03/10/2026

SATURDAY | OCT 3, 2026

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Psychiatric assessment ordered for murder accused o Court seeks to

Sarawak GOF makes seizures worth RM84m

The charge, under Section 3 of the Kidnapping Act 1961, read with Section 34 of the Penal Code, carries a prison term of between 30 and 40 years and whipping. Tengku Arif Bongsu and married couple Nidarahayu and Raibafie also face an additional 19 charges involving more than RM250,000 under Section 4(1)(b) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001. – Bernama KUCHING: The Sarawak Brigade General Operations Force (GOF) carried out 29 successful raids across six operations from Sept 14 to 30, with seizures valued at an estimated RM84.42 million. Its commander SAC Datuk Lim Bak Phai said 41 people were arrested, comprising 30 locals and 11 foreigners. He said the cases involved various offences, including storing and selling cigarettes and liquor without Customs clearance, illegally trading subsidised fuel and smuggling controlled goods and frozen products. “Additionally, the operations involved the collection and processing of timber without a permit, immigration and drug offences, as well as the processing and sale of ketum water,” he said in a statement yesterday. He said Ops Taring Libas in Tatau, Kuching and Betong resulted in the seizure of logs, processing equipment, diesel, machinery and lorries worth RM76.83 million. “ Ops Taring Bravo in Sri Aman recorded the seizure of diesel, skid tanks, machinery and lorries worth RM3.79 million, while Ops Taring Batas/Awas at five locations involved immigration offences, drugs, subsidised fuel and smuggling, with seizures valued at RM2.18 million. “ Ops Taring Alpha at five locations involved the seizure of untaxed cigarettes and liquor worth RM1.46 million, while Ops Taring Chiller in Miri recorded the seizure of 2,826kg of frozen products worth RM158,995,”he said. Under Ops Taring Mitra, two local men were arrested for allegedly processing and selling ketum water. Officers seized 15kg of ketum leaves, 138 bottles of ketum water, equipment and RM1,042 in cash, with a total value of RM7,849. – Bernama Woman fatally struck on bridge KUALA TERENGGANU: A woman, believed to be mentally challenged, was killed after being hit by a car while lying in the middle of the road on the Sultan Mahmud Bridge here early yesterday. Kuala Terengganu district police chief ACP Azli Mohd Noor said police received a call from a member of the public at 2.15am about an accident involving a Proton Waja and a pedestrian. “Initial investigations found that the incident occurred when the driver, travelling from Gong Badak in Kuala Nerus towards Kampung Gong Sentul in Kuala Berang, hit a pedestrian who was lying in the middle of the road. “Due to the close distance, the driver was unable to avoid the pedestrian. Ainun Wahab, 39, died at the scene after suffering serious injuries to several parts of her body,” he said in a statement. – Bernama

determine whether woman fit to stand trial over killing of mother IPOH: The Magistrate’s Court yesterday ordered a woman charged with murdering her mother to undergo a psychiatric assessment. Magistrate Norizan Riduan made the order under Section 342(3) of the Criminal Procedure Code to obtain a report on whether Chew Loong Thye, 49, is fit to stand trial. Chew is alleged to have murdered her mother, Ching Lai Khieng, 70, at a house in Laluan Kledang Utara 6, Taman Wang, Menglembu, between 7.15pm and 7.30pm on Sept 27. She nodded after the charge was read to her in Cantonese. No plea was recorded as murder cases fall under the jurisdiction of the High Court, Bernama reported. Earlier, when Norizan asked whether she was taking psychiatric medication, Chew said she was unsure. The court set Nov 2 for mention

Chew being escorted by police at the court complex. – BERNAMAPIC

in her death. Ching, who was bedridden and needed around-the-clock care, had recently been discharged from a care home in Pusing. She had returned to the family home, where she was being cared for by Chew and her son-in-law.

been stabbed by her daughter. On Sept 28, Perak police chief Datuk Mohd Alwi Zainal Abidin said Ching had been found with a fatal stab wound to her chest. Police suspected that her daughter, who had a history of psychiatric treatment, was involved

and submission of the psychiatric report and related documents. DPP Ainin Sofiya Azlaini appeared for the prosecution, while Chew was unrepresented. The media previously reported that Ching had been found dead at the house and is believed to have

