Man kills son by mistake

KUALA LUMPUR: A 76-year-old man shot dead his son, mistaking him in the dark for an intruder who was trying to rob their Myanmar worker at their Kampung Baru Balakong house in Serdang.

Relatives earlier said that 51-year-old Chong Kuan Fatt had been killed by robbers, but police have since confirmed that his father fired the fatal shot.

Both the father and son rushed out of the house upon hearing cries for help from their worker on Wednesday night.

Follow up on shooting case at Kg Bahru, Belakong.

Kuan Fatt 

The older man had a pump gun while Kuan Fatt followed him armed with a parang, said Kajang OCPD Asst Comm Abdul Rashid Abdul Wahab.

Kuan Fatt overtook his father in his hurry to help the worker who lived in a hut behind the house. It was dark, and the father in his confusion fired three shots.

One of the shots hit Kuan Fatt in the head,” ACP Abdul Rashid said at the Kajang police station yesterday.

As it happened, the robber had already fled by the time the two came out of the house.

The worker sustained minor injuries. Kuan Fatt is understood to have died on the spot.

His body was sent to the Serdang Hospital and was reclaimed by his family yesterday morning after a post-mortem.

The father was brought to the Kajang police station but was later released on police bail.

For now, we are investigating the case under 302 for murder.

However, we are still interviewing witnesses and will submit all evidence to the Attorney-General, a police source said.

It is learnt that Kuan Fatt’s father has been licensed to carry a gun since 1967.

The father is believed to use the gun to keep wild animals off his orchard.

Kuan Fatt, who was a pork seller in Kepong, lived with his father and mother and a 12-year-old son, who was on a school holiday trip in Johor Baru.

His wife died of an illness two years ago.

Since the incident, relatives have been trying to comfort Kuan Fatt’s mother, who is struggling to accept the death of her son.

Ministry to study proposal for auxiliary cops to replace guards

KUALA LUMPUR: The Home Ministry will study a proposal by Federal Territories Minister Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor for auxiliary policemen to replace security guards from security companies to guard government offices and housing areas.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi added, however, that it had to first take into account the financial and legal implications of such a move.

His ministry would also consider views of non-governmental organisations, the Real Estate and Housing Developers Association (Rehda) and the Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Ministry before makin­g a decision.

He was speaking at a press conference at the Police Training Centre (Pulapol) here yesterday after presenting the Pingat Kedaulatan Negara (PKN) awards to 156 policemen involved in Ops Daulat in Lahad Datu in February.

Dr Ahmad Zahid said security companies were regulated under the Private Agencies Act, thus a detailed study should be carried out before considering such a proposal.

“We have to look at the financial and legal aspect of such a proposal. We are also looking into the implication on community associations hiring private security guards as houses are still being broken into despite the extra security,” he said.

On a related matter, Dr Ahmad Zahid said the Federal Government planned to bestow the Pingat Jasa Pahlawan Negara (PJPN) on more than 112,000 police veterans and retirees who served until the end of Emergency Period.

“The medal is equivalent to the Pingat Jasa Malaysia (PJM) awarded to those in the armed forces. We expect to present this award in stages,” he said.

Thai to hang for carrying cannabis

ALOR SETAR: It’s the gallows for a Thai woman who was caught carrying more than 18kg of cannabis at an express bus terminal in Sungai Petani in February last year.

High Court Judicial Commissioner Mohd Zaki Abdul Wahab, in his judgment, said the prosecution had adduced evidence that 12 slabs of cannabis were found in a dark red-coloured luggage bag and another eight slabs inside a handheld bag carried by 36-year-old Thitapah Charoenchuea, from Khon Kaen, Thailand.

The offence, under Section 39B(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, was committed at the Jalan Kuala Ketil-Pekan Lama express bus terminal at 9.45pm on Feb 14 last year.

“Her defence that she was only taking care of the bags failed to cast doubt on the case presented by the prosecution,” Mohd Zaki said.

He added that the prosecution had also provided evidence that the accused, who was a marketing employee at a bridal house in Bangkok, bought two padlocks at the Changlun bus terminal to lock the bags.

In her defence, Thitapah had said she had come from Bangkok without the two bags and had boarded an express bus to Kuala Lumpur from Changlun.

She claimed that when the bus made a stopover at the Jalan Kuala Ketil-Pekan Lama terminal, a man known to her only as Ali had asked her to take care of two bags that he had placed in the luggage compartment of the bus and that he would collect them in Kuala Lumpur. Ali, however, did not board the bus.

Mitigating on her behalf, counsel Ai Cha Ran Din Chee Ron said his client was divorced with a 10-year-old daughter. She had a boyfriend from the Ivory Coast, named Smith.

DPP Nor Shuhada Mohd Yatim prosecuted the case.

Indian couple guilty in sensational double murder trial: lawyer

GHAZIABAD (AFP) - A judge found an Indian couple guilty on Monday of slitting the throats of their teenage daughter and a servant after a murder trial that obsessed the country for five years, a lawyer said.

"They have been found guilty of murder. They have been found guilty of the destruction of evidence," Manoj Kumar Rai, who was inside the court to hear the verdict, told reporters.- AFP

Wanted man held during death probe

JOHOR BARU: The sudden death of a 19-year-old girl at a hotel lobby in Taman Sentosa here led to the arrest of a wanted man.

