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Civil Servant And Women Recruiter Among Those Arrested In Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR: A civil servant said to be one of the most senior Islamic State (IS) members in Malaysia and a 29-year-old housewife who recruited a 14-year-old girl into the militant movement are among three people detained by Bukit Aman.

The 39-year-old civil servant was arrested in Kuala Lumpur on Monday while the housewife was picked up in Muar on Saturday.

The third suspect – a 22-year-old trader – was also arrested in Perak on Monday.

The three were detained by the Bukit Aman Special Branch Counter-Terrorism Division in separate operations.

“The housewife is believed to have influenced and recruited the girl via Facebook and other media. Police are investigating whether she was also targeting other girls for IS,” a source said.

“The trader is suspected of funding the girl’s trip to Cairo and may have allocated funds for her expenses,” added the source.

The civil servant is believed to have used his position to recruit members to ensure the local militant network ran smoothly.

“He is a senior IS member with direct links to Malaysians in Syria,” said one of the sources.

Another source said the civil servant was also responsible for creating Facebook pages and other communication means for the local militant network.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said all three suspects had planned to head to Syria “in the near future”.

Vowing that Bukit Aman would never let Malaysia become a hotbed for militants, he pledged to use all resources to hunt them down.

Two weeks ago, the 14-year-old girl was detained as she was about to board a plane bound for Cairo.

The girl had intended to marry a 22-year-old Malaysian student in Cairo before making her way to Syria to join the IS.

In Britain, The Telegraph reported that Scotland Yard was trying to track down three teenage girls who were suspected of travelling to Syria to join the IS.

The report stated that the Metropolitan Police were extremely concerned about the girls from east London who were believed to have attempted to travel to Syria via Turkey.

Source: www.thestar.com.my

March 4, 2015
SIA Offered Me 20 Minutes Holiday In Langkawi…

A few weeks ago, I booked SilkAir flights from Changi Airport for a party of three, due to arrive in Langkawi on March 7 at 10.05am and departing from there the next day at 8.45pm.

Recently, I was contacted by SilkAir’s parent company Singapore Airlines (SIA) and advised that my flight home from Langkawi on the evening of March 8 had been cancelled “for commercial reasons”.

I was offered, instead, a flight scheduled to leave Langkawi on the morning of March 7, about 20 minutes after I was due to arrive.

What was SIA thinking, offering me a holiday of just 20 minutes?

I had to cancel my planned weekend in Langkawi.

Ronald Brett

*This is a Straits Times’ Forum Letter

Source: www.straitstimes.com

March 4, 2015
Duo Behind The Real Singapore Still On Bail, Still In Singapore

The duo allegedly behind The Real Singapore (TRS) were back at the Criminal Investigation Department yesterday.

The two weeks’ bail for Miss Ai Takagi, a Japanese-Australian, and Mr Robin Yang Kaiheng had expired.

But if the pair were hoping to return to their Brisbane apartment for their new university term, they were disappointed.

The New Paper understands that the students at the University of Queensland had their bail extended and their application to return to Australia rejected.

Miss Takagi, 22, and Mr Yang, 26, are accused of embellishing a post on TRS.

Full report in print edition on March 4.

Source: www.tnp.sg

March 4, 2015
Man Jailed For Lying About Address To Enrol Daughter Spot In Prestigious Primary School

A self-employed man who lied about where he lived to get his daughter enrolled in a prestigious primary school was sentenced to two weeks’ jail.

The 35-year-old, who cannot be named to protect his daughter’s identity, is appealing against the sentence. He pleaded guilty last month to giving false information to the school’s principal on Jul 30, 2013. He also told authorities that he lived within one to two kilometres of the school instead of at his actual address at Balestier Road.

The address the man stated in the application forms was for a property leased to an American national who is renting the unit until Apr 2016.

The false information secured his daughter a place at the school. She was reportedly still enrolled in the school when the man was charged on Mar 27 last year. The matter was brought to light in December 2013 when the Ministry of Education (MOE) visited what was purportedly the man’s house.

Defence lawyer Ramesh Tiwary urged the court to impose only a fine as the man was a “law-abiding citizen” with a clean record. He added that his client had genuinely intended to move into the address, as stated in the application, but was unable to do so because he could not contact the tenant.

MOE said it will decide on a course of action “in due course” with regard to the student, adding that the school will ensure her well-being.

Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

March 4, 2015
Vietnamese Woman Died After Vehicle Accident, Fell From West Coast Highway Onto Telok Blangah Road

A 25-year-old Vietnamese woman is believed to have fallen from West Coast Highway, which is a viaduct running above Telok Blangah Road.

The Straits Times understands that the woman and the man were travelling on a motorcycle on West Coast Highway just before the woman fell to her death. She landed in front of a bus stop near Seah Im Food Centre.

Police received a call requesting for assistance at about 3.20pm. Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) was informed at the same time and despatched an ambulance to the scene.

When police arrived, the woman was found lying motionless and pronounced dead by paramedics at the scene. A man in his 20s who was at the scene refused to be conveyed to hospital, said an SCDF spokesman.

The police are investigating the unnatural death.

Source: www.straitstimes.com

March 4, 2015