FDS heli crash: Preliminary report finds facility flaws, victims died from blaze, not impact

 

A fierce blaze fuelled by safety facility deficiencies at Long Lellang Short Runway Airport in Ulu Baram, Sarawak, was the primary cause of death for five individuals in a helicopter crash, with all victims dying from severe burns rather than impact forces.

The Air Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) of the Transport Ministry revealed the findings regarding the cause of death and shortcomings in the rescue operation in a preliminary report published today.

Pathological and medical investigations confirmed that the pilot and four passengers aboard the Bolkow BO105 S helicopter, operated by Layang-Layang Aerospace Sdn Bhd, did not perish from the impact of the crash on the runway.

"Instead, (they died) as a result of being engulfed in flames and suffering critical burns before they could be rescued," the report stated.

The official report also exposed significant flaws in safety preparedness at the remote community airport, which exacerbated the situation during the fire.

At the time of the incident at approximately 3.30pm on Sept 8, no dedicated firefighting personnel were stationed at the airport. Firefighting and rescue duties fell on Rela volunteers and auxiliary police personnel acting as auxiliary responders.

"To make matters worse, auxiliary responders had to risk their lives fighting the fire without wearing complete firefighting personal protective equipment.

"AAIB's inspection of the safety equipment at the airport found that the provided fire-resistant suits and helmets were in a dilapidated state, showing physical damage and deterioration due to a lack of maintenance.

"Although 12 dry powder fire extinguisher units - comprising five 50kg capacity units and seven 9kg capacity units - were deployed by personnel and local villagers, the intense blaze could not be controlled.

"The aircraft continued to burn to a cinder for several hours by the side of the runway," it added.

No flight data, cockpit voice recorders

The incident occurred while the aircraft, registered as 9M-LLF and operating under the callsign MEDIC3, was executing a scheduled Flying Doctor Service mission for the Health Ministry.

The flight departed Miri at 10.15am, bound for Ba’Lai, before continuing its sector to Selungo at 1.36pm for refuelling.

After taking off from Selungo toward Long Lellang at 3.17 pm, the satellite flight tracking system (Spider Track) cut off approximately three nautical miles prior to reaching the destination.

A 37-second video recording captured by a ground witness showed the helicopter already emitting a thick smoke trail and visible flames behind the main gearbox as it approached Runway 04, before crashing approximately 25m from the runway threshold.

AAIB also confirmed that the helicopter was not equipped with a flight data recorder or a cockpit voice recorder.

However, no regulatory violation occurred, as the installation of “black boxes” is not mandatory under aviation regulations for this category of aircraft.

Specialised rescue teams from the Royal Malaysia Police, Fire and Rescue Department, and the Health Ministry only arrived at the scene on the second day via helicopter due to Long Lellang's extremely remote terrain and limited ground access.

The Transport Ministry expressed its condolences to the victims' families and emphasised that the investigation is being conducted in accordance with Annex 13 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation solely for prevention purposes, and not to apportion blame or liability.

"A comprehensive analysis regarding the origin of the fire in the engine/transmission area will be detailed in the final report," the ministry said. - Mkini

Selangor Bersatu leader gets show-cause letter over presence at Umno AGM

 

Permatang assemblyperson Nurul Syazwani Noh has confirmed receiving a show-cause letter from Bersatu over her attendance at the Umno general assembly last September.

However, when contacted, Syazwani maintained that she is still a party member and has never declared support for any other political party.

According to Syazwani, who is also the Tanjung Karang Bersatu chief, she respects the party's disciplinary process and has responded through the proper channels.

"What I want to emphasise is that as of today, I am still a Bersatu member. I have never declared leaving the party, nor have I taken any action to express support for any other political party," she told Malaysiakini.

She said differing political views are common, especially when it involves the people's interest and her responsibilities as an elected representative - but this did not mean she supports another party.

Cooperation with different political parties necessary

Syazwani said that as an assemblyperson, she needed to distinguish between party politics and her duties as an elected representative, which include maintaining working relationships with both state and federal governments.

She noted that cooperation with different political parties is crucial to ensuring issues the public face, such as housing, roads, floods, water supply, and welfare, can be resolved.

"I cannot tell the people that I cannot help with their problems simply because the authority in charge is from a different party," she said.

"To me, being in the opposition does not mean we have to be enemies with everyone.

"We can hold different political positions, and we can advise and criticise when necessary, but when it comes to the people's interest, we must be able to sit at the same table and work together," she said.

Syazwani stated she is prepared for any disciplinary action, provided the hearing is conducted fairly based on the party's constitution, and she is given the right to defend herself.

On Sept 11, Syazwani caught the public's attention when she attended the Umno general assembly dressed in attire resembling the official uniform of Wanita Umno.