Johor Baru (South) deputy OCPD Supt Abdul Samad Salleh said the police were notified about the teenager’s death by the hotel staff at around 9.15am on Sunday.

The girl, who was identified as Yong Chin Yee from Kulaijaya, had been staying at the hotel for the past two days with a male companion.

She went down to the lobby complaining to the staff that she was suffering from chest pains, and suddenly fainted at the counter.

“The hotel staff administered first aid on her but she died before the ambulance arrived,” said Supt Abdul Samad.

During investigations, police searched the victim’s hotel room and found a 24-year-old man inside, he said.

Checks revealed that the man was wanted by the police under Section 506 of the Penal Code for criminal intimidation in relation to a case which occurred two years ago.

Supt Abdul Samad said the man was arrested, but stressed that investigations so far had not linked him to the girl’s death.

The girl had no physical injuries and the body had been sent to the Sultanah Aminah Hospital for a post-mortem.

”We have classified the case as sudden death, unless the post-mortem result shows otherwise. If so, we will investigate the matter,” he said.

Iran's leader says wants friendly relations with U.S.

DUBAI (Reuters) - Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Wednesday Tehran wanted friendly ties with all countries, including the United States, on the day Iran begins a new round of talks with world powers on its disputed nuclear programme.

"We want to have friendly relations with all nations, even the United States," he told an audience of Basij militiamen. "We are not hostile to the American nation. They are like other nations in the world," he said.

"Death to America," the militiamen chanted in response.

Attack at Malacca Urban Transformation Centre

MALACCA: A car at the Urban Transformation Centre (UTC) was set on fire in an arson attack just before midnight, following a bomb threat on the complex at Jalan Hang Tuah here.

The threatening note, placed on the windshield of a nearby car, warned that a bomb had been placed at the centre and also attacked a senior official over an alleged personal issue.

However, a bomb disposal team and a police canine unit combed the area for about four hours but did not find any trace of explosives.

Two security guards managed to stop the flames from the Proton Inspira from spreading to a 4WD vehicle and a Honda Civic that were parked nearby during the 11.30pm incident on Monday.

The UTC management was given an assurance by the police that they could continue the operations at the centre at around 3.30am yesterday.

The building is said to belong to Dunia Melayu Dunia Islam (DMDI), which is owned by the state government. It promotes inter-racial and religious activities involving the Malays and Muslims with other national and global communities.

The note that came with the bomb threat was apparently targeted at DMDI board of directors member and general manager Mashita Datuk Wira Ismail.

It read: Dalam UTC ada bomb, bomoh lima generasi keluarga, Mana Claim Kami. Layan Kami seperti anjing, 2 tahun perhatiankan kau Mashita.

(There is a bomb inside the UTC, a family of five generations of bomoh, which is our claim. Treated us like dogs for two years. we are watching you Mashita).

Mashita, who was engaged in a lengthy meeting with DMDI president Datuk Seri Mohamed Ali Rustam and the police, declined to comment.

Mohamed Ali said: “We are working closely with the police. We will give any assistance required in the investigations.”

State police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Chuah Ghee Lye said CCTV recording revealed that a man was seen loitering at the site about 45 minutes before the incident.

“The preliminary probe revealed that petrol was used to spark the fire and the man fled soon after the car was ablaze,” he said. DCP Chuah said the motive behind the arson and the bomb threat was being probed under Section 435 and 506 of the Penal Code for mischief by fire and criminal intimidation.

Spurned lover opens fire

KAJANG: Angry at being jilted, an auxiliary policeman from Bandar Baru Bangi went to confront his former girlfriend with a pistol.

After failing to get into her Taman Megah house in Sungai Jelok, he shot her brother in the shoulder before fleeing on his motorcycle.

Yesterday’s drama had its beginning on Wednesday when 26-year-old factory worker Josephine Tholilali Tholan broke up with the man on the advice of her family.

We had known each other for about a year and were planning to get engaged.

“However, my family asked me to leave him because he drank a lot and had a bad temper,” she said.

“Since I stopped seeing him, he had been coming to my house every day. On Sunday, he called me up at about 10pm and threatened to kill me. On Monday, he came to the house at about 8.30am.”

Josephine said the man fired three shots in the air and demanded to be let into the compound.

She and her 16-month-old nephew were on the upper floor while the other six family members were downstairs.

He then climbed over the front gate and shattered the front window glass using the gun.

The man tried to enter through the grilled window but the space was too narrow for him to pass through, Josephine said.

He fired twice from outside the window.

The second shot hit her 25-year-old brother Solomon in the left shoulder.

The man fired a shot at Solomon’s white MyVi before speeding off on his motorcycle.

Solomon was sent to the Kajang Hospital and admitted to the intensive care unit. He was reported to be in stable condition.

Josephine, who was still a state of shock, said: “If I had been downstairs, I would have been the one shot.”

Meanwhile, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said the suspect, a 27-year-old auxiliary policeman from Bandar Baru Bangi station, was detained three hours after the incident.

He said the man was spotted on his motorcycle in Jalan Cempaka Putih at about 11.30am.

“We will investigate further into the suspect’s background and his motive,” he said.

