Will there be a by-election in Pensiangan?

The Federal Court will sit in Kota Kinabalu Thursday and Friday (Feb 12 & 13)to hear Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS) Tan Sri Joseph Kurup appeal against a Kota Kinabalu Election Court on Sept 8, 1008 that declared his win uncontested as Pensiangan member of Parliament.

This was confirmed today by Kurup's lawyer George Aluda.

Danny Anthony Andipai of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) filed the petition on April 9, 2008.

Andipai's candidacy for the Pensiangan parliamentary seat was rejected by Returning Officer Bubudan OT Majalu on nomination day Feb 24, 2008. After rejecting Andipai’s papers, Bubudan declared Kurup of having won Pensiangan uncontested.

Andipai sought for a court declaration that Kurup’s win was null and void.The Election Court allowed Andipai's petition and Kurup, who had been appointed Federal Rural and Regional Deputy Minister, file a stay of execution of the declaration on Sept 11, 2008.

The Federal Court is also scheduled to hear PKR's appeal against the Kota Kinabalu Election Court decision in dismissing their petitionKota Belud: Umno Youth chief Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussien said Umno should consider a proposal to include a Sabah leader to be selected Vice-President during next month's party elections.
He commended Sabah Umno for having made valuable contributions towards strengthening the party in the interest of the nation and its people.
He said Sabah Umno had continued to remain intact and strong since the party began entrenching itself in the State, 19 years ago.
Hishammuddin, who is Education Minister, said this when addressing a meeting with Kota Belud Umno leaders, in a local restaurant here.
The strength of Sabah Umno should be portrayed as a fine example of unity and solidarity among the members that should be emulated by the respective divisions in the peninsula, he said.
In this respect, Deputy Prime Minister and Umno Deputy President Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak would need to accorded due attention to the party's Sabah leaders for inclusion in the Supreme Council line-up, he added against the victory of Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) deputy president Datuk Dr Yee Moh Chai

In the March 8, 2008 general elections, Dr Yee won the Api Api state seat with a slim majority of 174 polling 3,419 votes, defeating Sabah PKR deputy head Christina Liew Chin Jin who garnered 3,245 votes.

The Kota Kinabalu Election Court declared Dr Yee's victory valid and Liew's election agent Audrey Karen Barry on April 9, 2008 filed an appeal to the Federal Court seeking a declaration to set aside the declaration.

The petitioner sought to declare the election's result null and void due to various breaches of the Election Offences Act 1954 and the Elections (Conduct of Election) Regulation 1981.

Rapists gets an earfull from High Court judge

The two rapists ( in white shirts) Sahrizal (left) and Ariffin (right) with their lawyer (left) after their appeals were thrown out by the High Court.

A High Court judge in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah on Wednesday gave an earful to two convicted rapists who were appealing against their more than 20 years jail imposed by a Sessions Court last year.


Judicial Commissioner Abdul Rahman Sebli said the two local men who kidnapped, raped and sexually abused a 20-year-old Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) student last year did not deserve any mercy from the court.

He said whoever committed these kind of acts should not expect any mercy.

The judge made these remarks in affirming the jail sentences and whipping imposed on mechanic Mohd Ariffin Bidin, 29, and unemployed Mohd Sahrizal suhaili, 21, by Sessions Court on April 24, last year.

They had pleaded guilty before Sessions Court judge Duncan Sikodol to kidnapping, raping and sexually abusing the student between 6.50pm on April 15, 2008 and 4am on April 16, 2008 along the Jalan Kota Kinabalu – Tambunan – Keningau.

Ariffin was sentenced to 23 years jail and ordered to be given 25 strokes of the cane while Sahrizal was put behind bars for 20 years plus 20 whipping.

Both of them appealed for reduction of their respective imprisonment and whipping.

Abdul Rahman, in affirming the prison sentences to he appellants, however, reduced the whipping for Ariffin from 25 strokes to 24 only.

He said the sentences imposed on both appellants were appropriate as violence was used on the victim and in committing the offences there was a complete disregard on the safety of the student.

