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Contractor not guilty
of trafficking
KUALA LUMPUR: A building con-
tractor, charged with trafficking in
drugs at the lobby of the Nikko Hotel
here five years ago, was acquitted
and discharged by the High Court
yesterday.
Judicial Commissioner Zainal
Azman Abd Aziz said the prosecu-
tion had failed to produce a closed-
circuit TV camera recording which
could show whether a bag contain-
ing 2.525g of heroin belonged to the
accused, Cheah Kin Wei.
It was argued that Cheah, 51,
had come to the hotel alone and
met a friend by the name of “Tan”.
The judge said a CCTV recording
could have resolved issues as to
Tan’s existence and the bag’s owner.
The prosecution had only produced
photographs of Cheah getting out of
an elevator with a bag, but did even
clarify whether the accused was a
guest of the hotel, he said.
These were crucial elements
raised by the defence which had
cast a doubt on the prosecution’s
case, Zainal said. – Bernama
Actor claims trial
to theft of books
KUALA LUMPUR: An actor who
plays the part of “Detektif Lim“
in the Gerak Khas drama series,
changed his plea in a magistrate’s
court yesterday and claimed
trial to stealing two books worth
RM194.90 at the Mid Valley
Megamall last month.
Farid Amirul Hisham Abdul-
lah, 43, is alleged to have stolen
Sistine Secrets costing RM89.90
and Decoding The Heavens
(RM105) from the MPH bookstore
at 7.15pm on March 27.
He pleaded guilty on April 8
and was to have been sentenced
yesterday. The offence carries a
maximum 10-year jail term and
fine upon conviction.
Magistrate Mohd Faizi Che
Abu allowed bail of RM1,500
with one surety and fixed June
18 for trial. – Bernama
Lawyer charged
with CBT
SEREMBAN: A lawyer was charged
in the sessions court yesterday
with criminal breach of trust
involving RM12,000 belonging to
his client.
K. Sasikumar, 38, is alleged to
have committed breach of trust in
relation to the profit from the sale
of a house belonging to his client, K.
Govinda, at RHB Bank, Jalan Datuk
Abdul Rahman, between Nov 24
and Nov 28 last year.
Judge Sabariah Atan fixed
June 29 for mention as Sasiku-
mar’s counsel P. Edmund was
absent. DPP Farah Shuhada Ramli
appeared for the prosecution.
– Bernama
Press Digest
by Kong See Hoh
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
Pupils skip school after
‘no masks’ directive
THE issue of protective masks
Green went a step further at SRJK (C)
mayor Tiang Dua on Wednesday when
35 pupils skipped school a day
walks a after the education department
fine line said they couldn’t cover their
pg 12 mouths and noses.
A briefing by health officials
to explain a meningitis outbreak
at the Road Transport Depart-
ment Academy located next to
the school received lukewarm
response from parents.
To placate angry parents,
some of whom were at the
school to fetch their children,
the department said it was up
to the pupils to decide whether
they wanted to wear masks, the
Chinese press reported yester-
day.
On Monday, pupils of the
school donned masks distributed
by the school board and parent-
teacher association.
The following day, the
department raised the ire of
parents when it banned the
masks in school. The same day,
village head Chiang Kwang Woo
threatened to call for a boycott
of classes.
Although the school said it
did not know yet why so many
pupils had skipped classes, it is
learnt that many parents had
decided to keep their children at
home for health reasons.
Some parents left with their
children when, on arriving in
school, they were told of the
department’s directive.
Tiang Dua has 126 pupils in
primary school and 25 in kinder-
garten, with 24 teachers.
With only a fence separating
the school from the meningitis-
hit RTD Academy, many parents
believe they have reason to fear
for the safety of their children.
Assembly hall contest
for top post hots up
WITH just a day to the Kuala
Lumpur and Selangor Chinese
Assembly Hall (KLSCAH) elec-
tions, the contest for the top post
hots up after supporters endorsed
a debate between candidate Tan
Yew Sing and his opponent Datuk
Koo Yuen Kim.
According to a report in China
Press, Tan’s team of campaigners
proposed that the debate be held
at the Selangor Chinese Assembly
Hall tonight and that each side be
represented by two debaters.
However, KLSCAH treasurer
Zhou Sou Han, who is campaign-
ing for Koo, told the daily he
could not comment on the debate,
proposed by a member of the
Restaurateur fined for
underpaying chef
MELBOURNE: A restaurant
owner who got a Malaysian to
come to Melbourne to work as
a chef and paid him less than
A$10,000 (RM26,710) over 18
months has been fined A$180,000
(RM480,780).
Hong Poh Meng and his com-
pany, Penang Kayu Nasi Kander
Ltd, which traded as Kayu@Boxhill,
admitted breaching 11 workplace
laws, including underpaying
a full-time cook by A$76,000
(RM202,996), the Australian Asso-
ciated Press (AAP) reported. Two
19-year-old casual waitresses were
underpaid by A$4,876 (RM13,024)
and A$899 (RM2,401) respectively.
Hong was fined A$25,000
(RM66,775) and the com-
pany A$158,400 (RM423,086) in
a Melbourne magistrates court
on Wednesday for the breaches
between 2005 and 2007.
Workplace Ombudsman exec-
utive director Michael Campbell
said Hong admitted bringing the
Malaysian national to Melbourne
| FRIDAY MAY 15 2009
Contacted by the press on
Wednesday evening, state edu-
cation director Isa Abu said: “It
is up to the parents if they insist
on their children wearing face
masks.”
He said the department
had earlier issued the direc-
tive to avoid panic among the
public.
The department felt there was
no need for masks after having
been given an assurance that
meningitis is not airborne.
“Why should pupils wear
masks if there is no meningitis
threat? If they do, it would give a
wrong impression that the situa-
tion is serious,” Isa said.
Earlier, at the briefing, offi-
cials had assured the dozen
parents who attended that there
was no danger of meningitis
spreading from the academy to
the school.
association, as he had not rec-
eived an invitation from Tan’s
camp.
He said a decision would be
made only after Koo had been
consulted.
Meanwhile, Malaysia-China
Friendship Association secretary-
general Datuk Tan Kai Hee, who
is making a last-minute effort to
prevent a face-off between Tan
and Koo, urged them to talk it
out.
He said both Tan and Koo are
good leaders and it would be a
pity to see them clash over the
post, where one has to emerge
the loser. He felt the two should
work as a team instead.
and paying him just A$9,650
(RM25,775) for 18 months’ work
at his restaurant.
“This was less than 12% of the
minimum amount he was entitled
to receive,” Campbell said in a
statement. “This sort of blatant
exploitation is completely unac-
ceptable.”
AAP said the company repaid
the cook A$10,600 (RM28,313)
and the waitresses a combined
amount of A$805 (RM2,150) after
the Workplace Ombudsman began
investigating the case in 2007.
But magistrate Kate Hawkins
ordered the company to pay the
chef A$65,341 (RM174,526) in
outstanding wages and another
A$4,128 (RM11,026) and A$841
(RM2,246) to the waitresses.
She said the cook was subject-
ed to a “pattern of exploitation”
and was particularly vulnerable
because of his immigration status.
The underpayments were “stag-
gering” and “defied belief”, she
said. – Bernama