Khalid said police would take action against police bad hats, regardless of whether they were in the regular or auxiliary force.

Chile's ex-student leaders march their way to congressional victory

SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Camila Vallejo, who helped spearhead Chile's student uprising in 2011, leapt from the street protest to the ranks of Congress alongside three other former university leaders on Sunday, underscoring a generational shift in local politics.

The 25-year-old communist shot to international fame as one of the most recognizable faces of a student movement seeking free and improved education in a nation fettered by the worst income distribution among the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development's 34 member states.

Vallejo's victory is key for presidential front-runner Michelle Bachelet's bid to have her Nueva Mayoria coalition gain a stronger foothold in both houses of Congress.

"We're going to celebrate our triumph on the streets of the La Florida (district in Santiago)," Vallejo said on Twitter.

Bachelet, who held Chile's highest office from 2006 to 2010, was the clear winner in the Andean nation's presidential election on Sunday, although she will have to go through a second-round runoff next month to seal her victory.

The massive student protests of 2011 rocked incumbent President Sebastian Pinera's government and helped shape the 2013 electoral campaign, with Bachelet running on a platform to implement a tax reform to finance an education overhaul.

Independent candidates Giorgio Jackson and Gabriel Boric and fellow communist Karol Cariola, former comrade-in-arms in the student movement, also gained seats in Chile's lower house on Sunday.

Their ascension to power, however, likely will not keep protests from spilling onto the streets next year as some in the new generation of student leaders view them as sellouts.

"I wouldn't vote for Giorgio Jackson ... for Camila Vallejo neither," said Melissa Sepulveda, the new head of the Universidad de Chile's student body (FECh), a position once held by Vallejo.

"The possibility for change isn't in Congress," Sepulveda said in the recent radio interview.

Semporna kidnap: Victim has high-level links

KUALA LUMPUR: Taiwanese tourist Chang An Wei, who was snatched from an island resort off Sabah, could have been the sole target of her abductors.

The kidnappers might have seen the 58-year-old as a high-profile target because of her link to Christine Chow Mei-ching, wife of Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou. They were schoolmates.

She could also have been a target because she and her husband were wealthy, having gone into semi-retirement after selling off their garment factory to travel around the world.

Chang’s brother Da Gong told a Taiwan TV news station on Saturday that she and Chow had attended the Tsai Hsing Private School.

“I was also in the same school,” he said during the interview.

The gunmen who grabbed Chang and killed her husband in the incident on Friday are believed to have links with the Abu Sayyaf – a band of terrorists with a reputation for financing themselves through kidnappings.

The speculation is that if they had known about Chang’s connection to Chow or her wealth, the abductors might have seen an opportunity to get a larger ransom for her release.

About three weeks ago, intelligence sources on both sides of the Malaysian-Philippine waters had reported rumours about an Abu Sayyaf faction in Patikul, Jolo, planning to enter Sabah’s east coast waters.

It had also been speculated that Chang’s husband Hsu Li Min, 57, was shot dead because he had put up a struggle after realising that the gunmen intended to kidnap her.

Taiwan’s The Liberty Times website quoted Hsu’s brother Li Ren as saying that Li Min could have been killed because of his burly physique.

It said the gunmen could have opened fire instead of trying to overpower Li Min, who was 180cm tall and weighed about 100kg.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said police believe that Chang is still alive, adding that his officers would work closely with their Philippine counterparts

He said he had also issued a gag order to his officers as her safety was of utmost priority now.

Council to seek expert views

JOHOR BARU: The Johor Baru City Council (MBJB) will seek “expert views” on the wall graffiti by Lithuanian-born artist Ernest Zacharevic before taking any action on the matter.

Its public relations officer Aziz Ithnin said the council had yet to receive any official complaint about the graffiti in Taman Molek, which depicted a knife-holding man, preying on a victim around the corner.

Aziz said that MBJB would usually act immediately when it discovered vandalism on public buildings.

For instance, he said, the council would paint over the wall that had been vandalised.

“But if it is a privately owned building, then we would ask the owners to repaint the affected section,” he said yesterday.

Aziz also acknowledged that Zacharevic’s artwork might cause a negative perception of the city.

“Next year is a very important time for Johor Baru as 2014 is Visit Malaysia Year. The council will be making checks to beautify the city,” he said.

The graffiti by Zacharevic has sparked a debate, especially among netizens, on its meaning and impact to Johor.

Zacharevic was previously in the limelight when his art known as Boy on a Bike and Little Children on a Bicycle were painted on walls in Penang.

A group of people, led by several Oppositon assemblymen, held a protest yesterday pressing for the artwork to remain.

“I think it sends out a message to all of us, telling us to be careful of thieves. It’s also a message to the authorities to take act against crime,” said manager Brandon Leow, 33.

Johor Jaya assemblywoman Liow Cai Tung said the protest showed that many people were against the idea of removing the graffiti.

“This is just being creative,” she said.

Selangor ruler attends SuperMokh The Musical

KUALA LUMPUR: The gala night of SuperMokh The Musical was graced by the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah.

The Sultan, who arrived at 8.10pm last night, was accompanied by Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim and Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.

The musical’s director, Hans Isaac, showed the Sultan around the exhibition dedicated to Datuk Mokhtar Dahari aka “SuperMokh”, which featured photographs from his time in the national and Selangor football teams.