Counsel Ram Singh, who represented both appellants on pro bono basis, told the court that the prison sentences imposed on Ariffin and Sahrizal were too excessive.

He urged the court to consider that Sahrizal, who was 20 years old on the crime committed, had pleaded guilty to all charges framed against him.

Ram urged the court to consider that both Ariffin and Sahrizal had pleaded guilty to all charges framed against them when they were first brought to the court.




“The court should look into the totality of the prison sentences imposed on them, despite the heinous act, the guilty plea should be taken into consideration similar with the other serious cases such as murder, “ the counsel said.

Submitting on Ariffin’s appeal for his 25 whipping to be reduced, Ram told the court that whipping was illegal if it exceeded 24 strokes. The counsel said this was provided for under Section 288(1) of the Criminal Procedure Code.

Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Jamil Aripin urged the court not to disturb the sentences on both appellants except for the caning on Ariffin, which the prosecution conceded with the appellant’s counsel submission.

Jamil submitted that the sentence imposed by the Sessions Court judge was not manifestly excessive stating that the maximum set under Section 376(2) of the Penal Code under the latest amendment on Sept 7, 2007 is 30 years imprisonment for rape that caused hurt to victim.

He urged the court not to disturb the imprisonment sentences imposed by the Sessions Court as the sentences reflected the gravity of offences committed by the appellants, adding that the sentences commensurate with the offences and not manifestly wrong.

He said based on the facts of case which were presented in Sessions Court, the manner in which the offences committed clearly showed that not only the appellants sexually abused the victim but they also beat and bit her.

“The multiple injury inflicted on the victim as stated in the medical report proved that brutality was used in the commission of the offence, “ the DPP said.

He also submitted that the effect of the case had created anxiety to a lot of parents the safety of their children.

“The manner of the offences committed which were published in the newspapers had not only outrage the feeling of community but also caused public anxiety and worry about their children safety.

“Since both appellants were not sentence to a maximum sentence, it could not be said that the sentences were manifestly excessive.

He further submitted that public interest demand deterrent sentence imposed on sexual offenders and the sentences meted out must reflect the society disdain for such crime.

The DPP said public interest demand that the court must showed this abhorrent toward the sexual offences and one of the was to impose a deterrent sentence to offenders.

“Both appellants deserves no mercy from this court for what they had done and public must be protected against this kind of offenders in order to deter other would be offenders,” Jamil said.


With their appeal dismissed by the High Court, Ariffin will now have to serve 33 years and eight months behind bars and Sahrizal, 29 years and two months as the prison sentences they appealed are to run consecutively with sentences imposed by the Magistrate’s Court charges of kidnapping, causing grievous hurt to the student and also car thefts.

Both appellants were jailed five years and fined RM1,000 in default five months jail each for kidnapping the student and were handed another five years and five strokes of the cane for assaulting the victim which were to run concurrently but to be served consecutively with the prison sentences imposed by the Sessions Court.

In Magistrate’s Court, Ariffin was handed 51 months for three car thefts while Sahrizal was jailed three years and 14 months for two car thefts which were ordered to run consecutively with those meted by the Sessions Court.

Sarawakians uneasy with graduates teachers from Peninsula Malaysia

The influx of 2,000 Kursus Perguruan Lepasan Ijazah (KPLI) teachers from West Malaysia into Sarawak is not only causing uneasiness to the people of Sarawak but it is also depriving thousands of local graduates of employment opportunities.

Under this KPLI scheme those graduating from ordinary degrees are compelled to attend a one-year diploma course before they can be recruited as teachers.

But why preference is only given to West Malaysians?

Chairman of Baleh branch of Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS), Dr. James Masing, has expressed concern over this new development.

In a resolution passed during the branch AGM over the week-end in Kapit, Masing who is also the PRS president and Minister of Land Development called on the government to address the lack of employment opportunities for local graduates especially in the teaching profession.