Her presence coincided with Umno actively promoting its Rumah Bangsa concept, which aims, among other things, to unite the Malays and open doors for former members to rejoin the party. - Mkini

Bersama questions scientific basis for school closure API threshold changes

 

The Education Ministry’s school closure thresholds amid the ongoing haze situation should be set on a scientific basis guided by public health expert advice, said Bersama. 

Party spokespersons Adawiyah Sulaiman and Seah Jhen Pei highlighted that “significant” changes to the Education Ministry’s school closure policy in recent days have raised questions about the scientific basis and public health considerations behind such calls.

The duo’s statement today followed Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek’s Oct 14 announcement that schools will now only be closed in areas where the air pollutant index (API) exceeds 200, with outdoor classroom activities suspended in localities recording an above-100 reading.

The update came after the ministry lowered the threshold for closing educational institutions under its jurisdiction amid the worsening haze on Oct 8.

According to the previous guideline, all educational institutions under the Education Ministry in areas recording an API above 180 or above 150 for three consecutive days must close.

The lowered threshold was announced just hours after Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar advised authorities to prioritise students’ health and safety when the API is between 150 and 180.

KL schools open, but S'gor schools closed

However, the Bersama representatives today pointed out that if the 150 and 180 thresholds were initially set based on health and safety considerations last week, the ministry should explain the scientific basis for raising the threshold back to 200 in such a short time.

“If the 200 threshold is truly the applicable policy, why were a large portion of schools in Selangor still closed the following day?” they questioned.

Following the ministry’s latest policy, the Selangor Education Department yesterday announced that schools in eight out of 10 districts in its jurisdiction would close.

As of 5pm yesterday, Klang recorded the highest API reading in Selangor, at 195. While five other areas recorded unhealthy air quality levels, none of them breached the 200 threshold.

“At the same time, all schools in Kuala Lumpur remained open as usual. This meant that schools in Gombak were closed, while schools in Sentul, located next to each other and breathing the same air, were open as usual.

“Decisions that changed within a matter of hours and contradicted neighbouring areas show that there is no clear, uniform, and data-driven decision-making framework,” Adawiyah and Seah asserted.

Not everyone affected equally

They further stressed that the haze does not affect all students and parents equally, with families without their own vehicles, who rely on public transport, or who simply walk to school facing higher exposure.

They also noted that certain students could not take lessons from home without proper support, arguing that the government’s education policy should not further cause such students to lag behind in their schooling when they are already the most vulnerable to health risks.

“Malaysia went through the home-based learning (PdPR) experience during the Covid-19 pandemic - we have identified its weaknesses, including gaps in access to devices and the internet, as well as student engagement challenges,” they emphasised.

“This experience should serve as a foundation to strengthen the PdPR system to be more prepared, inclusive, and effective when a crisis like the haze occurs.

“If the Education Ministry’s concern is the continuity of learning, then the solution is to empower PdPR, not sacrifice health protection measures,” they added.

Mechanism, unified communication needed

Besides clear, transparent, and consistent criteria on school closures, they also called for the establishment of a decision-making mechanism between the Education Ministry, state education departments, and the Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Ministry.

The mechanism, they said, should ensure neighbouring areas with the same air quality do not receive conflicting decisions on school activities.

They also urged for school closure or reopening decisions to be announced earlier through a single clear official channel to avoid confusion and give parents time to prepare. 

Beyond prioritising student safety and health through a precautionary approach, they also said PdPR should be strengthened as an education continuity plan during crises, including the provision of online and offline materials, reasonable timetables, and task coordination.

“We should not view health and education as two conflicting matters. Both are government responsibilities that must be safeguarded simultaneously - students should not have to gamble with their health to avoid falling behind in their studies.

“The public deserves public policies that are centred on science, professionally managed, protect health and ensure every child continues to receive fair educational opportunities,” they added. - Mkini

DAP MP refers Wee to privileges committee over ministry spending remarks

 

Kampar MP Chong Zhemin has submitted a motion to refer MCA president Wee Ka Siong to the Dewan Rakyat's Rights and Privileges Committee, accusing the Ayer Hitam MP of making statements that could have misled the House over the Rural and Regional Development Ministry's expenditure.

In a statement today, Chong (above) said Wee must substantiate his remarks, adding that whether they amounted to misleading the House should be determined through the parliamentary process.

“My position is straightforward. How public money was approved, why work was allowed to proceed, and why contractors remained unpaid must all be explained.

"If Wee wants to defend the Rural and Regional Development Ministry, he should answer these questions instead of making this about himself,” he said.

Two days ago, Wee urged for a clarification on the RM2.1 billion discrepancy between approved allocations and expenditure by the Rural and Regional Development Ministry, adding that it should not be construed as embezzlement, the New Straits Times reported.