Mokhtar Dahari – Legenda Bola Sepak Malaysia, a 244-page book written by Zinitulniza Abdul Kadir, was also sold during the exhibition, which was held in Istana Budaya.

The book – a prelude to the musical – was the brainchild of Sultan Sharafuddin, who is an ardent football fan and an admirer of Mokhtar. Now, 22 years after Mokhtar’s untimely passing at the age of 37 due to muscular dystrophy, his life has become the subject of a local musical production.

Mokhtar started his national football career in 1972 when he was only 19. During his illustrious 18-year career, he was hailed as the best striker in Malaysia and scored more than 170 goals.

SuperMokh The Musical, which plays at Istana Budaya until Nov 18, boasts a star-studded line-up, including rock star Awie (as Mokhtar), Maya Karin, Rashidi Ishak, Douglas Lim and Dina Nazir.

It was co-directed by Hans and Harith Iskander, with Michael Veerapan as musical director.

Co-produced by Tall Order Productions and Jugra Publication, the musical is under the patronage of the Sultan of Selangor.

There will be 19 songs featured in SuperMokh The Musical.

Tickets are priced at RM46, RM96, RM106, RM126, RM166, RM206, RM236 and RM306 for night shows; for matinees (Nov 9, 10, 16 and 17), they are priced at RM38, RM78, RM96, RM102, RM134, RM166, RM190 and RM246. Tickets are available from www.ticket2u.biz.

International space crew returns Olympic torch to Earth

NEAR ZHEZKAZGAN, Kazakhstan (Reuters) - A Soyuz capsule carried an International Space Station crew of three back to Earth on Monday along with an Olympic torch that was displayed in open space as part of Russia's preparations for the Sochi 2014 Winter Games.

Slowed by parachutes and braking rockets fired to soften the impact, the Soyuz TMA-09M hit the Kazakh steppe on schedule at 8:49 a.m. (0249 GMT) after a three-and-half-hour descent from the space station, live footage on Russian and NASA TV showed.

"The Olympic torch is home after a four-day journey," a NASA TV announcer said after what he called a flawless descent through a cloudless sky and a "bulls-eye touchdown" in the tall tawny brush of central Kazakhstan, near the remote town of Zhezkazgan.

Burly Russian personnel pulled cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin from the capsule, which lay on its side, carried him to a folding chair and covered him with a thick blue blanket against the minus 4 degrees Centigrade (25 Fahrenheit) cold.

The silver-and-grey torch, inspired by the Firebird of Russian folklore, was taken out of the Soyuz, unwrapped and handed to Yurchikhin, who beamed as he held it up for the cameras.

His countrymen Oleg Kotov and Sergei Ryazansky had taken the torch - unlit - on a spacewalk on Saturday, the first time an Olympic torch has been in open space. Torches have been brought on space missions before the 1996 and 2000 Games.

The torch they took into space is to be used to light the Olympic flame when the first Olympics held in Russia since the Soviet era begin in February in the Black Sea resort city of Sochi.

U.S. astronaut Karen Nyberg and Italian Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency were carried from the capsule and into chairs next to Yurchikhin before all three were taken to a heated medical tent - regular practice after a jarring descent.

"A split second before you touch the soft landing rockets go off ... and then you hit," NASA astronaut Michael Fossum said at the Baikonur launch facility, describing his own return to Earth aboard a Soyuz in 2011.

"It's solid. Most people will describe it like a car crash. It's like: 'Well, I think we are home.'"

RECORD RELAY

Yurchikhin, Nyberg and Parmitano spent 166 days on the station, a $100 billion project of 15 nations.

The torch was brought up to the space station on Thursday by Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata, American Rick Mastracchio and Russian Mikhail Tyurin aboard another Soyuz craft that lifted off from the Russian-leased facility at Baikonur.

Russia cast the spacewalk as part of its pre-Sochi torch relay, a record-breaking trek meant to show off Russia's size, diversity and post-Soviet achievements, although the 65,000 km (40,000 mile) relay continued separately on the ground.

Bearers have taken the flame to the North Pole on an atomic-powered icebreaker and will bring it to Europe's highest peak, Mount Elbrus, in the longest torch relay before any Winter Games.

The returning space station crew also brought back a piece of the spacesuit worn by Parmitano that may have been responsible for a leak that caused his helmet to fill with water, forcing an emergency end to NASA's last spacewalk on July 16.

The torch display was a success, with Kotov and Ryazansky snapping images of the torch with the metallic station, space and Earth as backdrops. But other tasks on the nearly six-hour spacewalk did not go as well.

The cosmonauts were unable to fold up an antenna from an experiment involving predicting seismic events such as earthquakes, leaving it for a future outing.

They also did not complete the task of repositioning a platform designed to anchor spacewalkers' legs while they work outside the station.

Close call for duo in Camerons landslide

IPOH: Two men narrowly escaped death when part of a car workshop fell on them during a minor landslide in Brinchang, Cameron Highlands.

Cameron Highlands OCPD Deputy Supt Wan Mohd Zahari Wan Busu said the duo who were trapped in the rubble were rescued by police and firemen.

They were sitting by the roadside near the workshop with three others when the incident occurred at 6.35pm yesterday, he added.