“The people in Baleh are uneasy as the employment of teachers is mostly from outside Sarawak,” he was reported to have said. Of course Masing is worried as 313 of those teachers have been sent to 47 primary schools in Kapit division.

Not only parents in Kapit have felt uneasy and unhappy, but parents in other Divisions have also expressed similar sentiments. Their posting to Sarawak, as mentioned earlier will not only deprive our own graduates of employment opportunities, but will also affect the standard or the quality of education in the rural areas.

Educated mostly in the Malay medium, they do not in the first place choose the teaching profession and many of them in the past are known to have low determination and motivation.

Posting them to the interior areas of Sarawak especially in Kapit may not be a good idea, where rivers are the mainstay of communication, where accommodation may be a little bit better than chicken sheds, and where they may be cut off from the outside world.

As strangers, they are sure to suffer from cultural shocks. Worst if they are unmarried lady teachers. All these will add to their woes.And it will not be surprising if some of them are asking to be transferred back or leaving even before the year ends.

It has happened in the past and it is going to happen in the future. And if this is going to be the case, not only the government will waste millions of ringgit in training and transferring them, but the performances of the rural pupils will also be affected.

This is our main concern.But on the other hand, it is also a good thing if more qualified West Malaysian teachers come to teach in Sarawak so that they can learn the various cultures of the local people, see how the Dayaks, the Malays and Chinese live harmoniously and respect each others’ religions and see the people of Sarawak display the highest degree of tolerance towards each other.

At the same time our students will also benefit from qualified and experienced teachers.Moreover, when these teachers return to their respective towns and villages, they will tell their relatives and friends that Sarawak, the Land of the Hornbills, are not bad after all and that Dayaks do not live on tree tops. – The Broken Shield

The more the merrier says Kalakau

The United Sabah Dusun Association (USDA) has no qualms over the plan by a group of people to form the Dusun Society Sabah (DSS).
President Datuk Kalakau Untol said in a democratic country like Malaysia everyone has the right to form an association.
He said another association like DSS would not create a split among the society and that USDA would carry on with its work.
"The more the merrier. Everybody can do their part to instil awareness among the society for the sake of development," he said.
It was reported that a group of Dusun leaders in Penampang led by Datu Sebastian Datu Panglima Banting are in the midst of forming the DSS, an "umbrella" association for the community.
It would be open to all natives whose race is defined as "Dusun" in their birth certificates and would strive to nurture the Dusun culture, dialect and to organise programmes that could bring about progress for the community.
According to Kalakau, USDA would not be objecting to the DSS formation because "what we want is for everyone to contribute to the development of the community".
"They can do their bit, we can do our bit for the betterment of the people," he said.

Dusun Society Sabah

The Kadazan and Dusun communities ,who are already politically divided, are again heading for split and this time around due to the emergence of a new body called Dusun Society Sabah (DSS). Its formation is being finalised and will be submitting its application to the Registrar of Society for registration.

DSS will be in the company of the Kadazandusun Cultural Association (KDCA), United Dusun Sabah Association (USDA) and Kadazan Society Sabah (KSS).

KDCA headed by Datuk Seri Joseph Pairin Kitingan is the oldest, second come USDA led by Datuk Kalakau Untol and two years ago Datuk Marcel Leking formed KSS. The DSS will be headed by Datu Sebastian Datu Penglima Banting.

DSS objectives, among others, are to strive to nurture the Dusun culture, dialect and organise programmes that could bring about progress to the community.

Membership is open to natives of Sabah whose race are defined as Dusun in their Birth Certificates.

The formation of DSS might had been prompted to what Leiking told KSS members during its annual dinner last month. He said it was timely that the community identified themselves as either Dusun or Kadazan.

"There is no such race called Kadazandusun," he said.

The term Kadazandusun-murut gained acceptance during the Pairin-led Parti Bersadu Sabah State Government (1985-1994) when an attempt was made to reconcile the Kadazans and Dusuns for political strength.

