21/08/2026

FRIDAY | AUG 21, 2026

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Immigration truck driver in city centre crash charged o Accusedclaims trialincaseinvolvingdeathsofthreepedestrians

Volunteer, housewife

charged with animal cruelty KLANG: A Klang City Council volunteer and a housewife pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court to separate charges of committing animal cruelty against a dog during a stray dog catching operation last month. Muhammad Shah Idham Nor Haikal Shaharom, 24, and S. Roghini Devi, 42, were alleged to have snared and dragged the dog, named Rocky, allegedly causing the animal pain last month. They entered their pleas after the charges were read out separately to them before Judge Mujib Saroji yesterday. According to the charge sheets, Muhammad Shah Idham is accused of unreasonably snaring the male dog using a loop, thereby causing it pain. Meanwhile, Roghini is accused of unreasonably dragging the same dog, also causing it pain. Both offences were allegedly committed in front of a house at Jalan Sama Gagah 20 in Taman Telok Gedung Indah, Port Klang between 11pm and 11.30pm on July 29. The charges were brought under Section 29 (1) (e) of the Animal Welfare Act 2015, punishable under Section 29 (1) of the same Act, which provides for a maximum fine of RM100,000, imprisonment for up to three years, or both. Earlier, the Selangor Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) prosecuting officer Mohd Sharif Sabran proposed bail of RM20,000 for each accused, with additional conditions that they surrender their passports to the court and report to the state DVS office. However, lawyer Muhammad Rafique Rashid Ali, representing Muhammad Shah Idham, and lawyer Jeremy Vinesh Anthony, representing Roghini, each requested bail of RM3,500, citing their clients’ full cooperation throughout the investigation. The court subsequently granted bail of RM6,000 with one surety for each accused and ordered them to report to the Selangor DVS office once a month. The court set Oct 8 for case mention. Meanwhile, at the Magistrate’s Court, Roghini pleaded not guilty to a charge of keeping a dog aged over three months without a valid licence from City Council. The offence was allegedly committed at the same location and time under Section 3 of the Dog Licensing and Dog Breeding Establishment (Klang Municipal Council) By-Laws 2007, which provides for a maximum fine of RM2,000, imprisonment for up to one year, or both. Magistrate A. Karthiyayini granted her bail of RM1,000 and set Oct 8 for mention. – Bernama Five held over Jalur Gemilang offences JOHOR BAHRU: Five individuals have been detained to assist investigations into three cases involving the upside-down display of the Jalur Gemilang in Johor. Johor deputy police chief Hoo Chuan Huat said the cases were reported in Kulai, Pelangi Indah and Iskandar Puteri. He added that those detained comprised two men aged 25 and 43 in Pelangi Indah, a 56-year-old man in Iskandar Puteri, and a 34 year-old man and 48-year-old woman in Kulai. “Investigations are still ongoing and once completed, the investigation papers will be referred to the Attorney General’s Chambers for further action,” he told a press conference yesterday. Hoo urged all parties to take responsibility by ensuring the national flag is displayed correctly. – Bernama

with the Immigration Department for 11 years, had no previous convictions and was not a flight risk. “The purpose of bail is to ensure the accused’s attendance in court, and he has not been found guilty. My client will cooperate fully and attend court until the case is concluded.” Aliaa then allowed Mohd Akbar bail of RM12,000 for each charge, with an additional condition that he report to a nearby police station once a month. His driving licence was also suspended until the case was concluded. The court set Oct 27 for mention for the submission of documents. Meanwhile, the Immigration Department has suspended the duties of Mohd Akbar. Its director-general Datuk Zakaria Shaaban said the action was taken to enable authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into the incident. “Our department’s immediate action is to suspend the driver’s duties until the case is resolved and to provide full cooperation to the police in the case. “(The department) is also conducting an internal investigation from the aspect of compliance with standard operating procedures.”

KUALA Immigration Department “Black Maria” vehicle driver was charged in the Magistrate’s Court with five offences, including dangerous driving that resulted in the deaths of a father and his two daughters on Wednesday. Mohd Akbar Zainol, 43, pleaded not guilty to all the charges, which were read out before Magistrate Aliaa Anwar yesterday, Bernama reported. For the first to third charges, the accused was alleged to have driven the vehicle dangerously, resulting in the deaths of Shaik Mohd Firdaus Shaikh Yahya, 53, and his two daughters Siti Norshazlin, 24, and Siti Darwisyah Auni, 12, on Jalan Sultan Ismail at 1am on Aug 19. The charges were framed under Section 41 (1) of the Road Transport Act 1987, which provides for imprisonment of between five and 10 years and a fine of between RM20,000 and RM50,000, as well as disqualification from holding or obtaining a driving licence for at least five years. For the fourth charge, Mohd Akbar was alleged to have driven the same vehicle without LUMPUR: An

due care and attention, resulting in injuries to Nor Hayati Rozali, 55, at the same location, time and date. The charge was framed under Section 43 (1) of the Road Transport Act 1987, which carries a fine of between RM5,000 and RM10,000, and a maximum jail term of 12 months. For the fifth charge, he was alleged to have failed to comply with a traffic signal by running a red light at the Jalan Sultan Ismail intersection at the same time and date. The charge was framed under Section 79 (2) of the same Act, which provides for a fine of between RM300 and RM2,000. DPP Syajaratudur Abd Rahman proposed bail of RM15,000 with one surety for each charge, with additional conditions that the accused report to a nearby police station every month and surrender his passport to the court until the case is concluded. Lawyer Izzat Amir Saharudin, representing Mohd Akbar, sought the minimum bail, saying his client had school-going children and was also responsible for his elderly mother. He added that the accused, who had served

Hoo (second from right) showing some the seized drugs at the Johor police headquarters. – BERNAMAPIC

Johor cops seize drugs worth RM7.93 million, nine arrested

JOHOR BAHRU: Police busted a drug trafficking syndicate and seized various types of drugs worth RM7.93 million and arrested nine individuals in three separate raids in the district on Aug 12. State deputy police chief Hoo Chuan Huat said the raid by the Narcotics Criminal Investigation Division of the Seri Alam IPD at 3.45pm saw the arrest of eight local men and one foreign woman aged between 35 and 65. He added that three men were arrested in the first raid at a house in Masai with the seizure of 39.8kg of methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), 4.91kg of ketamine, 3.85kg of erimin pills, 5,216g of syabu and 22.72kg of ecstasy.

vape cartridge processor. He added that the syndicate is believed to have been active since January and used houses in the gated area as stores before distributing them to the local market. He also said initial urine screening tests found that all individuals tested positive for methamphetamine, while six of them had previous drug-related records. All the individuals, who were remanded for seven days from Aug 13 until Wednesday, had their remand extended from yesterday until Aug 25 to assist in investigations under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952. – Bernama

“Four men were arrested in the second raid at a raft house in Masai with 572g of ecstasy,” he said at a press conference yesterday. He also said a third raid in Ulu Tiram saw the arrest of a foreign man and woman along with 230 syabu cartridges, 1.149kg of ecstasy powder, 358g of syabu , 1.925kg of erimin 5 pills and 24 bottles of ketamine liquid. Also seized in the operation were five cars, two speedboats and RM11,320 in cash. Hoo said all the suspects had their own roles including mastermind, runner, assistant, store keeper, drug juice provider, boat mechanic, raft keeper, and ecstasy pill and