Eight people remain missing after being swept away by strong currents, while nine others are stranded in three separate incidents following a sudden rise in the water level of Sungai Pertak in Kuala Kubu Bharu this evening. Pic courtesy of Fire and Rescue Department
KUALA LUMPUR: Eight people remain missing after being swept away by strong currents, while nine others are stranded in three separate incidents following a water surge at Sungai Pertak in Kuala Kubu Baru this evening.
The incidents involved three separate groups.
Selangor Fire and Rescue Department assistant operations director Ashrul Riezal Asbar said the eight missing comprised one member of a group of Yemeni and locals, and seven members of a group of 11 locals.
"For the first group, one person was swept away and has yet to be found. Upstream, there were about 11 people.
"Of these, seven were in the water and were swept away by the currents," he told Bernama.
The nine stranded people comprised four who had yet to cross the river and another five from a separate group stranded on the opposite bank.
Ashrul Riezal said the department received a distress call about 5.55pm and arrived at the scene at 6.30pm.
"We also received a call from the Orang Asli, who had led the group. The search is still ongoing.
"We have set up an incident command post to monitor water conditions and the surrounding areas, and locate victims who may be stranded at various locations," he added. - NST
Falsafah pentadbiran kerajaan Madani berpaksikan prinsip kekayaan negara wajar dipulangkan sepenuhnya kepada rakyat, kata KSU PH.
Ketua Setiausaha PH Saifuddin Nasution Ismail berucap pada Program Ceramah PH sempena kempen PRN Melaka. Turut hadir, calon PH DUN Klebang Farzana Hayani Mohd Nasir. (Gambar Bernama)
MELAKA: Wakil rakyat yang dipilih menerusi mandat pilihan raya memikul amanah besar untuk mengurus kebajikan rakyat dan bukannya menggunakan kedudukan bagi mengaut kekayaan peribadi.
Ketua Setiausaha Pakatan Harapan (PH) Saifuddin Nasution Ismail berkata, falsafah pentadbiran kerajaan Madani berpaksikan prinsip kekayaan hasil negara wajar dipulangkan sepenuhnya kepada segenap lapisan masyarakat.
Beliau berkata, tujuan utama rakyat memilih wakil adalah bagi memastikan masalah setempat diangkat dan diselesaikan secara tuntas melalui pengagihan ekonomi yang adil.
“Wakil rakyat bukan untuk diri jadi kaya. Negara kita kaya, ya. Wakil rakyat kerja untuk rakyat, biar negara jadi kaya, supaya boleh bagi dan jaga kebajikan segenap lapisan rakyat. Itu tujuan kita pilih wakil rakyat.
“Negara biar kaya, bukan wakil rakyat kaya, bukan menteri kaya. Dengan kekayaan itu, tolong kebajikan rakyat yang sakit, yang cacat, yang perlu bantuan, nelayan, penjaja kecil, penoreh getah, penanam padi, warga emas,” katanya.
Beliau berkata demikian ketika berucap pada program ceramah kelompok kempen PRN Melaka bagi memperkenalkan calon PH di DUN Kelebang Farzana Hayani Mohd Nasir di Bilik Gerakan Utama PH DUN Kelebang malam ini.
Saifuddin Nasution yang juga menteri dalam negeri turut menyeru pengundi agar memberi mandat kepada Farzana Hayani yang disifatkannya memiliki kelebihan tersendiri untuk membawa suara penduduk setempat.
Beliau berkata, latar belakang calon muda berusia 26 tahun yang bertugas di Pejabat Perdana Menteri serta mempunyai kebolehan bertutur bahasa Mandarin itu menjadikannya calon ideal untuk merapatkan hubungan masyarakat majmuk dan menyelesaikan masalah infrastruktur rakyat dengan pantas.
“Kita fokus kenapa nak pilih wakil rakyat, bantu selesai masalah rakyat. Dia jadi penghubung dengan pemimpin yang boleh bantu selesai masalah rakyat. Itu cara kita uruskan kempen ini,” katanya.
Farzana Hayani berdepan saingan empat penjuru di DUN Kelebang menentang penyandang kerusi itu Lim Ban Hong (Barisan Nasional); Mohamad Ali Mohamad (Bersatu) dan Young Jie Yu (Bersama).
SPR menetapkan 14 Nov sebagai hari pengundian PRN Melaka manakala pengundian awal akan berlangsung esok. - FMT
Ramkarpal Singh says the AGC is seeking clarification on the High Court order, not the conditional pardon given by the king.
DAP’s legal bureau chairman Ramkarpal Singh said an application to revise the High Court Order of Discharge for Najib Razak ought to be made forthwith in light of the urgency of the matter.
PETALING JAYA: DAP’s legal bureau chairman Ramkarpal Singh has defended the Attorney-General’s Chambers’ position on the court order concerning Najib Razak’s house arrest, saying it does not amount to questioning the king’s prerogative in granting pardons.