In response, Chong demanded that Wee retract his statement within 24 hours, warning that he would refer the matter to the committee if the MCA leader failed to do so.

MCA president Wee Ka Siong

The DAP lawmaker also lodged a report with the MACC on Oct 6 over the ministry’s spending.

In his statement, Chong said Wee had failed to identify any supplementary budget approved by Parliament to cover the expenditure in question between 2023 and 2025, despite telling the Dewan Rakyat that every additional ringgit spent required Finance Ministry approval and had to be included in a supplementary budget.

He challenged Wee to produce the relevant documents and specify when the additional allocation was tabled, how much Parliament approved, and which expenditure it covered.

“Explaining how financial procedures are supposed to work does not establish that those procedures were followed. Wee must address the actual expenditure and approvals involved,” he added.

Dispute over rural roads programme

The dispute centres on the rural roads programme, whose original allocations were subsequently revised upwards by a cumulative RM2.14 billion between 2023 and 2025.

Chong had previously cited figures showing that the original allocation of about RM1.1 billion in 2023 was revised to RM1.85 billion, against actual expenditure of RM1.84 billion.

Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi

In 2024, the allocation rose from RM1.3 billion to RM2.02 billion, with actual spending of about RM2 billion. In 2025, it increased from RM1.6 billion to RM2.27 billion, matching actual expenditure.

The issue arose after Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who is also the rural and regional development minister, complained that contractors who had completed projects were still waiting for payment.

Zahid’s political secretary, Razlan Rafii, subsequently said the programme’s spending remained within revised allocations following approved internal budget transfers, known as NOCs.

Commenting further, Chong questioned how contractors under the Rural Roads Programme had been allowed to continue working after expenditure exceeded the original allocation.

He asked who had authorised the additional work and whether sufficient funds and the necessary approvals were in place before contractors were instructed to proceed.

He further challenged Wee to clarify whether the Rural and Regional Development Ministry had instructed contractors to proceed before obtaining the necessary approvals and funding, or whether Zahid’s account was inaccurate.

“Is Wee suggesting that Zahid was lying?” he asked. - Mkini

Govt risks erosion of public trust by shrouding Najib's house arrest in secrecy, say critics

 

Concealing details of former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak’s house arrest will further erode public confidence in the justice system, former PKR lawmaker Wong Chen warns.

Wong argued that as taxpayers, Malaysians were entitled to know how public funds would be used to monitor Najib during his house arrest.

This includes whether the former premier would receive special privileges while serving the remainder of his detention house-bound.

“The public are victims of the 1MDB scandal, and as such we have the right to know if Najib will be living in luxury with multiple helpers, and will he be given unlimited visitation rights. 

“They should just come fully transparent and publish the details and release it to the mass media. This is not a matter of official secrets which requires limited Parliamentary scrutiny,” the ex-MP told Malaysiakini.

Halved sentence, then home detention

Najib is serving his prison sentence for seven criminal offences linked to SRC International Sdn Bhd and is expected to be released on Aug 23, 2028.

He was initially sentenced to 12 years in jail and fined RM210 million in 2020. However, the Federal Territories Pardons Board halved his jail term to six years and reduced his fine to RM50 million in 2024.

On Sept 18 this year, the Federal Territories Pardons Board, chaired by Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar, allowed Najib to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest, subject to payment of the RM50 million fine.

However, earlier this week, Najib’s lawyer Shafee Abdullah said his client had received the conditions governing his house arrest but was instructed by the Prisons Department not to disclose them publicly.

Shafee told reporters at the Kuala Lumpur Court Complex that the department was concerned that making the details public would prompt media and public speculation and debate.

'House arrest is not holiday'

Meanwhile, Kepong MP Lim Lip Eng today slammed the Prisons Department’s decision, stressing that the public has a right to know how Najib’s home detention will be carried out.

Lim said withholding the details would only fuel speculation over the privileges and restrictions Najib would face under house arrest.

“Who is permitted to visit him? Is he allowed to use a telephone, the internet, and social media? What about television, entertainment, and the freedom to receive guests? Is he required to wear an electronic monitoring device, or is he under constant surveillance via CCTV?” Lim asked in a statement.

Lim said the case was a matter of public interest and could set a precedent for future house arrest arrangements, adding that Malaysians were entitled to know how prison sentences were enforced outside prison.

The DAP lawmaker urged the Prisons Department to disclose the basic conditions, while keeping sensitive security information confidential.

“House arrest is not a holiday in a luxury bungalow. If everything is being done according to the rules, why be afraid to let the public know?” he added. - Mkini

Duress, delay, then endorsement: N Sembilan MB must answer for role in royal crisis - Bar

 

Several pressing questions remain unanswered in the crisis engulfing Negeri Sembilan’s royal, customary, and government institutions, with Menteri Besar Ismail Lasim at the centre of many of the unresolved issues.