“The two suffered leg injuries and are being treated at the Sultanah Hajah Kalsom Hospital,” he said.

DSP Wan Mohd said it had been raining throughout the day in the area.

Langkawi can be like Monaco

LANGKAWI: To add to its attractions, Langkawi can also be a top nautical tourism destination in the world.

Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak expressed his optimism here and outlined the prerequisites necessary.

“We need a few anchor investments and top-class brand names to be the game-changers to bring Langkawi on par with the likes of Bali and Monaco,” the Prime Minister said at the ground-breaking ceremony for the St Regis Hotel and Langkawi International Convention Centre (LICC) in Kuah yesterday.

With 84 suites, 11 villas and a convention centre, the hotel has been estimated to cost more than RM400mil.

To be developed by the Rajawali Group and Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, the project is targeted for completion before the Asean Summit scheduled here in April 2015.

Najib said the impact of turning Langkawi into a luxury nautical holiday spot would benefit many, particularly the local population.

Thousands of tourists come here to spend, generating revenue not only for companies but also the Government.

“If we have a large number of high-end tourists spending their money here, Langkawi can really be transformed,” he said.

The Prime Minister said tourist arrivals in Langkawi had exceeded the target set under the Langkawi Tourism Blueprint 2011-2015 with 3.06 million people, which was the target set for 2015.

He said the Government wanted to attract more high-end tourists to Langkawi and get them to spread the word “about Langkawi being among the very best in the world”.

Najib said the St Regis Hotel project would be a race against time with 15 months left before the Asean Summit.

He said the reward would be the Asean Summit also bringing the international spotlight on Lang­kawi.

Also at the event were Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, Rajawali Corp chairman Tan Sri Peter Sondakh and Second Finance Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah.

Japan lawmaker reprimanded after emperor letter hits nerve

TOKYO (Reuters) - A Japanese lawmaker was reprimanded on Friday for breaking a taboo by trying to involve Emperor Akihito in politics when he handed him a letter expressing concern about the health impact of the Fukushima nuclear crisis.

A furore erupted after Taro Yamamoto gave Akihito the handwritten missive at a garden party last week, the first such bid in more than a century to draw the emperor's attention.

The incident highlights Japanese sensitivities about the emperor that linger nearly 70 years after his father, in whose name the Japanese military waged World War Two, renounced his divine status.

The topic was also unwelcome for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, under pressure for his handling of the world's worst nuclear crisis since Chernobyl. Abe faces demands from some in his party and from charismatic former prime minister Junichiro Koizumi to give up nuclear power altogether.

"There's a consensus in the ongoing political squabbles of the day that the emperor ought not be involved. It's crossed the line," said Jeffrey Kingston, director of Asia studies at Temple University's Tokyo campus. "And clearly nuclear energy is a huge political issue in Japan today."

On Friday, Parliament's upper house barred Yamamoto from attending events with the imperial family and issued a stern warning, an official said.

"Always keep in mind that you are a lawmaker and do nothing to dirty the name of parliament," ran the warning, media said.

Yamamoto, an actor and anti-nuclear activist elected to the upper house in July, said he had wanted to tell the emperor about the "endangered future" of Japanese children due to health problems from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, which has been leaking radiation since being struck by a massive earthquake and tsunami in March 2011.

About 150,000 people were evacuated after the disaster, and a vast swathe of land remains off-limits, while traces of radioactive contamination have been found in rice and far out in the Pacific Ocean.

Demands that Yamamoto quit were voiced immediately, and a magazine poll of 1,100 readers said 90 percent disapproved of his action. He apologised for "worrying His Majesty" earlier this week but refused to heed the calls for his resignation.

"The standard for 'political use' is not clear," said Tomoaki Iwai, a political science professor at Nihon University. "The issue of nuclear reactors is a minus for the LDP, and that's one probable reason the reaction is so strong."

Generations of Japanese have believed their emperors to be gods, but Akihito's father, Hirohito, gave up the status of divinity after World War Two. The post-war constitution declares the emperor to be "the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people," with no political powers.

The only previous instance of an emperor being directly handed a letter was in 1901, by a former lawmaker protesting industrial pollution from a copper mine. He was arrested on the spot but helped set off a citizens' movement on the issue.

A scientist who researches fish, Akihito, 80 in December, has tried to draw the imperial family closer to the people. Conservative Japanese revere him, while many others feel a fond affection. Some Japanese feel the whole family is irrelevant.

Iwai and other political experts said Tokyo's successful Olympic campaign included a speech by a princess, and Akihito attended a government event early this year to mark Japan's regaining sovereignty after World War Two, a bid to restore national pride by conservatives like Abe.

"Using the emperor is something that's been done by the LDP government for quite a while now," said Koichi Nakano, a political science professor at Sophia University.

"I think (the problem) is it's touching upon a subject that's very much a taboo issue."

Student sits for SPM in prison

KOTA BARU: A student had to sit for her Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) English Language paper in prison at Pengkalan Chepa here as she is under remand for alleged criminal intimidation against her elder brother.

“Nur”, 18, said having to take the examination in such a setup was appalling particularly since the offence she had allegedly committed was unintentional and had stemmed from a disagreement with her brother.

“My brother’s reaction to hit me caused me to impulsively point the knife at him. I did not expect to land here for it,” she said at the prison here yesterday.