The Bukit Gelugor MP agreed that the word “discharge” in the High Court order could be construed as a “release” for Najib, rather than transferring him to house arrest.
Ramkarpal said this would therefore contradict the conditional pardon which explicitly states that the former prime minister would serve his remaining SRC International jail term under house arrest if he pays the RM50 million fine.
“As such, clarification of the said Order of Discharge is necessary to avoid any doubts which may arise in the enforcement of the said conditional pardon order.
“The AGC’s position is further compounded by the fact that Najib is required to serve another sentence for his conviction in the 1MDB case immediately after completing his sentence in the SRC case, for which a stay of execution has not been granted to date,” he said in a statement.
While Najib’s residence has been gazetted as a prison, Ramkarpal said it was unclear if the gazette extends beyond the former Umno president’s SRC sentence since the gazette was issued in light of the SRC pardon.
“In other words, it is unlikely that Najib’s residence is meant to be a prison for him to serve any other sentence apart from the SRC sentence, such as his 1MDB sentence.
“Under the circumstances, I am of the opinion that the AGC is right in its view that the matter should be clarified by the High Court and an application for the said purpose or revision of the said Order of Discharge ought to be made forthwith in light of the urgency of the matter.
“It must be emphasised that such clarification or revision would not seek to clarify the terms of the conditional pardon order (which are clear) but instead, seeks to remedy a potential error in the Order of Discharge relating to the administration of justice,” he said.
On Nov 6, Umno said it had settled the RM50 million fine for Najib, allowing him to serve the remainder of his jail term under house arrest.
However, the Attorney-General’s Chambers called for this to be deferred pending clarification of conflicting terms in the court order.
Attorney-General Dusuki Mokhtar said there were obvious errors in the court order which would have been spotted if the document had been properly checked. - FMT
PN chairman says it could set off further 'political developments' and put pressure on PH to dissolve Parliament.
PN chairman Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar took issue with the prime minister’s call for Melaka voters to elect candidates with direct access to his office, saying this was an outdated election ploy.
PETALING JAYA: Perikatan Nasional chairman Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar has predicted that an early general election would be called if the PN-Barisan Nasional alliance wins the Melaka polls on Saturday.
The PAS vice-president said a victory for the two allied coalitions could set off further “political developments” and put pressure on Pakatan Harapan, whose chairman Anwar Ibrahim is prime minister.
He did not elaborate on what these “political developments” would entail.
“I would not be surprised if Parliament were dissolved before the end of its term,” he said on the Kekal Tenang podcast.
Samsuri, who is also Terengganu menteri besar, said PN’s election machinery must therefore be prepared for the 16th general election (GE16) to be called at any time.
“Brace for impact,” he added.
GE16 is only due by early 2028 if Parliament serves its full term, but opposition leader and Wawasan president Hamzah Zainudin previously predicted that Anwar would call for the nationwide polls by August next year.
BN and PN are working together in the 16th Melaka state election, with BN contesting 23 seats and PN five. BN chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has said PN would be invited to join the state government if the alliance wins.
Outdated election ploy
Separately, Samsuri took issue with Anwar’s call for Melaka voters to elect candidates with direct access to his office, describing it as an outdated election ploy.
He said such connections might not last after GE16 as there was no guarantee Anwar would remain prime minister, while having direct access to Putrajaya would mean little if an assemblyman ends up being isolated in the Melaka assembly.
“There is no need for such an argument. That is an argument from the 1980s,” he said, adding that Malaccans should instead consider how candidates intend to govern and address the state’s problems.
Last Thursday, Anwar urged voters to choose candidates who had a “direct line” to the Prime Minister’s Office, saying this would help them resolve local problems and secure development projects.
He cited PH candidates Azman Abidin in Paya Rumput and Farzana Hayani Nasir in Kelebang as examples.
Farzana has served in the PMO as an officer while Azman is a political secretary to Anwar, the PKR president. - FMT
The disgraced comedian was convicted on Thursday of raping one woman and sexually assaulting three more between 2004 and 2009.
London’s Metropolitan police said Russell Brand is under investigation for two other alleged rapes, one involving a then-16-year-old girl. (EPA Images pic)
LONDON: Comedian Russell Brand, once one of Britain’s most high-profile broadcasters and a Hollywood star, was jailed for 10-and-a-half years on Monday after he was convicted of raping one woman and sexually assaulting three more around two decades ago.
Brand – the former husband of US pop singer Katy Perry who in recent years moved away from the mainstream – was convicted on Thursday of raping one woman and sexually assaulting three more between 2004 and 2009. He had denied all the charges.
The 51-year-old stood in the dock at London’s Southwark Crown Court as Judge Joel Bennathan sentenced him, describing Brand as a predator who believed “fame meant you could act how you liked, when you liked”.
