16/07/2026

THURSDAY | JULY 16, 2026

5 Cops seek Interpol Red Notice for fugitive

o Authorities stepping up efforts to find activist Tamim Dahri over religious provocation case

onwards to Saudi Arabia via Bangkok. However, prosecutors said they had yet to confirm whether he entered Saudi Arabia on a tourist visa or an umrah visa. Tamim is facing a charge under Section 295 of the Penal Code over the alleged desecration of a soolam – a sacred symbol of the Hindu faith – at the site of a former temple in Langkawi. The activist claimed he mistook the object for a piece of rusted metal and was unaware of its significance. The incident sparked outrage among Malaysia’s Hindu community.

current status of efforts to locate and detain the activist. The case dates back to March 17, when the Langkawi magistrate’s court postponed proceedings against Tamim after being informed he had been traced to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The matter was adjourned to May 17, and when he again failed to show up, the court issued a warrant of arrest against him on that date. During the earlier proceedings, the prosecution said Tamim was believed to have crossed into Thailand via the Bukit Kayu Hitam border on March 9, before travelling

He added that checks with the Immigration Department confirmed the activist remains outside the country. “To trace and bring back the suspect to Malaysia, police applied for the cancellation of his passport before submitting a Red Notice application to Interpol on June 8, 2026,” Saifuddin said in a written parliamentary reply, adding that police have also blacklisted Tamim following the arrest warrant issued against him. He was responding to a question from Jelutong MP RSN Rayer on the

Ű BY THESUN TEAM newsdesk@thesundaily.com

to locate him and bring him back to Malaysia to face a religious provocation case. Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the Red Notice application was lodged on June 8, following an earlier move by police to have Tamim’s passport cancelled as part of the wider effort to track him down.

PETALING JAYA: have submitted an application to the International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) for a Red Notice against activist Tamim Dahri Abdul Razak, who is believed to be overseas, as authorities step up efforts Police

Court adjourns hearing over custodial death appeal PUTRAJAYA: The Federal Court adjourned the hearing for a bid by the government and police to appeal a ruling that holds them liable for the custodial death of a gravedigger in 2019. In their application, the government and the police proposed two questions of law for the Federal Court to consider. Mohd Fadzrin was arrested by police during a drug raid on Nov 20, 2019 and remanded for seven days. of RM147,600 and RM50,000 in legal costs. The Court of Appeal dismissed the government and police’s appeal to set aside the High Court’s decision which held them liable for Mohd Fadzrin’s death but reduced the damages to RM97,600.

Probe on student for faking own abduction ALOR SETAR: A 14-year-old student who claimed he had been abducted by two strangers in Kuala Nerang actually fabricated the story to cover up the embarrassment of mistakenly entering the girls’ toilet at his school, police said. Kedah police chief Datuk Adzli Abu Shah said investigations found the boy had lodged a false police report after panicking over the incident, which happened on Sunday. News of his alleged abduction was circulated on social media the following day. “The boy initially claimed that two men had confronted him at a bus stop at about 5.50pm on Sunday, blindfolded and bound him before taking him away in a vehicle. He alleged that his abductors later abandoned him by the roadside,” Adzli Abu told a press conference at the Kedah police headquarters on Tuesday. He said police found the boy in Kota Putra and took him to the police station to lodge a report. However, investigations revealed that after school, the boy had accidentally entered the girls’ toilet near the surau . When he came out, he encountered a female student and fled in panic after being chased by several girls. Feeling embarrassed and distressed, he hitched rides on two motorcycles to different locations before he was found by police. The case is being investigated under Section 182 of the Penal Code for lodging a false police report. – Bernama 100 boxes of illicit liquor seized, two arrested KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 100 boxes of suspected untaxed liquor were seized and two men, including an Indian national, were detained during the Ops Taring Alpha 2 Intra/Inter raid on Jalan Berai, Klang in Selangor. Police General Operations Force (GOF) Battalion 4 commanding officer Supt Amanjit Singh said in the 1pm raid on Tuesday both suspects were arrested while transferring boxes from a lorry into a car under suspicious circumstances. “Upon checking the two vehicles, we found 100 boxes of liquor on which customs duty had not been paid. The total seizure, which includes the lorry, the car and a mobile phone, is estimated at RM409,800.” He added that the raid was carried out by personnel from the Intelligence Branch of GOF Battalion 4 in Semenyih, with cooperation from the Criminal Investigation Division and the Crime Prevention Patrol Unit of the South Klang District Police Headquarters. The suspects and all seized items were taken to the South Klang Selatan District Police Headquarters for further investigations under Customs Act 1967, Immigration Act 1959/63 and the Road Transport Act 1987. – Bernama