Nur was remanded on Oct 24 following the alleged incident at her home in Gaal, Pasir Puteh.

She said she was taking the English language paper to hopefully improve her SPM 2012 results in which she obtained 5A, 3B, and 1D.

“My concentration is rather muddled right now and I am not very confident in answering the questions,” she said.

Nur had to turn down an offer by Universiti Teknologi Mara to follow a plantation management diploma course, as she aspired to be a medical doctor and become an eye or ear specialist.

“Encouragement from family to pursue my ambition to become a doctor gave me the determination to take this examination,” she said.

She is hoping her brother withdraws the police report and considers her future.

Meanwhile, Kelantan Prisons deputy director Wan Sani Abd Latiff said that from the way Nur had diligently been revising her lessons, she was determined to succeed.

“She has a strong spirit and has not caused any problem here. We provided her the study material to prepare for the examination,” he said.

He said the prison would ensure that inmates who wanted to sit for examinations were segregated to enable them to revise their lessons and be fully prepared.

Four get death for kidnap

SHAH ALAM: A security firm manager ganged up with three colleagues to abduct a married couple for a RM5,000 ransom. An accomplice who is still at large even raped the wife.

They will be paying for the crime with their lives.

High Court judge Noor Azian Shaari found security manager P. Thinagaran, 27, and guards S. Arumugam, 24, C. Krishnakumar, 24, and V. K. Santirasagaran, 32, guilty after ruling they had failed to raise reasonable doubts in their defence.

The four men were charged together with one C. Manimavanan (who is currently on trial at a separate court for a similar charge) and another man still at large with the abduction of the husband and wife, both 29, at Jalan Merak, Pusat Bandar Puchong at 4.30am on March 4, 2011.

Justice Noor Azian said a death sentence was befitting the crime although the court could exercise its discretion and mete out a lifetime imprisonment sentence as provided under Section 3 of the Kidnapping Act 1961.

Although a fifth man is still at large and responsible for raping the wife, the four accused were there and witnessed the incident. They even recorded it on their handphones.

There was violence in this case and something that the court must consider in sentencing.

“How would you feel if your wife was raped? It will leave a scar. I hereby find it fitting for the four accused to be punished by death,” she said yesterday.

During trial, the court heard testimonies that the couple went to the scene to meet a man known as “Shan”.

As the husband shook Shan’s hand, he was pulled into a car. The husband shouted and told his wife to run but she too was dragged into the same car.

The victims testified that the four men, whom they have met before the incident and recognised, were in the car and guarded them throughout the ordeal.

They were taken to a house in Pulau Carey where they were confined separately.

Shan raped the wife, who was menstruating at the time. He and Krishnakumar later beat the husband.

Shan then contacted the wife’s mother and asked for a RM5,000 ransom.

Negotiation took place and the mother deposited RM1,500 in two transactions into Manimavanan’s bank account before her daughter and son-in-law were released later that night.

DPP Muhamad Asyraf Md Kamal prosecuted. The four accused were represented by lawyers V. Thiru Kumar and Amir Faliq.

Over 400,000 candidates sitting for SPM this year

KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 470,395 candidates are sitting for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination this year, starting with the Bahasa Melayu Paper One.

It is compulsory for students to pass History in the SPM from this year, said Second Education Minister Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh.

“It is important for Malaysians to know the basics of national history,” he told reporters after visiting SMK Puteri Wilayah yesterday .

Idris said English would also become a must-pass subject in the SPM from 2016 to enable ample preparation time for it.

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said in September that a multi-pronged approach was being used to raise English proficiency among students and their teachers.

Muhyiddin, also the Education Minister, said several measures ranging from continuous training to a re-emphasis on speaking the language were in line with making English a must-pass subject for the SPM examination.

The Malaysian Examinations Syndicate in an earlier statement, advised candidates to refer to the examination timetable for the times of the papers and other instructions.

Candidates are also advised to bring their identity cards to the examination centre.

Colombia says Russian bombers violated its airspace

BOGOTA (Reuters) - Colombia is preparing a letter of protest to Russia after two Russian bomber planes twice entered the Andean nation's airspace without authorization when flying between Venezuela and Nicaragua last week, President Juan Manuel Santos said on Tuesday.

Santos said the two planes crossed Colombian airspace on Friday flying from Venezuela to Nicaragua. They re-entered Colombian territory on their return journey but flew out of the zone when intercepted by two of Colombia's Kfir military planes.

"As they are military and government planes, they needed to request permission but didn't. We have simply requested that the Foreign Ministry make the respective notification to the Russian government," Santos told reporters after a government meeting on security issues.

Military sources told Reuters the planes were Russian-made Tupolev Tu-160 bombers flying from the Venezuelan coastal city of Maiquetia to Nicaragua's capital, Managua. The sources said the bombers flew into Colombian airspace over its San Andres y Providencia archipelago in the Caribbean Sea.

Last year the International Court of Justice in The Hague rejected a claim by Nicaragua to Colombian islands in the archipelago, but extended Nicaragua's continental shelf and economic exclusion zone into waters near the islands, rich in fish and believed to have large oil reserves beneath.

Colombia has rejected the court's verdict as inapplicable and continues to exercise control over the waters, raising tensions with Nicaragua.