The term Kadazan was introduced by Tun Mohd Fuad Stephens (Datuk Donald Stephens) in 1961. He declared that the Dusuns would be called Kadazans.

Now that DSS is open for those whose race are registered as Dusun in the Birth Certificate, this new body could housed majority of the people as even Pairin's race is Dusun in his certificate.

Dompok: Where is the RM1 billion promised for Sabah?

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Tan Sri Bernard Dompok told the Press in Donggongon, Penampang Sabah that there was no sign yet of the RM1 billion special allocation for Sabah that was announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi last year.

"To my knowledge the commitment of RM1 billion (for the State) has not started to be implemented yet," he said Saturday.

"I think as far as the projects are concerned it has already been finalised by the State authorities for submission to the Federal Government," he added.

He said this when asked how much of the RM1 billion special allocation for Sabah that was announced by Abdullah in May last year during a visit to the State, had actually materialised.

The allocation was meant for the expenditure of several people-centric development programmes urgently needed in the State.

In regards to the RM1 million allocation for Sabah Members of Parliament for the development of their respective constituencies Dompok, who is also the Penampang MP said: "My understanding is that it will start to be implemented this year."

On another matter, Dompok said the Borneonisation of the civil service here was an ongoing exercise and that the Government was looking at the best ways to achieve it without sacrificing the efficiency and implementation of government projects.

"Of course our priority is to give the opportunity for Sabahans to implement government policies, apart from proving that they are capable as their West Malaysian counterpartsÉthere is no reason why (the) Borneonisation (of the federal civil service here) cannot be further accelerated."

When asked if there was a time frame for it to be achieved, he said there was none for this particular exercise.

He pointed out the appointment of a Sabahan as Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) Vice Chancellor, National Registration Department State Director as well as the State's Financial Controller as proof that the matter had been taken to highest level of decision-making.

"However, I have to say that this does not mean that those from West Malaysia are less able than those from the State who have been promoted.
We want officers recruited from Sabah to gain experience and move up the ladder in the country's administration."

As for claims that Sabahans were not interested to serve in the diplomatic corps, he said he did not know why it was so when the Government actually wanted them.

Dompok was in Donggongon township to hand over Chinese New Year greeting cards to business operators as well as the public together with Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister's Department-cum-Kapayan Assemblyman, Datuk Edward Khoo Keok Khai.

He later officiated at a lion's eye-dotting ceremony there together with Khoo and other leaders including Moyog assemblyman, Donald Peter Mojuntin and Penampang District Officer, William Sampil, among others.

Suhakam: Refugees in Sabah are illegal immigrants

All refugees in Sabah are actually illegal immigrants too because Malaysia is neither a party to the United Nations Convention on the status of the refugees in 1951 nor the Protocol 1967, according to Suhakam.

Its Vice-Chairman Tan Sri Simon Sipaun made the assertion when commenting on the recent report in a local daily about the displaced Indonesians who number 12,000 and Filipinos who number 81,000, who were given the IMM13 card that allows them to live and work in Sabah in 1965, 1970s and 1985 until today.

"I understand the IMM13 cards were issued in Sabah, but why? The Government started to issue them to the Rohingyas in Peninsular but quickly aborted it. Why the double standard?" he asked.

"It's a national problem and IMM13 cards were issued by the Federal Government. Why are the refugees confined to Sabah?" he asked, referring to the IMM13 condition that the refugees could only be allowed to earn their living and reside in Sabah, and not Peninsular Malaysia.

"The Vietnamese refugees were all gone after two years. How come that in Sabah, the refugees are still here?"

Currently, the majority of the foreigners with refugee status have been living in Sabah for over 35 years, and there is no limit to the length of their stay, while their of their stay, while their children or teenagers are allowed to attend both primary and secondary schools in the State.

Bring home live cattles from Pesta Kalimaran

The Muruts, one of the native of Sabah, will be celebrating its annual festival, Pesta Kalimaran, at the Murut Cultural Centre in Tenom on April 4 and 5, this year.

