Govt withdraws appeal over Pastor Koh’s classified report

FMT:

Govt withdraws appeal over Pastor Koh’s classified report

3 hours ago
Ho Kit Yen

Court of Appeal orders the government to pay Pastor Raymond Koh’s family RM15,000 in costs

Pastor Raymond Koh was abducted by five masked men in Petaling Jaya on Feb 13, 2017. (File pic)

PUTRAJAYA: The government today withdrew its appeal against a High Court decision granting Pastor Raymond Koh’s family access to a classified report.

Senior federal counsel Nurul Farhana Khalid informed the Court of Appeal that a notice of discontinuation was recently filed.

The court, chaired by Justice Supang Lian and also comprising Justices Ismail Brahim and K Muniandy, struck out the appeal and awarded RM15,000 in costs to Koh’s family.


Earlier, Farhana urged the court not to impose costs on the government.

However, lawyer Michelle Wong objected, arguing that substantial work had gone into responding to the appeal. She sought RM15,000 in costs, pointing out that an application to introduce fresh evidence was filed last month.


Last year, the High Court held the government liable for Koh’s disappearance.

Justice Su Tiang Joo found that one or more current and former police officers, named as defendants, had acted under orders in Koh’s abduction nine years ago.

Su ordered the government to pay over RM37 million in damages to the family.

Koh was abducted on Feb 13, 2017 while driving along Jalan SS4B/10 in Petaling Jaya. During the trial, the court heard that five masked men in black military outfits pulled him from his car.

Amirul’s family needs support, not inflammatory rhetoric

FMT:

Amirul’s family needs support, not inflammatory rhetoric

Yesterday
Tajuddin Rasdi

A tragedy like this should bring Malaysians together, not drive us apart

The tragic death of a father, killed after being struck by a drunken driver, filled me with great sadness this Hari Raya.

Even more disheartening were the news reports, the inflammatory rhetoric on social media, and an opportunistic MP seeking political mileage.


Amirul Hafiz Omar’s death, if not addressed carefully, could deepen a rift in society for decades to come.

The fact that the suspect and the victim were of different ethnicities has allowed certain individuals to racialise what is, at its core, an act of reckless behaviour.


Viewing such irresponsibility through a racial lens unfortunately and undeservedly shifts the focus away from the grieving family, who need support – both financial and emotional.

Harping on the suspect’s apparently “immoral” lifestyle serves no purpose other than to stereotype a community that is likely just as angered by the act, trapping a multiracial society in unproductive whataboutism.

As a father, my heart aches for the victim’s family – in this case, Amirul’s parents, widow, and children.

But it also makes me reflect on the bleak future that faces the perpetrator and the hardship that his parents will have to endure. Both the victims and the suspect, who is in his 20s, deserve help.


This is why we must question the emotionally charged reporting of this tragedy by some media outlets.

The manner in which it was written is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it effectively highlights the family’s anguish, but on the other, it risks raising communal tensions that could harm the nation.

What is the motive behind reporting the story in such a way? For clicks? Why are some media outlets behaving like podcasters who thrive on populist narratives, without the same level of professionalism and conscience?

It is downright irresponsible.

Then there are politicians who focus solely on the racial backgrounds of the victim and the suspect, demanding punishments not stipulated under existing laws.

Why the rush to demand such “justice”? Would these politicians call for the same punishment if the suspect and victim were of the same race? Or if the suspect were their own child?

What if the accident was caused by other factors unrelated to driving under the influence? Shouldn’t we wait for the full investigation?

Again, let us refrain from racialising this tragedy. There is no need to ask whether those involved were Malay, Chinese or Indian. It is enough to know that there is a victim and that a suspect has been arrested.

Tragedy is not caused by one’s colour or creed. Instead, such sorrow should bring us together – to demand better laws or to examine the root causes more deeply.

Let us also sit our children down and help them understand the importance of being responsible behind the wheel.

For now, let us mourn with the family and support them in their hour of need.

And finally, let us pray for Amirul’s family – that they may find comfort during this difficult time – and perhaps also for our country.

***

Prof Tajuddin is spot on - pollies are just exploiting a tragedy for political-racial brownie points - disgusting pollies.

MP moots death penalty for drunk drivers in fatal crashes

FMT:

MP moots death penalty for drunk drivers in fatal crashes

An MP from PAS meanwhile calls for lifetime driving bans for offenders after the fatal crash in Klang yesterday

A dashcam video clip believed to be of the accident showed an overtaking car crashing into an oncoming motorcycle.

PETALING JAYA: An opposition MP has called on the government to consider imposing the death penalty for convicted drunk drivers after the crash in Klang yesterday involving a driver under the influence of alcohol and drugs.

Machang MP Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal said the stiffer penalties enacted under the Road Transport Act in 2020 failed to deter offenders from drink driving.

“Therefore, I urge the government to study amending the law to allow for the death penalty to be imposed on drunk drivers who cause death.

