Friday, May 11, 2007

Saved by break in routine

KUALA LUMPUR: P. Saravathy is lucky to be alive today and it's all thanks to a slight change in routine.

The 70-year-old retired teach said she usually reads the newspaper in her living room every morning until 11am when she starts preparing lunch.

Yesterday, however, she went straight to the kitchen, only to rush right back out when tipper lorry laden with stones soil crashed into her double-storey corner lot home in Bangsar here and landed in her living room.

"I had just stepped into the kitchen and hadn't even decided what curry to make when suddenly there was a sound as if a bomb had exploded.

"I rushed to check and to my horror, I found a lorry parked in my hall," she said of the 10am incident when met at her house on Lorong Maarof 6.

She immediately contacted her husband, M. Balakrishnan, 70, a retired City Hall field officer, who rushed home from a meeting in the city.

Witnesses said they saw the lorry go over a road barrier and ram into the concrete garden wall of the detached house. It came to a stop after smashing through the side wall of the house.

The crash left the living room of a concrete, furniture and other strewn items.

Balakrishnan was grateful that his wife not hurt in the incident.

"Even the lorry driver was lucky as he escaped with the minor bruises," he added.

The lorry driver who only wanted to be known as Mulyani, 37, said he was transporting stones and earth from a construction site next to the shopping centre to be dumped.

"I was driving downhill when it happened. I tried to steer the vehicle to safety but failed," said Mulyani, who has been driving lorries for 14 years.

City traffic chief Assistant Commissioner Hamza Taib said police are investigating the accident under Section 43(1) of Road Transport Act 1987 for careless and inconsiderate driving.

Source: Star newspaper

Rapist's a good son, says mum

"HE was a good son".

There were the first words from the mother of Ismail Shah Abdul Wahab, 24, was was yesterday sentenced to 20 years' imprisonment and six stroke of the rotan for raping a 15-year-old girl.


The incident took place near a bush behind Sekolah Menengah Hulu Kelang, between 4.50pm and 6pm on Aug 19, 2004.


The antique dealer from Perak was also sentenced to 10 years' jail for forcing the girl to perform oral sex on him at the same time and place, and four more strokes of the rotan.


Speaking to The Malay Mail, his mother, who came to the Ampang Session Court with a daughter, said her family could not believe when they first learnt about his offences.


"He is a hard-working and soft-spoken man. He had never done anything to hurt his wife. Now, we are ashamed to face out relatives who would ask about him," said the woman, who appeared calm while talking to his son after the sentencing.


Ismail, a father of one was seen covering his mouth with a small towel most of the time.


He was arrested on Feb 18, 2005, following a police report lodged by the girl.


Ismail has previous convictions for rape, sodomy, wrongful confinement and forcing oral sex on victims aged 12, 16, and 24 in Cheras, between Dec 9, 2004, and Aug 3 last year.


For the offences, he was sentenced by the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court in January to a 50-year jail term starting from Aug 9 last year, when his bail was revoked, together with 24 whippings.


Ismail was also sentenced by the Ampang magistrate's courts to five years' jail for abducting, molesting and robbing a 17-year-old girl, and 20 months for abducting and 24 months for molesting a 12-year-old girl in July last year.


In passing judgement yesterday, Ampang Sessions Court judge Noradidah Ahmad said Ismail had to be isolated from the society for his inhumane behaviour towards his victim.


"He pretended to ask for direction to the mosque and coaxed the victim, a minor, into following him and then raped her," she said.

Noradidah ordered the sentence to run after the completion of the sentences imposed by the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court.


Source: The Malay Mail newspaper

Man found dead near fish pond

BIDOR: here, about 70km from A 55-year-old man was found dead outside a hut near his fish pond at Japan PakuIpoh.

Soo Ching Lin was believed to been attacked when he was alone guarding his two fish ponds.

Tapah OCPD Supt Roslan Bek Ahmad said Soo had likely suffered blows from a blunt object.

"Except for his wallet, nothing is missing from the hut," he told reporters here yesterday.

According to Supt Roslan Bek, Soo's younger brother had found the body when he went in search of Soo at about 9am yesterday.

Those with information should contact ASP Mohd Rani Abdullah or Insp Zurainah Anual at 05-4011222.

Source: Star newspaper

Hijacked trailer found

MALACCA: A hijacked trailer, which was transporting RM80, 000 worth of paint, was recovered some 30 minutes after the driver lodged a police report at the Ayer Keroh police station here. The goods were being transported from Negeri Sembilan to Johor. The driver, Abdul Hamid Samsure, 35, along with a co-driver Mohd Hazri Hadi, 29, had started their journey late Wednesday night. "As we were resting at the Machap rest area in Johor around 5am in the morning, four men armed with parangs and metal rods broke the window on the driver's side and put a parang to Hazri's neck. "They told us not to fight back and then tied up out hands and legs and covered our faces with some of our extra clothes that were in the trailer," said Abdul Hamid when met here yesterday. The two of them were left by the roadside some 500m from the Ayer Keroh rest area. They immediately freed themselves from the bindings and alerted the Ayer Keroh police station at around 9.30am. Shortly after 10am, the trailer, along with the 20 tonnes of paint was found at the Malim Jaya Industrial Area. Malacca CID chief Asst Comm Frederick Liso Senap said two men, aged 48 and 31, have been detained to assist in investigations.