3/09/2025

WEDNESDAY | SEP 3, 2025 5 Probe into arms smuggling case HULU SELANGOR: The police will dispatch officers to Thailand to conduct a detailed investigation into the case of a Malaysian national arrested with rifles and ammunition in Sadao, Songkhla, last Saturday. Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Mohd Khalid Ismail said the male suspect remains in custody in Thailand and further investigations will be carried out in close cooperation with the neighbouring country’s authorities. “Based on initial information from the Kedah contingent police headquarters, the suspect was arrested with several rifles and rounds of ammunition while driving a vehicle bearing a Malaysian registration number. “Investigations are ongoing, including allegations that the weapons were intended to be smuggled into Malaysia. So far, only one individual has been arrested, but the probe will be expanded to determine the modus operandi and the organisation behind this activity,”he said after launching the Diploma in Policing and National Occupational Skills Standards programme at the Maktab Polis Diraja Malaysia in Kuala Kubu Bahru yesterday. On Monday, the media reported that a man was arrested with two M16 assault rifles and hundreds of rounds of ammunition, allegedly purchased in Thailand and intended to be smuggled into Malaysia. Mohd Khalid assured that security along the Malaysia-Thailand border remains under control. In another development, Mohd Khalid said security for national leaders, including Rulers and heads of state, is being strengthened following the incident in which a local woman attempted to attack the Sultan of Perak Sultan Nazrin Muizzudin Shah, on the main stage during the state-level National Day celebration last Sunday. “We will also increase participation in bodyguard training courses and incorporate elements of the Special Action Unit and commandos, so that the duties of officers working with the palace and state government can be further streamlined,” he said. Meanwhile, Khalid said the police have yet to receive an official report on the second post mortem of the late Syamsul Haris Shamsudin, a former cadet at the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia Reserve Officers’Training Unit. “Give police space to investigate properly and thoroughly. We will present the findings once the investigation is completed.” The second post-mortem was conducted last Saturday before he was reburied at the Kampung Rinching Hulu Muslim Cemetery in Semenyih the same day. – Bernama Five cops held over RM9,000 bribe GEORGE TOWN: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in Penang on Monday detained five police officers, including a senior officer, suspected of soliciting and accepting bribes of nearly RM9,000 in exchange for not taking action against the offence of stolen motorcycle possession. According to a source, the five male suspects, in their 20s to 40s, were arrested between 2pm and 5pm at the Penang MACC office here while giving their statements. “Preliminary investigations found that all suspects were believed to have conspired to commit the act last Friday in an operation conducted around Seberang Perai. “One of the suspects is believed to have requested and received cash bribes from the owner of a motorcycle workshop involved in the said operation,“ the source said. Penang MACC director Datuk S. Karunanithy, when contacted, confirmed the arrest and said the case is being investigated under Section 17(a) of the MACC Act 2009. He added that all the suspects were arrested 24 hours before being released on MACC bail. – Bernama

‘More than half of new HIV infections involve youths’

o While Malaysia shows declining trend, young people comprising individuals aged under 30 make up 54.2% of cases this year, says Health Ministry

(seven cases) linked to drug injection. The ministry said early screening and treatment remain essential to curb transmission. “Testing is available at government clinics for as low as RM1, with additional access through private clinics and HIV self-test kits launched via the TestNow portal in 2023. “We have also expanded services such as Differentiated HIV Services for Key Populations in 33 clinics, working with NGOs to improve outreach.” Awareness efforts have also been scaled up through partnerships with NGOs and campaigns like Prostar 2.0, which aims to strengthen youth resilience against HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia public health specialist Prof Dr Sharifa Ezat Wan Puteh said young people remain particularly vulnerable due to their social environment. “Exposure often begins in school, boarding institutions and through social mixing. The influence of the internet, peer experimentation and risky sexual behaviour are all contributing factors,” she said. She added that awareness remains weak, particularly among young men who engage in same sex. “Students should be made aware of the risks of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. They should also be offered non-obligatory screenings when they leave school or enter university. “Those identified as high-risk should have access to PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) to prevent full-blown infection,” she said. Sharifa also urged teachers and boarding school staff to be better informed about the potential of sexual activity and its risks, adding that prevention strategies should be openly communicated.

Ű BY FAIZ RUZMAN newsdesk@thesundaily.com

“Then it clicked. I was a victim of rape when I was about six or seven. I never told a single living soul because I didn’t even know it was rape. “That was the only sexual encounter I ever had, and it was non-consensual. I didn’t even know what it was.” Now on antiretroviral therapy, he describes his life as “mostly normal”, though he still experiences side effects such as dizziness. He said he remains grateful for the accessibility of treatment in Malaysia, where public healthcare provides specialist consultations and medication at highly subsidised rates. theSun also reached out to the Health Ministry to learn more about recent trends. According to the ministry’s HIV/Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI)/Hepatitis C Sector of the Disease Control Division, Malaysia recorded 1,377 new HIV cases between January and June 2025, down from 1,693 in the same period last year – a decline of 18.7%. However, youths remain disproportionately affected, with more than half the cases (54.2%) involving individuals aged 15 to 30. Sexual transmission continues to be the overwhelming mode of infection. Of youth cases reported in the first half of this year, 98.3% (733 cases) were transmitted through sexual contact, compared with fewer than 1%

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia continues to record a decline in overall HIV cases, but health officials warn that young people remain the most affected group, with more than half of new infections this year involving those under 30. A young Malaysian, who asked to remain anonymous, told theSun how persistent health problems led him to discover he was living with HIV. “I had constant diarrhoea and fatigue for months. At first, I thought it was food poisoning, but when the symptoms didn’t go away, I bought a self-test kit online. The result was positive,” he said. Initially in denial, he eventually sought treatment at a government clinic in Shah Alam. While the first consultation left him feeling uneasy, he said healthcare staff still offered the support he needed. “I was totally crushed, but I was encouraged to stay positive and start treatment. Having a genuine support system is crucial,” he added. He said the diagnosis left him puzzled as he had not been sexually active in recent years, nor was he an active drug user. Reflecting on his past, he later realised that a traumatic childhood experience he had never spoken about might have been the source of his infection.

From left: Anuar, Azman and Muhammad Suhail in court yesterday. – BERNAMAPIC

Three get one month’s jail, fined in worship ritual offence BATU PAHAT: Three men were sentenced to one month’s jail and fined RM2,000 by the Syariah Court here yesterday for their involvement in a worship ceremony linked to a video titled “Show Puja Jin Batu Pahat”, featuring a kuda kepang dance in Parit Raja last month. The video was widely shared on social media. pleaded guilty when the charge was read out again. The court also ordered that the three be jailed for 14 days if they fail to pay the fine and undergo six months of monitoring by the Johor State Islamic Religious Department after completing their sentences.

The section carries a maximum fine of RM3,000, imprisonment for up to two years or both. Mechanics Azman and Anuar were charged with abetting by playing the gendang under Section 43(b) of the same enactment, which provides for a punishment equivalent to that of the main offence. All three were charged with committing the offence between 10pm and 1am in an open area at a house on Jalan Pasar, Parit Raja, on Aug 10. – Bernama

According to the charge sheet, security guard Muhammad Suhail was accused of performing a worship ceremony under Section 3 of the Johor State Syariah Criminal Offences Enactment 1997.

Syariah Judge Syazwan Mohd Yusof handed down the sentence after the trio, Muhammad Suhail Suttrysono, 35; Azman Mohamed Seh, 45; and Anuar Bandi, 40,