The organising committee, headed by Sabah Cultural Board's chairman Datuk Wilfred Madius Tangau, is making the festival this time around `live' by giving away special prizes to six lucky individuals.

They are offering six lucky individuals, who must arrived at the centre between 7am and 9am on April 4, to bring home lucky draw prizes of either a live cow, buffalo or goat. Visitors arriving during the period will be given lucky draw ticket.

Visitors who come wearing traditional Murut costume will be judged by a panel of judges and the winner also stands a chance to win any one of these livestock. All these aim to woo more visitors to the festival.

Apart from that, a wide array of programmes have been lined up for the festival, including the Kalimaran Queen pageant, the Maginakan, traditional Murut dances and songs, handicraft and gong-beating competition.

There will be also eight cultural exhibitions by the various Murut tribes throughout Sabah.

We never learn!!!

Short Messaging Service (SMS) scammers managed to fleece close to RM1.9 million from victims throughout Sabah since 2006.

One of them was bold as to even try his luck on Sabah Commissioner of Police Datuk Noor Rashid Ibrahim.

Noor said about RM29,000 was lost in 2006 while RM1.8 million went into the pockets of these conmen last year alone.

"We recorded 23 SMS scam cases in 2006 and 65 cases in 2007. The figures reduced to 27, involving losses amounting to RM61,000 in 2008," he disclosed to the Press in Kota Kinabalu recently.

The scams by these con artists ranged from competitions by reality television talent show Akademi Fantasia to big oil company Petronas offering prize money to so-called lucky draw winners.

The only catch was the winners had to pay a sum of money to get their purse. After the targets paid the money, not surprisingly all communication from the lucky draw organisers ended.

Noor Rashid said police have detained 22 people, including nine foreigners, in connection with SMS scams so far.

"They have several modus operandi (MO). The usual MO is the lucky draw competitions while another involves the scammer pretending to be someone with a massive amount of money outside the country É in fact I was contacted once on this.

"The person will try to convince the targets to give him their account numbers so he can transfer and keep the money in the account temporarily, at the same time promising the account holders a sum of money as a token of appreciation," he said.

In the end, he said the scammer will somehow find a way to drain their accounts dry, adding in other instances, scammers will get locals to open bank accounts, take over the accounts to bank money cheated out of other people into them.

"They pay like RM100 to these people who open the bank account for them and that's it," said Noor Rashid.

He advised those who encounter these kind of things to ignore them altogether.

Gangsterism in SMK Kinarut, Sabah

A former New Straits Times Press branch executive for Sabah, Pachelles Jonuat, claimed that certain sutdents of a school in Sabah are engaged in bullying and gangsterism. Being his former workmate, I reproduced here what Jonuat had told a local daily in Kota Kinabalu.

BARELY days into the new school year, a 15-year-old from a school in Kinarut, near here, has already become a victim of alleged bullying and gangsterism.

And this is not the first time Lester Pachelles, a Form Three student of SMK Kinarut, has had to put up with the antics of these bullies.

His father Pachelles Jonuat, a 52-year old contractor, has made numerous reports since last year to not only the school but also the police (including the latest incident) regarding the matter.

Lester claimed the latest incident happened on Tuesday just after school hours at about 12.40pm when he was beaten up by a Form Four student - who that very day had been expelled from the school - using a belt which left with him with injuries to the left side of his neck.

He claimed he was beaten up by the student while five others stood guard outside the school compound and only stopped when someone shouted at them. He did not know why they had picked on him.

"While the police have been very helpful it is the school that needs to be more proactive in dealing with the matter," said Pachelles, who together with his son came to the Daily Express, Wednesday, to air their grievances.

"I have repeatedly called for a meeting between the school and the Parents and Teachers Association (PTA) to discuss how to deal with this issue but none has been held.

"It left me wondering about the functions of the PTA or whether the school is really serious in dealing with the matter," he added.

He suggested the school place a security guard in its premises to prevent such incidents recurring, adding it was not only his son who has become the target of rowdy students.