“When someone under the influence still chooses to drive, the law should consider that the person has intent to kill, because their actions clearly have a high risk of killing others,” the former Bersatu leader said in a Facebook post.

kt notes: If bloke is drunk, can he (coherently) still choose?

Jerantut MP Khairil Nizam Khirudin meanwhile called for lifetime driving bans for all drink driving offenders, saying suspensions are insufficient.

The PAS leader said the government must take a far tougher line on drink driving given the threat offenders pose to other road users, making it a matter of public safety rather than just a traffic offence.

He said the government should strengthen enforcement under the Road Transport Act and ensure that stiff punishments are consistently imposed.

“One more life has been lost. One more family has been destroyed. Justice must be served,” he said in a statement, urging transport minister Loke Siew Fook to take action.

Under Section 44 of the Road Transport Act, those convicted of causing death while driving under the influence may face 10 to 15 years in prison and a fine of between RM50,000 and RM100,000.

They will also be barred from holding a driving licence for at least 10 years from the date of their conviction.

Repeat offenders can face 15 to 20 years’ jail, a RM100,000 to RM150,000 fine, and a 20-year ban from driving.

A motorcyclist was killed in Klang yesterday morning after being rammed by a car driven by a man in his 20s who was driving under the influence.

A dashcam video clip posted online showed an overtaking car in the opposite lane crashing into an oncoming motorcyclist, sending the victim flying into the air and landing on top of another vehicle.

The suspect has been remanded until Thursday.

PAS Youth chief Afnan Hamimi Taib Azamudden has offered free legal aid to the victim’s family to ensure justice for the deceased.

***

What else can you expect from a PAS minister other than the severest punishment, the death penalty?

Pancung, pancung!!!

Trump tells struggling countries to ‘go get your own oil’ in Hormuz

Trump tells struggling countries to ‘go get your own oil’ in Hormuz



US President Donald Trump and US First Lady Melania Trump attend the opening night of ‘Chicago’ at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, on March 31, 2026. — AFP pic

Wednesday, 01 Apr 2026 9:27 AM MYT


WASHINGTON, April 1 — US President Donald Trump said yesterday the countries that have not joined the Middle East war but are struggling with fuel shortages should “go get your own oil” in the Strait of Hormuz.

In a Truth Social post, Trump said countries “that refused to get involved” should “build up some delayed courage, go to the Strait, and just TAKE IT,” adding that the US would not help them.


“The U.S.A. won’t be there to help you anymore, just like you weren’t there for us. Iran has been, essentially, decimated. The hard part is done. Go get your own oil!”

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth echoed that message during a news conference yesterday.


“This is an international waterway that we use less than most, in fact dramatically less than most,” Hegseth said.


“It’s not just our problem set, going forward, even though we have done the lion’s share of preparation to ensure that that strait will be open,” he said.

Hegseth also said that the next days of the Iran war will be “decisive,” while refusing to rule out US ground forces playing a role in the conflict.


“The upcoming days will be decisive. Iran knows that, and there’s almost nothing they can militarily do about it,” Hegseth said.

Asked about concerns among some of President Donald Trump’s base about the possible use of ground troops in Iran, Hegseth declined to tip his hand.


Iran talks ‘gaining strength’

“You can’t fight and win a war if you tell your adversary what you are willing to do, or what you are not willing to do, to include boots on the ground,” he said.

“If we needed to, we could execute those options on behalf of the president of the US and this department. Or maybe we don’t have to use them at all — maybe negotiations work,” Hegseth said.

The Pentagon chief said talks on ending the war were making progress even as the more than month-long US-Israeli military campaign against the Islamic republic continued.

“They are very real. They are ongoing, they are active, and I think, gaining strength,” Hegseth said of the negotiations.

He also said he had made an unannounced trip to visit US troops taking part in operations against Iran.

“We were on the ground in CENTCOM on Saturday for about half the day. For reasons of operational security, so those troops are not targeted, the places and bases will not be named,” Hegseth said, referring to the US command responsible for the region.

“Suffice it to say, the trip was an honor. I had a chance to bear witness, and I witnessed the best of America,” he said.

General Dan Caine — the top US military officer — spoke alongside Hegseth, saying that US forces have struck more than 11,000 targets so far.

The US “continues to destroy Iran’s ballistic missile and (drone) capabilities. We remain focused on interdicting and destroying the logistical and supply chains that feed these programmes,” he said. — AFP

***

You frigging MORON, the straits was perfectly and peacefully opened UNTIL you and your shailok MASTER attacked Iran. You should now pay Iran war reparation, you frigging dumbo.

Two-thirds of Americans want swift end to Iran war even if US goals unmet, poll finds

Two-thirds of Americans want swift end to Iran war even if US goals unmet, poll finds



Gas prices are displayed at a gas station as the prices of oil and gas surge, amid the US-Israel conflict with Iran, in Titusville, Florida, US, March 31, 2026. — Reuters pic

Wednesday, 01 Apr 2026 10:04 AM MYT


WASHINGTON DC, April 1 — Two-thirds of Americans believe that the US should work to end its involvement in the Iran war quickly, even if that means not achieving the goals set out by the Trump administration, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found.