Russia has invested billions of dollars in OPEC-member Venezuela's oil sector and offered it credit lines to buy Russian weapons, while Nicaragua has announced plans to buy Russian military equipment.

1,250 Malaysians devour durians during fiesta in Melbourne

MELBOURNE: The strong smell of durians filled the air as 1,250 Malaysians in Australia devoured the “King of Fruits” at a Durian Fiesta here.

A consignment of D24 and Musang King durians was flown in by the Malaysian Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry and Federal Agriculture Marketing Authority (Fama) at the request of the Malaysian Consulate-General here.

The fiesta, held at SP Setia Bhd’s Parque grounds in the picturesque St Kilda Road here on Sunday night, was also attended by Malaysian Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman.

“For Malaysians, durian is more than just a fruit; it is our national delicacy,” he said.

Anifah, who was delighted to see such a large number of Malaysians at the fiesta, thanked the Australian Government for granting market access for Malaysian agricultural produce, such as durians, to Australia.

Other Malaysian delights, including teh tarik, roti jala, roti canai and satay, were also served at the event.

The Malaysian Consul General Datuk Dr Mohd Rameez Yahaya ex­­pressed hope that the fiesta would be made an annual event. — Bernama

Civet fitted with satellite collar

KOTA KINABALU: Wildlife researchers are hoping that they can understand how small carnivores such as civets and otters are able to exist in a mix of forests and plantations in Sabah’s Lower Kinabatangan region through satellite tracking.

The researchers recently trapped a male civet from Lot 5 of the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary and fitted him with a transmitting collar before releasing him. They are hoping this civet could provide key information on small carnivores such as their foraging habits.

“The data collected can provide information regarding how small carnivores are using the forest and oil palm plantation matrix in the Kinabatangan region,” said Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD) director Datuk Dr Laurentius Ambu.

“The results will in turn guide management plans and conservation actionsin the future.”

The trapping and fitting of the collar on Oct 26 was carried out by SWD, the Kinabatangan Small Carnivore Project (KSCP), Cardiff University (CU) and the Danau Girang Field Centre. It was funded by the Sime Darby Foundation and Houston Zoo.

After trapping and sedating the 5.5kg civet, which the researchers named Tenang, they recorded its length and weight, and took saliva and faecal samples before fitting it with a 70g collar that would relay his whereabouts for the next five months.

Danau Girang director Dr Benoit Goosens said a number of small carnivore species, including six species of the civet, and two otter species, had been found within the Kinabatangan region.

“Our project strives to understand the influence of habitat fragmentation on these small carnivores,” he said.

Cardiff University graduate student Meaghan Harris said the initial data from Tenang’s satellite collar was important to help specialists map out Sabah’s biodiversity conservation plans.

“Civets, although not as flashy as larger carnivores such as the Sunda clouded leopard and the Malayan sun bear, are very important to the rainforest ecosystem,” Harris said.

“It will be an adventure to study these animals.”

Man held over rape of 10-year-old

TAIPING: A man has been arrested for raping the 10-year-old daughter of his girlfriend at their home here.

According to sinchew.com.my, the victim’s mother lodged a police report upon discovering the incident on Saturday night.

It was reported that the Viet­namese girl had been sexually assaulted by the suspect for a year.

She told her mother that “the uncle” would call her into his room after her mother left for work.

She said then he would lock the door, warn her not to make any noise and rape her.

She said she was afraid of his threats and initially dared not tell her mother about it.

Robbery suspect fatally stabbed

KUALA LUMPUR: A robbery attempt ended in bloodshed when one of the suspected robbers was accidentally stabbed in the groin during a scuffle with his victim.

However, police have yet to determine whether the man was stabbed by his victim in self-defence or accidentally knifed by one of his accomplices.

The incident happened at a bridge near Kenanga Wholesale City on Saturday.

The suspected robber, identified as 24-year-old Adib Iqbal, died at 11pm at Hospital Kuala Lumpur due to severe groin injuries.

It is believed that he and two friends had attempted to rob a passer-by near the bridge but the intended victim fought back.

A scuffle had reportedly broken out between the four men resulting in Adib being wounded.

A witness from the nearby flats claimed that Adib was accidentally stabbed by one of his friends.

He said he had heard a loud scream coming from outside his unit at around 7pm and hurried to the balcony in time to witness the whole incident.

It is believed that the accomplice had missed the robbery victim, and instead stabbed Adib by accident.

The witness told reporters that the man who had stabbed Adib fled the scene.

The robbery victim also ran away around the same time.

Police have arrested an 18-year-old man in connection with the incident.

The suspect has confessed that he and two friends, including Adib, had attempted to rob a passer-by.

“We believe that the three men were responsible for several other robberies in the past and their targets were primarily Bangladeshis,” said Dang Wangi OCPD Asst Comm Zainuddin Ahmad.

He added that the suspect will be under remand until Nov 9 to facilitate investigations.

“Search for the third member is ongoing,” said ACP Zainuddin.

However, the deceased’s father, when met at the HKL mortuary yesterday morning claimed that his son was killed in an argument with a stranger.

“We rushed to the scene when Adib’s friend informed us about the attack,” said the 56-year-old stall owner.

Adib was an unemployed divorcee and had a three-year-old daughter.

