He said all the women arrested were believed to be working as sex workers, including six Indonesian women, five Vietnamese women, two Bangladeshi women, one Mongolian and one Chinese woman. “This premises offers sex and body massage packages or sex services at an estimated price of about RM250 to RM450.” He added that the two locals, who were acting as guards, were arrested under Section 56(1)(d) of the Immigration Act 1959/63 for protecting, hiring or employing illegal immigrants. All foreigners, including men believed to be employees or customers at the premises, were detained under Regulation 39(b) of the Immigration Regulations 1963 for violating the conditions of passes or permits issued under the Immigration Act 1959/63. – Bernama

‘Water bombing’ measure deployed to fight wildfires

o Sarawak on red alert for widespread haze and water shortage as drought situation worsens

Kota Samarahan in southern Sarawak are battling a landfill blaze and teams in Serian district are fighting another fire in Kampung Danau. Sarawak State Disaster Management Committee chairman Datuk Amar Dougglas Uggah said the state is on red alert for wildfires and haze, as well as water shortages in numerous interior districts caused by worsening drought. On Wednesday, Bakelalan state assemblyman Baru Bian confirmed that thousands of people living in eight localities in his constituency along the Sarawak Kalimantan border had run out of drinking water due to weeks of drought. Bian is liaising with state government authorities to arrange emergency water supply delivery for his remote constituency. Bakelalan constituency, which stretches from the Lawas district to the Kalimantan border, has a total population of about 50,000 people.

Environment Board said the Air Pollutant Index (API) reading in Mukah hit the 160 unhealthy mark yesterday morning, with the district enveloped in haze. “The Mukah population have been advised to stop outdoor activities and use face masks at all times,” the board said, adding that firefighters have been deployed and are using aerial tactics to contain the wildfires. The Fire and Rescue Department said it has deployed helicopters with water bombing capabilities to douse the Mukah fire. “Our helicopters can carry out up to 15 aerial sorties. However, the fire is spreading closer to the Mukah Airport runway and into the Universiti Teknologi Mara Mukah campus, threatening the people there. “Aerial water bombings are in full swing and our ground teams are trying to use total flooding methods.” The Marudi district is also seeing an inferno raging in plantations, firefighters in

Ű BY JOSEPH PETER newsdesk@thesundaily.com

MUKAH: Wildfires raging in plantations and jungles in Mukah, Sarawak surged beyond 110ha in size as of yesterday morning. Aerial water bombing by the Fire and Rescue Department Air Wing Unit was carried out and reduced hotspots to 75ha at noon. Ashes from the blaze are causing widespread air pollution. The Sarawak Natural Resources and

A council member sorting through piles of trash discovered at the premises. – CHANDRA SAGARAN/THESUN

Ipoh City Council clears out ‘hoarder house’

Ű BY P. CHANDRA SAGARAN newsdesk@thesundaily.com

The council used three lorries to remove the items and transport collected trash to a landfill site. The occupant had failed to heed the Notice to Stop Disturbance under Section 82 of the Local Government Act 1976. “Hoarding could cause distress to neighbourhood, an unpleasant smell and sight, health risks and pest infestations. “Residents should refrain from conducting such activities.”

In a press statement, the council said initially the male occupant of the house, 69, turned aggressive towards the team, but things cooled down when police intervened. “We learned that the house belonged to the man’s younger brother. The senior citizen stays alone. “We also issued a compound of RM500 to the senior citizen for hoarding recyclable items and rubbish.”

IPOH: The Ipoh City Council “visited” a house at Kampung Baru Pasir Pinji to clear hoarded items following complaints from residents in the area. The operation, which started at 8.30am on Wednesday, was lead by Pasir Pinji councillor Lim Chee Aun with a team of 24 council officers and staff, as well as four police personnel.

Police joint operations uproot ketum activities BATU GAJAH: Fifty ketum trees and four huts believed to be used for processing ketum juice were destroyed during an operation at two separate locations. place at Batu 1, Jalan Tanjung Tualang in Batu Gajah and Kampung Nalla in Tronoh.

“This enforcement is aimed at destroying ketum trees located on government-owned land,” he said in a statement. “Police urge the public to provide information related to ketum abuse by contacting the Batu Gajah district police headquarters at 05-3629 2222.” – Bernama

“The police, with assistance from the Kinta District and Land Office and the Ipoh Land and Mines Office, took enforcement action under Section 425 of the National Land Code (Act 828) for the illegal cultivation of ketum trees.

Batu Gajah police chief ACP Md Noor Aehawan Mohammad said the joint operation, held from 7.30am to 1pm on Wednesday, took