Some 66 per cent of respondents to the poll, conducted Friday through Sunday, voiced that view, while 27 per cent said the US should work to achieve all its goals in Iran, even if the conflict goes on for an extended period. Six per cent did not answer the question.


Among Trump’s Republicans, 40 per cent supported ending the conflict quickly even if it did not achieve US goals, while 57 per cent supported a longer involvement. The month-long war has spread across the Middle East, killing thousands of people and has hit the global economy with soaring energy prices, fuelling global inflation fears.

A total of 60 per cent of respondents said they disapproved of US military strikes on Iran, while 35 per cent approved in the survey of 1,021 people. One of the war’s most visible effects in the US has been the rising cost of gasoline, which rose above US$4 a gallon on Monday for the first time in more than three years, data from price tracking service GasBuddy showed.

Two in three respondents said they expected gas prices to worsen over the next year, including 40 per cent of Republicans.


Trump’s Republicans face voters in November for midterm elections that will decide whether they can hold onto slim majorities in the House and Senate. The incumbent president’s party tends to lose seats in Congress in midterm elections.

More than half of respondents thought the conflict will have a mostly negative impact on their personal financial situation, including 39 per cent of Republicans surveyed. — Reuters

Two more medical experts to testify in Zara Qairina inquest

Two more medical experts to testify in Zara Qairina inquest



Police conduct security controls in front of the court complex in Kota Kinabalu. The inquest proceedings into the death of Zara Qairina Mahathir will continue with testimony from two more expert witnesses, comprising medical specialists, in sessions scheduled to take place in April. — Borneo Post pic

Wednesday, 01 Apr 2026 11:21 AM MYT


KOTA KINABALU, April 1 — The inquest proceedings into the death of Zara Qairina Mahathir will continue with testimony from two more expert witnesses, comprising medical specialists, in sessions scheduled to take place in April.

Lawyer Shahlan Jufri, representing Zara Qairina’s mother, said the next witness to be called was Dr Chua Sze Huang, a psychiatrist at Hospital Mesra, Bukit Padang here, who is set to testify this Thursday.

He said Dr Chua was expected to present findings from an 84-page psychiatric report on Zara Qairina’s condition prior to the tragic incident on July 16 last year.

“That is a report from a psychiatric specialist on Zara’s condition after interviewing her parents and several others. The report has been prepared, and we received it on March 5.


“We have requested some time to question the doctor, possibly within this month after Thursday, as we need to examine the report in detail,” he told reporters after the inquest proceedings here yesterday.

Shahlan said another witness, pathologist Datuk Seri Dr Phupinder Singh, was also scheduled to testify in the next inquest session.

He said this week’s proceedings would continue until Thursday before resuming from April 13 to 17.


Zara Qairina, 13, died at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital on July 17, 2025, a day after she was found unconscious in a drain near the dormitory of Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Agama Tun Datu Mustapha, Papar.

On August 13, 2025, the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) ordered the inquest after reviewing the police investigation report, while on August 8, 2025, the AGC issued an order to exhume the girl’s body to enable a post-mortem to be conducted. — Bernama

Driver at centre of viral Klang crash faces murder charge, pleads guilty to drug offence

Driver at centre of viral Klang crash faces murder charge, pleads guilty to drug offence



The driver at the centre of a viral crash that hurled a motorcyclist onto another car was brought before the Magistrates’ Court here today to face a murder charge and a separate drug offence. — Bernama pic

Wednesday, 01 Apr 2026 11:26 AM MYT


KLANG, April 1 — The driver at the centre of a viral crash that hurled a motorcyclist onto another car was brought before the Magistrates’ Court here today to face a murder charge and a separate drug offence.

According to Sinar Harian (SH), R. Saktygaanapathy, 28, nodded to indicate he understood when the murder charge was read before Magistrate A. Karthiyayini. No plea was recorded as the case falls under the jurisdiction of the High Court.

He is accused of murdering Amirul Hafiz Omar, 33, on Jalan Raya Barat at 11.47am on March 29.

The charge is framed under Section 302 of the Penal Code, which carries the death penalty or imprisonment of between 30 and 40 years. If the death sentence is not imposed, the law requires no fewer than 12 strokes of the cane.


Separately, Saktygaanapathy pleaded guilty to a charge of self‑administering drugs believed to be benzodiazepines and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), SH reported.

The offence was allegedly committed at the Narcotics Office of the Klang District Police Headquarters at 3.30pm the same day.

That charge was brought under Section 15(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, which provides for a fine of up to RM5,000 or a maximum two years’ imprisonment upon conviction.

Deputy public prosecutor Raja Zaizul Faridah Raja Zaharudin conducted the prosecution, while the accused was unrepresented.

***

The charge for an alleged offence is very serious and the accused must be punished if found guilty. But I don't like the fact that for such a serious charge the accused was UNrepresented.

I also wonder whether the AG Office has been 'pressured' by socio-political pressure to bring about such a serious charge. I don't like it at all.