17/04/2026

FRIDAY | APR 17, 2026 5 Police bust migrant smuggling ring IPOH: Police have crippled a syndicate involved in smuggling undocumented Indonesian migrants, with 40 individuals detained in raids conducted from Jalan Besar Segari to Batu Hilal near Segari on April 4. Manjung police chief ACP Hasbullah Abd Rahman said the operation followed intelligence gathering and public tip-offs on suspicious movements in the area. “Those detained comprised 40 Indonesians and a local woman believed to have acted as a transporter, bringing in and moving undocumented migrants to designated locations. “The case is being investigated under Sections 26A and 26J of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007, as well as Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63,” he said in a statement. Hasbullah said police later intensified follow up operations to curb migrant entry through illegal routes, particularly along coastal areas. In an operation at 2.30am on Wednesday, carried out with the Kampung Acheh Marine Police, 10 more Indonesians were detained in Kampung Sungai Lombong near Lekir for failing to produce valid identification documents. “On the same day, another seven Indonesians were detained at a separate location, bringing the total arrests in the follow-up operations to 17,” he said. – Bernama Man held over alleged puppy abuse SHAH ALAM: Police have arrested a local man suspected of animal cruelty after allegedly submerging a puppy in a water tank at Section 32. Shah Alam district police chief ACP Ramsay Embol said the suspect, believed to be in his 20s, was detained at a construction site at 3.40pm after police received a report from the public who had seen a video of the incident circulating on TikTok at 2.14am the same day. “During the arrest, three dogs were also seized from the suspect with the assistance of the Selangor Department of Veterinary Services for further action. “The case is being investigated under Section 29 of the Animal Welfare Act 2015 and Section 428 of the Penal Code,” he said in a statement. Ramsay said those with information can contact the investigating officer Insp Laymand Rayne at 014-6907071. It was not immediately known whether the puppy had died. Earlier, a 22-second video widely shared online showed a man behaving violently by submerging a puppy in a tank filled with water. – Bernama KUCHING: A 64-year-old man in Miri has lost more than RM1.17 million after falling victim to a scam conducted via social media platforms. Miri police chief ACP Mohd Farhan Lee Abdullah said the victim initially received a message on TikTok before continuing communication through WhatsApp. Initial investigations found that the suspect posed as a foreign national, using photos of other individuals and edited personal documents to gain the victim’s trust. “The suspect claimed to be managing an approved exploration project but said he was facing issues with his bank account being blocked or hacked. “He then requested financial assistance from the victim for down payments and project-related costs, promising to repay the money in US dollars,” he said in a statement. Mohd Farhan said the victim, swayed by the suspect’s assurances, made 59 transactions to nine different third-party bank accounts, amounting to RM1,173,700. – Bernama Senior citizen loses over RM1m in scam

‘Death penalty unlikely for fatal drink-driving cases’

o Legal framework, lack of intent and recent reforms make capital punishment difficult to apply, says former S’gor Bar president

impose capital punishment, which current laws do not provide for. She said the biggest legal obstacle remains the issue of intent as murder under Section 302 of the Penal Code requires proof of mens rea (criminal intent). She highlighted that drink-driving-related deaths generally arise from recklessness or negligence rather than a clear intention to kill. “In our opinion, intoxication is usually not enough because the prosecution has to prove that the accused has the intention to kill or knew it was virtually certain that his or her act can cause death. “This is hard to prove because generally, the person under the influence of alcohol is not aware of their conduct, which clearly shows no intention to kill,” she said. Kokila added that a more practical reform would be to strengthen compensation for victims’ families within criminal proceedings. She noted that Section 426(1A) of the Criminal Procedure Code allows the court to order compensation to a victim, while Section 426(1B) allows payment to a representative where the victim is deceased. Strengthening this route would be more workable than requiring families to pursue separate civil action.

Penalty Act 2023 reflects a significant shift towards limiting the use of capital punishment and restoring judicial discretion to consider mitigating and aggravating factors. “From a human rights perspective, there is also no clear evidence that the death penalty serves as an effective deterrent, and the justice system should focus more on rehabilitation where it is appropriate. “This shows that the principle of proportionality remains relevant, where the punishment must

Ű BY FAIZ RUZMAN newsdesk@thesundaily.com

correspond to the harm caused and the offender’s level of culpability,” she told theSun . Kokila said the position is reinforced by the statutory framework as drink-driving causing death is dealt with under the Road Transport Act 1987 rather than as a capital offence. She added that Article 5(1) of the

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia’s legal constraints in classifying fatal drink driving offences make the death penalty an unlikely option in such cases, said former Selangor Bar president Kokila Vaani Vadiveloo (pic). She said the country’s recent legal

Federal Constitution protects the right to life and personal liberty although the protection is not absolute, where punishment is expressly provided by law. This means Parliament would first have to classify fatal drink-driving as an offence punishable by death before the courts could

direction has moved towards limiting the use of capital punishment and restoring judicial discretion. This makes any move to extend the death penalty to fatal driving under the influence cases difficult both in principle and in law. “The Abolition of Mandatory Death

Kokila said drink-driving-related deaths generally arise from recklessness or negligence rather than a clear intention to kill. – BERNAMAPIC

Perak records 4,800 scam cases involving RM124m IPOH: A total of 4,848 online fraud cases involving losses amounting to RM124.99 million were recorded in Perak last year, with a worrying rise in cases among students, the State Assembly was told yesterday. serious issue of online fraud. Mohd Azlan said the most common scams include telecommunications fraud, such as fake calls and phishing, followed by non-existent investment schemes, e-commerce scams, love scams and increasingly sophisticated fraud involving artificial intelligence. government is focusing on strengthening digital literacy, leveraging artificial intelligence and data analytics for early detection, and enhancing legal frameworks to enable stricter action against scam syndicates and mule account holders.

He added that efforts are also being intensified to strengthen the country’s financial security ecosystem through cross-agency collaboration, while targeted prevention programmes are being developed to better protect high-risk groups such as senior citizens, pensioners and students. “Emphasis is placed on digital literacy education, the use of AI technology and data analysis for early detection, as well as strengthening laws, including strict action against syndicates and mule account holders. “The financial security ecosystem is also strengthened through cooperation between relevant agencies.”– Bernama

State Communications, Multimedia and NGO Committee chairman Mohd Azlan Helmi said data from the police showed online scams affected individuals across all segments of society in 2025, regardless of age, occupation or background, including students, civil servants, retirees and private sector workers. “It was also found that male and female victims are almost evenly split. While senior citizens remain the most vulnerable group, recent trends indicate a growing number of cases involving students,” he said. He was replying to Wong May Ing (PH–Pantai Remis) on the state government’s short- and long-term strategies to address the increasingly

He added that alongside initiatives by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission, the Safe Internet Campaign has been implemented in 906 schools across Perak over the past year, involving both primary and secondary students. “For 2026, the programme will be expanded to village, mukim and district levels to ensure that internet safety awareness, including fraud prevention and digital crime, reaches all segments of society in a more accessible and effective manner.” On long-term measures, Mohd Azlan said the