"Last year, I witnessed these troublemakers picking a fight with other students. When the students tried to run away, they gave chase and only after I intervened did they stop chasing," claimed Pachelles, adding that among the troublemakers involved was the student who had assaulted his son.

"There should also be a security guard stationed at the dispensary near the school as this is the area where most of these fights take place," he said.

Many parents, he said, have also raised the same concerns and wanted the school to do more to prevent such incidents.

He claimed when he met the school's disciplinary teacher, he was told by the teacher that the school could not be held responsible if anything happened to the students after school hours and outside the school.

Pachelles said he felt the school was trying to wash its hands off the matter, adding that even though these incidences may occur after school hours, the school still needs to be responsible since the students were still wearing school uniforms.

"I am not trying to be seen as a champion by going to the media to highlight the matter. I just want to help the school get rid of these negative elements and protect its image but to do so the school and the PTA must sit together to find a solution.

"God knows what weapons these students might use in the future apart from belts. Maybe knives, iron rods, machetesÉI fear for the safety of the students," he said.

Kurup have to wait until Jan 15

The Federal Court in the Palace of Justice, Putrajaya, scheduled today to hear Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS) Tan Sri Joseph Kurup's appeal against a decision of the Kota Kinabalu Election Court, will only hear the case on Jan 15, 2009.

One of Kurup's lawyer, George Aludah told a Sabah-based daily journalist Jo Ann Mool that they were informed of the postponement last week.

Pending the hearing next week in Kuala Lumpur, Kurup's position as the member of Parliament for Pensiangan as well as Federal Rural and regional Development Deputy Minister will be still `hanging'.

Soon after the Election Court declared null an void Kurup's win uncontested in the March 8, 2008 general elections, the former Sook Assemblyman has been touring Pensiangan in anticipation of a by-election.

Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Nabawan chief Danny Anthony Andipai, whose election petition was accepted by the Election Court, has also been visiting the people of Pensiangan as the opposition believed that a by-election is forthcoming.

Whatever it is, all have to wait for another eight days to know whether or not there will be a by-election in Pensiangan.

Will there be by-election for Pensiangan?

The Federal Court will sit in Puterajaya tomorrow (Jan 7, 2009) to hear Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS) president Tan Sri Joseph Kurup's appeal against a Kota Kinabalu Election Court decision on Sept 8, 2008 which declared null and void his election as a Member of Parliament for Pensiangan in the March 8, 2008 general elections.

Judge David Wong Dak Wah ruled that the wrongful rejection of the nomination papers of the petitioner, Parti Keadilan Rakyat’s Danny Anthony Andipai, had breached the petitioner’s constitutional right to take part in the election and the written law relating to the conduct of the election.

Kurup, who was appointed Rural and Regional Development Deputy Minister after the elections, filed the appeal on Sept 11, 2008

Andipai filed the petition on April 9, 2008. His candidacy for the Pensiangan parliamentary seat was rejected by Returning Officer Bubudan OT Majalu on nomination day - Feb 24, 2008.

After rejecting Andipai’s papers, Bubudan declared Kurup of having won Pensiangan uncontested. Andipai sought for a court declaration that Kurup’s win was null and void.

He claimed that Bubudan had planned to make available only on counter for delivery of nomination papers by candidates contesting in Pensiangan and the state seats of Nabawan and Sook.

Andipai claimed that the plan was to prevent the timely delivery of nomination papers of other candidates to enable Kurup to be returned unopposed in the March 8, 2008 general elections.

Andipai was represented by lawyers Datuk Chau Chin Tang and Haji Ansari Abdullah while Kurup’s lawyers were Alex Deccena, Hajah Mariati Robert, Wilson Lai Wai Shing. Senior Federal Counsel Suzana Atan and Chandra Devi had appeared for Bubudan.

Tadashi Nagase: Have trolley will travel

Picture Tadashi pulling a trolley through the Sahara desert

A Japanese man Tadashi Nagase, 52, from Izumo City, located some 300 kilometer from Osaka, Japan, cited friendly villagers he met the 13 days along the route he took on the Kota Kinabalu - Tawau 512 kilometer journey.