Health officer ordered to enter defence on sex charges PUTRAJAYA: The Court of Appeal has overturned a High Court ruling upholding the acquittal of a health officer on seven charges of having unnatural sex with a woman and ordered him to enter his defence. A three-member bench chaired by Datuk Noorin Badaruddin allowed a prosecution appeal against the Kota Bharu High Court decision on Dec 10, 2025, which upheld the acquittal of Mohd Faris Helmi Ab Rahim, 38, on all seven charges under Section 377B of the Penal Code. “The High Court’s order Sessions Court before another judge to enable the respondent to enter his defence in accordance with the law, and the case management date at the Pasir Mas Sessions Court is fixed for Oct 15, 2026,” said Noorin, who sat with Datuk Hayatul Akmal Abdul Aziz and Datuk Meor Hashimi Abdul Hamid on Thursday. On April 16, 2024, the Pasir Mas Sessions Court acquitted and discharged Mohd Faris Helmi after finding that the prosecution had failed to establish a prima facie case against him. station in Salor. The offences were allegedly committed between 5.30pm on July 29, 2019, and 1pm on Sept 18, 2021. Section 377B of the Penal Code carries a maximum prison term of 20 years and whipping. Noorin said the Sessions Court judge had erred in law by applying the standard of proof beyond reasonable doubt at the close of the prosecution case. the respondent’s defence. “We find that the High Court also failed to correct the error and instead upheld the Sessions Court’s decision. Therefore, there are proper grounds for this court to intervene in the decisions of both courts.” Noorin said the woman’s testimony was direct evidence concerning the acts at the centre of the charges and was not intrinsically incapable of belief.

“A witness’s credibility may be challenged, but that does not mean the evidence is intrinsically incapable of belief. “Whether the witness’s evidence ultimately withstands proper scrutiny at the conclusion of the entire case is a matter that should be decided after the respondent has been given an opportunity to answer the prosecution’s case.” – Bernama

“By treating the question of consent or lack of consent as an element that the prosecution was required to prove under Section 377B, the Sessions Court judge erred in finding that the evidence of the first prosecution witness (the victim) was insufficient at that stage, when the evidence was not intrinsically incapable of belief, and the matters raised against her were matters that should properly be tested through

The decision was subsequently upheld by the Kota Bharu High Court. According to the seven charges, Mohd Faris Helmi allegedly had unnatural sex with a 34-year-old woman who owned a bakery, in a car in front of a religious secondary school in Pasir Mas and at a petrol

upholding the decision of the Sessions Court is set aside. We find that a prima facie case has been established against the respondent (Mohd Faris Helmi) on the charges under Section 377B of the Penal Code. Therefore, the respondent is ordered to enter his defence. “The case is remitted to the

Arrest warrant issued for missing accused KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court has issued an arrest warrant for one of eight individuals charged with detaining a Palestinian man to obtain secret information about software used to hack mobile phones. court that efforts to find him at his home in an oil palm plantation area had been unsuccessful. The bailor said a police report had been lodged.

The trial, which began on July 7 last year, has heard eight prosecution witnesses and is scheduled to resume on Oct 12. According to the charge, the eight allegedly acted with common intention to detain the 31-year-old victim to obtain secret information on how to create and deactivate software used to hack mobile phones. The offence was allegedly committed at Jalan Mayang here at 10.40pm on Sept 28, 2022.

since January and the authorities are still trying to locate the accused,” she said. Mohd Arief Emran subsequently revoked Muhammad Iqmal’s RM50,000 bail. The seven other accused are Tengku Arif Bongsu Tengku Hamid, 45, Mohamad Naziree Mustapha, 45, Faizull Hardey Mohd Isa, 47, Mohd Zaidi Mohd Zain, 60, Nidarahayu Zainal, 40, Raibafie Amdan, 45, and Edy Ko’im Said, 46.

DPP Zailin Nadia Zubir said police had also been unable to locate Muhammad Iqmal since Sept 11. “The police went to Tanjung Sepat, Kuala Langat and interviewed the named individual’s (Muhammad Iqmal’s) father, but he said Muhammad Iqmal had not returned to the village

Judge Datuk Mohd Arief Emran Arifin issued the warrant after Muhammad Iqmal Abdul Rahis, 31, failed to attend case management proceedings yesterday. Asked about his absence, Muhammad Iqmal’s bailor told the