Malaysian Bar president Anand Raj has sought an explanation for why Ismail (above) announced the state administration’s acceptance of an April 19 proclamation by rebel territorial chieftains to remove Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir as the Yang di-Pertuan Besar.

Anand noted that Ismail’s predecessor, Aminuddin Harun, previously declared the proclamation invalid, while Ismail himself had claimed to be under duress when he signed a document affirming the undangs’ decision.

“If (Ismail) was coerced or signed the purported proclamation under duress, the public is entitled to know by whom, how, and why, as well as why he lodged a police report on Sept 8, some five weeks after the purported proclamation?

“Further, why did he then later endorse the purported proclamation?” Anand asked in a statement today.

On Sept 8, the disputed undangs made public a form Ismail had signed on Aug 3, a day after he was sworn in as menteri besar.

Ismail had said he lodged a police report on the same day the form was made public, but has yet to explain why he waited more than a month after signing it to file the report.

He has also not explained why he met the disputed chieftains in the first place. The quartet have been seeking to remove Tuanku Muhriz since April over a power dispute and have backed a rival claimant to the throne, the ruler’s cousin, Tuanku Nadzaruddin Tuanku Ja'afar.

Questions over exco's authority

Anand also sought clarification on the basis for the then-state exco's move to suspend the state secretary and legal adviser on Sept 22.

He pointed out that both positions fall under federal authority, while the excos had their appointments revoked by Tuanku Muhriz effective Sept 20.

“What is (Ismail’s) response now that the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) has stated plainly that both such officers were in federal service and not subject to the (state) exco?

“Given that (Tuanku Muhriz) has revoked the appointments of all state exco members, the basis on which the state government continues to operate may be in need of some clarification,” Anand added.

The 10 former state excos have since filed an originating summons at the Seremban High Court challenging the validity of the state government gazette revoking their appointments.

The four rebel territorial chieftains have also interpreted the Conference of Rulers’ call for outsiders not to interfere in the Negeri Sembilan crisis as referring to the federal government and its agencies.

Besides rejecting the state exco's attempt to replace the state secretary and legal adviser, the AGC has also issued statements disputing the validity of the purported order to remove Tuanku Muhriz. - Mkini

'Rakyat not stupid': MP fumes over Home Ministry reply on flag gaffes

 

The Home Ministry’s response to a parliamentary question on Jalur Gemilang gaffes has drawn the ire of a DAP MP, who accused the ministry of providing “half-hearted answers”.

Kepong MP Lim Lip Eng sought the Home Ministry’s explanation over perceived double standards in handling cases involving wrongful displays of the national flag.

In particular, the lawmaker highlighted that while ordinary citizens were remanded and subjected to urine tests, no arrests were made against individuals from Perak MCA, the Kuala Terengganu City Council, and a Johor state exco member for the same offence.

“Were police influenced by the status of those involved?” he questioned.

In a written parliamentary response yesterday, Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail detailed action taken by the police in all three cases Lim referred to. 

For the incident involving an upside-down display of the Jalur Gemilang at the Perak MCA office on Aug 28, Saifuddin (below) said personnel from the Ipoh district police headquarters had recorded statements, during which a Perak MCA representative explained the situation.

Noting that the error was immediately rectified while the individual responsible expressed regret and resigned, Saifuddin said the Perak MCA chairperson also sought forgiveness from the Perak sultan and issued a public apology to all Malaysians.

Regarding the incident in Terengganu where the crescent and star were missing from a Jalur Gemilang, Saifuddin said the issue stemmed from “a technical error and weather factors, rather than an act of mischief or sabotage”.

The minister affirmed that while the Kuala Terengganu City Council took immediate action and launched an internal investigation, no police report had been filed against them.

Similarly, no police report was lodged on an incident in Johor involving a state exco member, where an AI-generated Jalur Gemilang graphic contained an 18-point star instead of the correct 14 points.

The minister also said the principle of equality before the law under Article 8 of the Federal Constitution applies in the investigation of all cases.

“Based on this principle, all individuals who commit an offence will be investigated regardless of their respective background or political status,” Saifuddin said.

He added that the police are committed to addressing issues that could cause public alarm, threaten national peace, and disrupt societal harmony.

'An insult and an embarrassment'

However, in a Facebook post today, Lim slammed the Home Ministry for supposedly dodging his question, saying: “Don’t think the rakyat are stupid!”

“Parliament is not a place for officers to play with words to run away from responsibilities! 

“Such half-hearted answers are an insult to the rakyat, tarnish Parliament’s dignity, and embarrass the nation!” he added. - Mkini