The application was scheduled to be heard on Tuesday by a three-member bench comprising Justices Datuk Rhodzariah Bujang, Datuk Che Mohd Ruzima Ghazali and Datuk Azmi Ariffin. However, the proceedings were adjourned after the panel proposed that the case be heard together with another matter involving a death by suicide in detention, as both cases involve similar questions of law. The court fixed July 21 for further case management. In the notice of motion, the government and the police sought leave to appeal against 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.

The court upheld the award of the damages of RM57,600 for loss of dependency, RM30,000 for pain and suffering and RM10,000 in special damages but set aside the RM50,000 in aggravated damages previously awarded by the High Court. The Court of Appeal also dismissed a cross appeal by Fadhelah seeking an increase in aggravated and dependency damages. At the Tuesday proceedings, Senior Federal Counsel Zureen Elina Mohd Dom and Nur Ezdiani Roleb acted for the government and police while lawyers M. Visvanathan, V. Sanjay Nathan and Pushan Qin Nathan represented Fadhelah. – Bernama

He was placed in a lockup at the North Seberang Perai district police headquarters, where he was found hanging in his cell in the early hours of the following day. In 2022, Mohd Fadzrin’s mother Fadhelah Othman filed a suit at the George Town High Court against the police and the government over her son’s death. In May 2024, the High Court allowed her lawsuit, ruling that the police were negligent in failing to prevent Mohd Fadzrin, 29, from committing suicide while in custody, and the government was vicariously liable for negligence. The High Court awarded Fadhelah damages

Syed Ahmad (third from left) listens to a briefing from Pahang National Anti-Drug Agency director Tuan Aman Mustapha (fourth from left) at the Temerloh R&R. – BERNAMAPIC

RTD acts on commercial drivers over drug abuse TEMERLOH: Ten of the 351 commercial vehicle drivers screened by the Pahang Road Transport Department (RTD) during its Integrated Anti-Drug Operation at 10 strategic locations across the state since July 1 have tested positive for drugs. highway concessionaires and the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry. “So far, the 10 drug positive cases detected involved heavy vehicle drivers aged between 29 and 55.

well as one at the Maran enforcement station. Syed Ahmad said most of the drug abuse cases involved methamphetamine and the main factor in taking it was suspected to be to boost energy levels and maintain focus while driving. “The findings prove the need for continuous enforcement operations to ensure that only drivers who are qualified, possess integrity and are free from drug abuse are allowed to operate commercial vehicles on public roads.” He said checks also revealed that one of the drivers who tested positive for drugs had a record of 42 RTD summonses. – Bernama

“Action against them was taken according to the jurisdiction of National Anti-Drugs Agency, while RTD has suspended their Goods Driving Licences pending investigations before further action is taken under the relevant laws,” he told reporters on Tuesday. He also said of the 10 operation locations, five cases were detected at the Temerloh R&R, with two each at the Benta enforcement station and Paloh Hinai enforcement station as

Pahang RTD director Syed Ahmad Khirulanwar Alyahya Syed Abdul Rahman said the operation, now into its 14th day, focused on drivers of commercial, public service and tourism vehicles. He added that it was carried out in collaboration with the National Anti-Drugs Agency, police, Land Public Transport Agency, Computerised Vehicle Inspection Centres,