6 theSun | THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 10 2009

news without borders

Indonesian govt will ensure safety of M’sians, says Najib

PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri
Najib Razak said the Indonesian gov-
ernment will ensure that the safety of
Malaysians in the republic is guaranteed
following unfriendly actions by “vigilante
groups” on Malaysians there.
He said this was conveyed to
him by Indonesia’s Ambassador to
Malaysia Tan Sri Da’i Bachtiar during a
meeting they had yesterday.
“I have conveyed to Pak Try Sutrisno
(Tan Sri Try Sutrisno) Malaysia’s worry
about the safety of Malaysian citizens in
Indonesia and he has promised to bring
it up with the Indonesian government.
“The Indonesian ambassador in our
meeting earlier yesterday told me they
were taking action to ensure no harm
comes to Malaysians,” he told report-
ers after breaking fast with cabinet
members at his official residence.
Sutrisno leads the Indonesian side
in the Indonesia-Malaysia Eminent
Persons Group, a body which hold
dialogues on issues of mutual concern
to the two countries. The Malaysian
side is led by Tun Musa Hitam.
Najib was asked to comment on
the actions of the vigilante groups,
members of which were conducting
“sweeping” operations to identify and
harass Malaysians.
On Tuesday, a group of Indone-
sians calling themselves “Benteng
Demokrasi Rakyat” reportedly
threatened to use bamboo spikes on
Malaysians along a Jakarta street and
had demanded passers-by to show
proof of their nationality.
There had also been demonstra-
tions outside the Malaysian Embassy
and in the latest one, protesters pelted
rotten eggs at the embassy building
last week after Malaysia was accused
of “stealing” the Balinese pendet
dance in a promotion of Malaysia aired
by the Discovery Channel.
Rotten eggs were also hurled at a
house rented by Malaysian students of
Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta
by a group of local undergraduates
over the Pendet dance.
Discovery Channel has apologised
for the error made by a Singapore-
based company. – Bernama

‘Golden statue’ murder –

two arrested
by Charles Ramendran
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
KUALA LUMPUR: A woman who allegedly
murdered her husband, packed his body into a
‘Noynoy’ luggage bag and had it disposed of as a “golden
Aquino statue” was arrested by police yesterday.
The 30-year-old suspect had fled to India
to run for with her eight-year-old daughter and parents
SINGING RECORD ... president soon after the incident at her apartment in
CHILDREN from the Andante Resources choir with the Malaysian Book of Records pg 8 Pandan Mewah two weeks ago.
certificate they received after pulling off an effort to gather 13,096 people across seven However, after being persuaded by relatives
states to a simultaneous sing-along of a song entitled This Is My Country yesterday. to return and turn herself in, the housewife
With them are the deputy prime minister’s wife, Datin Norainee Abdul Rahman (second came back to Malaysia early yesterday with
from right), Deputy Health Minister Datuk Rosnah Abdul Rashid Shirlin (right), Malaysian her daughter who is from her first marriage
Book of Records representative Josephine Intachat (second row, left) and Andante and parents who were also detained by police
president Dr Mervynn Koon (second row, middle). at the KL International Airport.
Ampang police chief ACP Abdul Jalil Has-
san said police have released the woman’s
parents and daughter.
He said police have also arrested a man
who helped the woman dispose of her hus-
band’s body.
The man had lodged a police report several
days after disposing the body.
He told police the woman had told him the
bag contained a golden statue and paid him
RM100 to get rid of it.
He also told police that after dumping the
bag in a jungle next to the Karak Highway,
he returned out of curiosity to check its con-
tents but was stunned to find the body of the
divorced housewife’s second husband, a 40-
year-old businessman cum restaurant owner,
in it.
Abdul Jalil said police arrested the man as
they believe he was aware all along of what
had happened.
He said with the woman’s arrest the case is
considered solved.

Act now or after the party polls,

Subra tells disciplinary panel
KUALA LUMPUR: Former MIC deputy president
Datuk S. Subramaniam is questioning the reason
behind the disciplinary action that will be taken
against him.
According to Subramaniam, who is running
for the No. 2 post in the party’s Sept 12 polls, the
reprimand is an attempt to intimidate voters who
would otherwise voting for him.
“If you want to take disciplinary action then
do it now or after the elections but do not make
accusations because they affects my candi-
dacy.”
He said that he would be comfortable if the dis-
ciplinary committee were to issue the letter soon
so that he can explain the issue to the delegates.
Subramaniam is facing MIC disciplinary action
after making a statement in an English tabloid that
former MIC vice-president Datuk V. Govindaraj had
confessed to him and another former vice-presi-
dent, the late Datuk K. Pathmanaban, about rig-
ging the party’s 1977 polls to favour MIC president
Datuk S. Samy Vellu who then contested against
Subramaniam.
Samy Vellu went on to beat Subramaniam for
the deputy president post by 26 votes.
On Tuesday, Samy Vellu said Subramaniam’s
statement, along with the statement made by
Govindaraj, was aimed at “destroying the credibil-
ity of MIC’s elections” conducted all these years.
He also said any action by the disciplinary
committee on the matter would only be taken
after the election.
Samy Vellu said legal action would also be
taken against Govindaraj as well as against the
tabloid and the writer.
According to Subramaniam, Samy Vellu is
campaigning for Datuk G. Palanivel to clinch the
deputy president post.
“The disciplinary committee can take action
against me but he (Samy Vellu) is an interested
party,” he said.
“If the action is taken, then he will be very
happy. If it is not taken, this news is good enough
to frighten some of the delegates,” he added.

the Youth will forward to the supreme council

briefs
Relax rules for party contests,
says Khairy
KUALA LUMPUR: Umno Youth wants the par-
ty’s top leadership to initiate several changes
and relax the rules so that there will be more
chances for fresh talents to shine in the next
party polls.
Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin said
Umno’s strict conditions for contesting has
long stifled the growth of talents, especially
from the grassroots levels.
“There are just too many conditions to
qualify and contest for posts in the party
elections,” said Khairy, after chairing the
Youth exco meeting at Umno headquarters
yesterday.
“Its time for these rules to be relaxed, so
that there would be more chances for fresh
talents and those with potential to lead,” he
said.
Khairy said among the proposals which
include one that qualify those with one-term
of service as exco member to contest the
posts of youth chief and deputy chief.
“Previously, one must have served for
two terms as exco member to be eligible to
contest for the top two posts.
Robbery gang crippled with
arrest of two
SEBERANG PERAI: Police have crippled a rob-
bery gang believed to have been responsible for
more than 30 cases with the arrest of two men
recently.
On Sept 3, a former car repossessor, 26, was
caught at a flat in Seberang Jaya, after police
received information from the public.
Police seized a stolen car used by the suspect
and several items which had been reported to
be stolen.
The investigation led to the arrest of the
suspect’s partner, a 30-year-old dispatch worker,
at a house Seberang Jaya. Several stolen items
were seized at the house.
About RM150,000 worth of stolen items were
recovered, including a washing machine, a televi-
sion, hi-fi set, several laptops and handphones.