‘Once I was caught in a bad weather but I managed to find an empty hut and kind villagers nearby permitted me to use it as my shelter for the evening’, he said when met at a HASH dinner held byJimmy Wong, DAP State Assemblyman for Sri Tanjong on Saturday (Jan 3, 2009) evening in Tawau.

But the trip was nothing compared to the long list of countries he had visited and walked since 1975 at the young age of 19 – he had walked for nearly 45,000 kilometers until today!

Tadashi claimed to have traveled to exotic places such as the Sahara and Kalahari deserts, Andes mountain range, the Australian desert and Amazon rainforest along with many other countries.

On all his trips, Tadashi pulled a two-wheels trolley filled with needed essentials such as water and food, with the heaviest weight estimated to be at around 150 kilograms depending on the trip’s requirements.

‘Water is the heaviest substance I had in my trolley, especially when I had to walk through deserts’, he explained.

Asked on his future trip upon his return to Japan, Tadashi said that he loves forests and deserts and may plan such walks in future but has no plans at the moment.

Tadashi said his wife is very supportive of his endeavor.

‘She always said go and walk when I plan my next walk’, Tadashi said, adding that he made his living by giving talks on his trips and had written nine books over the numerous journeys he had undertaken.

Tadashi has two sons who had traveled to China, North Thailand, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Indonesia, South India, Philippine, Mongolia and Malaysia. A story from HERE

Even the bitch does not do this!!!

A man at the Sinsuran Shopping Complex in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah had a shock when he stumbled upon a newborn girl in a rubbish bin in the wee hours Saturday (Jan 3).
The infant was discovered by the middle aged man wrapped in a plastic bag at about 2.30am.
He was about to dispose of some rubbish when he heard a cry from inside the bin.
The baby, whose umbilical cord was newly cut, was rushed to Queen Elizabeth hospital. The baby was reported to be fine and later brought to the Likas Hospital.

Police are investigating. This report is adoptedfrom HERE.

Six months jail for Sabah ex-Minister

Sabah former Culture, Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Conrad Mojuntin was this morning sentenced to six months jail by the Kota Kinabalu High Court for criminal intimidation.

He was further ordered by Judicial Commissioner Datuk Abdul Rahman Sebli to pay RM2,000 fine in default three months jail to a charge of voluntarily causing hurt on which he was jointly charged with nephew David Mojuntin.

The jail sentence was to take effect today but Conrad applied for stay of execution as he wanted to appeal against the High Court’s decision to the Court of Appeal.

Abdul Rahman granted Conrad’s application and released him on RM5,000 bail in two local sureties.

Conrad, 61, was charged with criminally intimidating businessman Doughty Disimon, 31, outside the SJD Café and Sports at 3.30am on Oct 23, 2005 behind the Public Bank, Donggongon Penampang.

The offence under Section 506 of the Penal Code carries a jail term of up to two years or fine or both on conviction.

The ex-minister was also jointly charged with David, 45, for voluntarily causing hurt to Chee Hee Fatt, 45, at 4am on Oct 23, 2005, also at the same place.

The offence under Section 323 of the Penal Code read with Section 34 of the same Code provides a jail term of up to one year of both.

Both Mojuntins were discharged and acquitted of both the charges by the Magistrate’s Court on March 31, 2008.

The prosecution appeal to the High Court against the Magistrate’s Court decision and on Dec 17, 2008 Abdul Rahman Sebli allowed the appeal.

He held that the magistrate had seriously misdirected himself when he ruled that the prosecution had failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt.

The judge set aside the magistrate order of acquittal and substitute it with an order of conviction on both charges against Conrad and David. Abdul Rahman, however, deferred sentencing to Jan 2, 2009.

The Mojuntins were represented by lawyer Zahir Hussein Ahmad Shah while Senior Federal Counsel Salim Soib Hamid conducted the prosecution.