Earlier, one of Brand’s victims, whom Brand anally raped in 2009, said in a statement read by prosecutors that the trauma of the attack was “something I carry with me every day, and it often feels never-ending”.
Brand’s lawyer Ian Winter said Brand – who has spoken at length about his recovery from drink and drug addiction and his new-found Christian faith – was “a fundamentally different person today and has been for a very long time”.
London’s Metropolitan police has said Brand is under investigation for two other alleged rapes, one involving a then-16-year-old girl, and the head of the force said on Friday that he “wouldn’t be surprised if many more came forward”.
Brand, who starred in films such as “Forgetting Sarah Marshall”, “Get Him to the Greek” and “Arthur”, had denied ever having non-consensual sex. He was acquitted of two other rape charges and an attempted indecent assault. - FMT
I DO not know whether to laugh or cry when reading the report, “Nga: Govt saves RM3b by leasing 28 helicopters including two AW139 units to JBPM” (Bernama, Nov 4).
Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming said the government would save RM3 bil by leasing 28 helicopters for use by government agencies, including two AW139 helicopters for the Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM).
The reported contract value is RM16.546 bil. A parliamentary answer in November 2024 described the arrangement as an 18-year contract, although more recent reports refer to a 15-year leasing period.
The government should clarify the duration and explain how the claimed RM3 billion saving was calculated.
At first glance, the arithmetic invites an obvious question: how can a commitment exceeding RM16 bil be presented as a saving of RM3 bil?
But the comparison must be fair. The package reportedly includes maintenance, repairs and overhaul, spare parts, training, insurance and financing costs, not simply the use of the aircraft.
Nga Kor Ming (Image: Bernama)
The relevant comparison is therefore the total cost of leasing against the full cost of buying, operating and maintaining an equivalent fleet over the same period.
It is like paying RM16 for a RM19 product and claiming to have saved RM3. But that analogy only works if the products and services being compared are equivalent.
If I decide not to buy a Rolls-Royce priced at RM6.12 mil and instead purchase a Proton X90 for RM120,000, I cannot reasonably claim to have saved RM6 mil without considering what each vehicle provides.
Buying helicopters outright may appear cheaper, but the government would also have to fund maintenance facilities, spare parts, specialist personnel, training, insurance and periods when aircraft are unavailable for service.
Conversely, a leasing arrangement must be judged on whether the contractor delivers the promised availability and support at a reasonable cost.
There are risks in managing assets in-house, too. Decades ago, I witnessed questionable practices at a motor workshop operated by a government-linked corporate body.
Bus drivers and mechanics allegedly colluded to report functioning gearboxes as faulty. A new gearbox would be recorded as purchased, while a used one was fitted and the removed unit kept for another opportunity.
If such practices sound incredible, consider the theft of two fighter jet engines from the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF).
The General Electric J85-21 engines, used in Northrop F-5E Tiger II aircraft, were reported missing from the RMAF base at Sungai Besi in 2008.
Investigations and subsequent court proceedings revealed the involvement of military personnel and civilian contractors in the removal and disposal of the engines. They were eventually traced to Uruguay, exposing serious weaknesses in asset control and oversight.
Leasing is not new to the federal government. SPANCO began supplying and managing the government’s saloon-car fleet under a 25-year concession that took effect on Jan 1, 1994, and ended on Dec 31, 2018.
A subsequent 15-year concession, effective from July 31, 2022, runs until July 30, 2037.
The current agreement covers the supply, repair, maintenance and management of government vehicles.
Its terms illustrate how leasing can transfer fleet-management responsibilities to a concessionaire, although the government remains responsible for monitoring performance and enforcing contractual obligations.
I entered the car rental and leasing business in Malaysia in 1993, setting it up for a Singapore tour company. Vehicles were bought outright from motor dealers and registered for corporate customers, with ownership retained by our company.
We provided maintenance, road tax and insurance, as well as replacement cars when vehicles were being repaired.
(Image: Free Malaysia Today)
For companies operating large fleets, buying may be cheaper than renting or leasing. But ownership also means taking responsibility for fleet administration, maintenance, insurance and replacement vehicles.
Costs can rise when these functions are poorly managed. Leasing transfers much of that responsibility to the provider, allowing customers to focus on their core operations and offering greater predictability over expenditure.
Ultimately, the success of a leasing arrangement depends on the competence and integrity of both parties. The lessor must deliver reliable assets and services, while the lessee must negotiate a fair contract, monitor performance and enforce its terms.
The government may describe the helicopter arrangement as a saving. But the public deserves a transparent comparison showing how that saving was calculated, what services are included and whether the promised operational readiness will be delivered.
For the lessor, a long-term contract can provide a steady revenue stream. For the lessee, it can offer access to expensive assets without the burden of managing them.
Who gains more depends on the price, the quality of service and how well the contract is enforced.
YS Chan is a tourism, transport and training consultant.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT
