28/03/2026

SATURDAY | MAR 28, 2026

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Sarawak forest fires worsen amid dry spell

Cybercrime cases rise in Malacca

MALACCA: Cybercrime here is on the rise, with 538 cases reported between Jan 1 and March 26, resulting in losses of RM8.59 million. State police chief Datuk Dzulkhairi Mukhtar said e-commerce fraud was the most common, with 212 cases causing RM1.65 million in losses, followed by online investment scams, which involved 103 cases and RM3.55 million in losses. “Online shopping scams often surge ahead of Hari Raya Aidilfitri as buyers pay for items that are never delivered. “Investment scams, including those perpetrated through platforms such as Telegram, remain a major source of financial loss, consistent with last year’s figures of 318 cases totalling RM31.4 million in losses,” he said during talk show Kokenut Shake Dulu: Polis dan Anda. The show was held in conjunction with the 219th Police Day celebration and attended by Commercial Crime Investigation Department chief Supt Eu Kee Leong. Dzulkhairi said non-existent loan scams ranked third among cybercrime cases, with 84 incidents causing RM719,980.73 in losses, followed by job offer scams, which involved 58 cases and RM643,855.66 in losses. Phone scams accounted for 46 cases, resulting in RM1.3 million in losses, while impersonation scams, in which perpetrators pose as friends to borrow money, recorded 24 cases with RM133,721 in losses. “Love and parcel scams accounted for 11 cases, causing RM602,010 in losses. Love scams often involve three to six months of interaction, during which perpetrators study victims’ vulnerabilities before defrauding them. “Victims come from all backgrounds and age groups. Fake investment scams usually target financially stable individuals or those from affluent families, while love scams tend to affect single mothers, singles or those experiencing loneliness.” In a separate update, 200 officers will be deployed to manage traffic and security in Ayer Keroh during the Melaka Sayang Rakyat Aidilfitri Open House at the Malacca International Trade Centre today. Dzulkhairi urged visitors to follow police instructions and drive responsibly to ensure smooth traffic flow. – Bernama PUTRAJAYA: The government and police have applied to the Federal Court for leave to appeal against a ruling that held them liable for the death of a gravedigger in police custody in 2019. Lawyer M. Visvanathan said case management has been fixed for Monday at the Federal Court. In the notice of motion, the government and police are seeking to challenge the Court of Appeal’s decision on Jan 26, which upheld the High Court’s ruling that held them liable for the death of Mohd Fadzrin Zaidi. Mohd Fadzrin was arrested by police during a drug raid on Nov 20, 2019 and remanded for seven days. He was held at the North Seberang Perai district police headquarters, where he was found hanging in his cell the following day. In 2022, the victim’s mother Fadhelah Othman filed a civil suit at the Georgetown High Court against police and the government over her son’s death. In May 2024, the High Court ruled in her favour, finding that police had been negligent in failing to prevent her 29-year-old son’s suicide while in custody, and that the government was vicariously liable. The court awarded Fadhelah RM147,600 in damages and RM50,000 in legal costs. The Court of Appeal later dismissed the government and police’s appeal to set aside the High Court’s decision, but reduced the damages to RM97,600. – Bernama Govt, police seek leave to appeal in negligence case

o Some areas far from main road, water sources hard to find in several locations, flames spreading fast: State department

In Tatau district, a wildfire is burning in eight hectares of forest land in the Kuala Tatau region. As of noon yesterday, firefighters were still battling the fires, but the hot temperature and dry conditions were making the task very difficult. What sparked these latest rounds of wildfires is still unclear, whether it was deliberate open burning or caused by the onset of the dry spell. The Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department said fire teams have been deployed to the fire sites since start of the week. “The firefighters are struggling to fight the flames as the fires are deep inside areas where there are no roads,” it said in press updates. “Some areas are very deep and far away from the main road. Water sources are also hard to find in several locations and the flames are spreading fast.” Northern Sarawak is especially notorious for annual fires and haze, with Miri district being one of the worst-hit areas.

Sarawak), Sibu district, Mukah district (both in central Sarawak), Betong district, Sri Aman district and Kuching district (all in southern Sarawak). These fires have been reported since the start of this week. Kuching recorded 11 cases of forest wildfires, Betong recorded eight, Sri Aman recorded five, Miri recorded the most with 59 cases, Sibu recorded 29, Bintulu recorded 24 and Mukah recorded 23. “Several of these fires are very big. There is one that is still raging in 16ha of forest land in Sibu district,” said the Sibu Fire and Rescue Department station in its ground report updates,” said the department. “So far, 16ha are estimated to be burning in forest land located near the Ngu Chung Beng Driving Institute area (located outside Sibu town). “We in the Sibu station have deployed at least 50 firefighters to the site to fight the flames. We are seeking the help of multiple agencies,” it added.

Ű BY JOSEPH PETER newsdesk@thesundaily.com

SIBU: Forest fires are getting worse by the day in Sarawak, with districts facing a surge in blazes in hotspots that can be viewed from satellites. The latest ground reports by the state Fire and Rescue Department from various locations showed that wildfire cases are surging in Miri-Kuala Baram district, Tatau district, Bintulu district (all in northern

Kuching recorded 11 cases of forest wildfires, Betong recorded eight, Sri Aman recorded five, Miri recorded the most with 59 cases, Sibu recorded 29, Bintulu recorded 24 and Mukah recorded 23. – P I C C OURTESY O F F IRE AND RES C UE DE P ARTMENT

Missing officer found dead at Brunei border PUTRAJAYA: A Survey and Mapping Department personnel who was reported missing while on duty at the Malaysia-Brunei border on March 17 has been found dead. Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Datuk Seri Arthur Joseph Kurup said the body of Donysius Gabriel Goh, 36, was found in a river on Thursday about 500m from the location where he was reported missing. Malaysia and Brunei. “His contributions and service will always be remembered by the nation. We hope his family will be given strength and resilience in facing this difficult time.” He expressed appreciation to the Brunei government for its close cooperation throughout the search and rescue operation. “Special appreciation is extended to the Brunei search and rescue team, the Brunei Land Forces, and the Gurkha regiment for providing additional personnel.”

international Malaysia-Brunei boundary survey operation with five colleagues. Arthur said support was also provided by the Brunei Air Force, which deployed a helicopter to retrieve the body, as well as by Brunei police and the Ripas Hospital in Bandar Seri Begawan for the forensic and post-mortem processes. “On behalf of the ministry and the department, I extend my deepest condolences to the deceased’s wife and his two children, aged 10 and 12.” He added that cooperation between the countries is now focused on identification and documentation processes before the body is brought back to Malaysia once all procedures in Brunei are completed. – Bernama

He said the deceased, who served as Miri Regional Topography Office general assistant H1 in Sarawak, had shown exceptional dedication and sacrifice in service to the nation while carrying out official duties involving the demarcation and measurement of the international land boundary between

Earlier, it was reported that a member of the Malaysian survey team had been reported missing after he is believed to have been swept away by strong currents while crossing a river in the Ulu Temburong area in Lawas during an