Close call for Myanmar stabbed and flung into sea

GEORGE TOWN: A Myanmar national miraculously survived after being repeatedly stabbed in the abdomen before he was tossed into the sea.

It is believed that the victim, in his 20s, was relaxing by the Tan Jetty at Weld Quay by himself when two men assaulted him with a knife, which was also recovered from the scene.

He managed to swim back to shore, even though part of his intestines were jutting out of his abdomen, and cried out for help.

He was then rushed to the Penang Hospital for treatment in the 10pm incident on Saturday.

George Town deputy OCPD Supt Ismail Toh Paduka Idris said the victim was without any identification documents.

He is still in critical condition and the doctor has to operate on him.

“We have yet to record any statement from him,” said Supt Ismail, who added that the case was being investigated under Section 326 of the Penal Code for voluntarily causing grievous hurt with dangerous weapons.

We’re still investigating the motive behind the attack.

“There are no other leads so far,” he said.

Indonesia summons Australian ambassador over U.S.-led spying claims

JAKARTA/PERTH (Reuters) - Indonesia summonsed Australia's ambassador on Friday to explain media reports his embassy in Jakarta was used to spy on Southeast Asia's biggest country as part of a U.S.-led global spying network.

Indonesia this week called in the chief U.S. diplomat in Jakarta over similar allegations, while China on Thursday demanded an explanation from the United States after the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper reported Australian embassies across Asia were part of the U.S. spying operation.

News of Australia's role in a U.S.-led surveillance network could damage relations with Indonesia, Australia's nearest Asian neighbour and a key strategic ally.

"Indonesia's Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa has demanded an explanation from the Australian ambassador in Jakarta about the existence and use of surveillance facilities in the Australian embassy here," Indonesia's foreign ministry said in a statement.

"The reported activities absolutely do not reflect the spirit of a close and friendly relationship between the two neighbours and are considered unacceptable by the government of Indonesia."

The Herald said its reports were based on U.S. whistleblower Edward Snowden and a former Australian intelligence officer.

Snowden leaks to other media have detailed vast intelligence collection by the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) on allies, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, prompting protests and a U.S. review of intelligence gathering.

The Herald said Australia's top secret Defence Signals Directorate (DSD), which is at the forefront of cyber security intelligence, operates clandestine surveillance facilities at embassies without the knowledge of most Australian diplomats.

"DSD is the most important of Australian intelligence agencies. It is involved in high-level technical cooperation with its American counterpart, the National Security Agency," said Richard Tanter, Senior Research Associate at the Nautilus Institute of Security and Sustainability.

"The U.S. would find it very useful to have its own intercept from its own embassies in those countries, it will find it very useful to be supplemented by what Australia is doing...a kind of division of labour from country to country."

Tanter said Australia had been monitoring Indonesia for a long-time, seeking terrorism and human rights information.

"But the problem is when it goes beyond that. Beyond that, there will a question of whether such electronic intercepts really are appropriate activity for a country which we have a strong and close relationship," he said.

Natalegawa, in Australia for a meeting with his counterpart Julie Bishop and other regional foreign ministers, said Australian spying could "potentially damage the kind of trust and confidence that have been nurtured and developed over many decades" between the two nations.

"I think we have been able to communicate to Foreign Minister Bishop about our concern," Natalegawa told reporters in the west Australian city Perth.

Bishop said: "Foreign Minister Natalegawa raised his concerns, I took them on board, I take them seriously, but the Australian government does not and will not comment on intelligence matters."

Bilateral relations were already shaky after Australia's new conservative prime minister, Tony Abbott, in September proposed turning back boats of asylum-seekers coming through Indonesia.

Abbott made his first official trip overseas to Jakarta last month where he sought to played down tensions over the asylum seekers issue and called instead on both countries to focus on boosting bilateral trade.

Couple to celebrate first Deepavali after marriage

PETALING JAYA: When veterinarian Dr Susanna Brida-Hofherr first celebrated Deepavali seven years ago, she was mesmerised by what the festival represented.

“I was taken by the lights and colours of Deepavali as it was so different from what we have in Europe,” said Dr Brida-Hofherr, who is from Austria.

I love what Deepavali represents – the concept of goodness and light conquering evil and darkness. My family and friends in Austria have all learnt about Deepavali from me and they, too, find it fascinating.

“They try to arrange their visits to coincide with Deepavali.”

This year’s Deepavali is extra special for Dr Brida-Hofherr, 45, and her husband as it will be their first as a couple after a courtship of seven years.

“It’s going to be our thalai Deepavali (first Deepavali after marriage) and we’ll be celebrating it with my parents and family in Penang,” said corporate trainer and management consultant Shankar Santhiram, 43.

Shankar said he realised that many people had forgotten that Deepavali had a deeper significance.

The couple, who lives in Taman Tun Dr Ismail, has been taking turns to spend Deepavali here and in Penang.

“When we celebrate it here, it also includes our dogs, cats and rabbits,” said Dr Brida-Hofherr, who is also an animal acupuncturist.

Dr Brida-Hofherr’s Deepavali starts with an oil bath in the morning before dressing in new clothes and going to the temple for prayers.

The couple has plans to host a dinner for their friends at the home of Shankar’s parents in Penang.