The Star Online: Nation
The Star Online: Nation |
- Banting murders: Another trial-within-a-trial
- Time for private sector to raise retirement age: Dr Subra
- M'sia losing RM2bil in revenue a year to smuggled cigarettes
| Banting murders: Another trial-within-a-trial Posted: 11 Oct 2011 05:27 AM PDT SHAH ALAM: The 41st day of hearing of the murders of cosmetics millionaire Datuk Sosilawati Lawiya and three others in the High Court here Tuesday witnessed another trial-within-a-trial, the third since the case started. Justice Datuk Akhtar Tahir ordered the trial-within-a trial to determine whether 59th prosecution witness, K. Sarawanan, had given his statement on the case to the police. This followed an allegation by the prosecution that Sarawanan had given five contradicting statements in court and they had submitted an application under Section 155C of the Evidence Act to impeach him. Sarawanan, 19, is currently undergoing a 20-year jail sentence at the Sungai Udang Prison in Melaka for disposing off evidence in the murder case. Prior to this, a trial-within-a-trial was held to determine the admissibility of the caution statement by U. Suresh, who is the 29th prosecution witness and is also undergoing a jail sentence for disposing off evidence in the murder case. The second trial-within-a-trial was held to determine the admissibility of information by T. Thilaiyalagan and R. Kathavarayan, the second and third accused, respectively, to the police which led to the discovery of the exhibits in the murder case. Sarawanan and Suresh were testifying in the trial of former lawyer, N. Pathmanabhan, and three farm workers, Thilaiyalagan, R. Matan and Kathavarayan, who are charged with murdering Sosilawati, 47; her driver, Kamaruddin Shamsuddin, 47; lawyer Ahmad Kamil Abdul Karim, 32, and ban officer Noorhisham Mohamad, 38, at Lot No. 2001, Jalan Tanjung Layang, Tanjung Sepat, Banting, between 8.30pm and 9.45pm on Aug 30 last year. Pathmanabhan, 42, Thilaiyalagan, 20, Matan, 21, and Kathavarayan, 31, are charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code, which carries the mandatory death sentence upon conviction. The first witness in the trial-within-a-trial, senior investigating officer at the Dang Wangi police station, Wan Aeidil Wan Abdullah, 32, said he recorded Sarawanan's caution statement in the remand room of the Sungai Udang Prison on Oct 26 last year. He said it was done from 3am until 6.20pm on the same day with the assistance of a Tamil interpreter, Corporal K. Singgaram. Questioned by deputy public prosecutor Ishak Mohd Yusoff, Wan Aeidil said he recorded Sarawanan's caution statement using the "Word" application on a laptop belonging to investigating officer ASP Mohd Ishak Yaakob. "Before printing it, the interpreter and Sarawanan checked the caution statement. After printing it, I read it again, with the interpreter translating it, and after Sarawanan agreed to it, we signed it," he added. Ishak : Did you ask Sarawanan whether he wanted to make any changes in the statement? Wan Aeidil : Yes, but he agreed and was satisfied with what I had recorded at that time. The hearing continues on Thursday. - Bernama Full content generated by Get Full RSS. |
| Time for private sector to raise retirement age: Dr Subra Posted: 11 Oct 2011 04:15 AM PDT PETALING JAYA: It is high time the retirement age for the private sector in Malaysia is raised. Human Resources Minister Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam said the current retirement age of 55 was many years ago when the life expectancy of Malaysians was around 55. "Now, the life expectancy is around 75, so of we can't keep the retirement age at 55," said Dr Subramaniam at a press conference after launching the Malaysian Employers Federation's (MEF) National Conference 2011. Earlier in his speech he said Malaysia is lagging behind' in terms of retirement age compared to countries in the region such as Thailand, Philippines and Singapore. He said representatives of employers, employees and the government are currently in discussion to decide a new retirement age for the sector. He added that the MEF had agreed in principle to the proposed extension, but also had some reservations that need to be addressed. "The Private Sector Retirement Age bill is currently being drafted. The act will give us the power to stipulate the retirement age of the private sector," said Dr Subramaniam. He said currently, the Employment Act only stipulates the retirement age for the government sector. "Most companies use the government's retirement age as a base on which their collective agreements and employment contracts are made. Now that the retirement age for government workers have been extended, people will expect the private sector to extend theirs as well," said Dr Subramaniam. In the recent Budget 2012, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak announced that the retirement age for the civil service would be increased from 58 to 60. In previous reports, the MEF and the Employees' Provident Fund have said they wanted the private sector retirement age to be set at 60. Related Stories: |
| M'sia losing RM2bil in revenue a year to smuggled cigarettes Posted: 11 Oct 2011 03:43 AM PDT KOTA KINABALU: Malaysia is losing about RM2bil in revenue a year to smuggled cigarettes. Customs assistant director-general (enforcement) Datuk Zainul Abidin Taib said contraband cigarette smokers make up about 36 percent of the total of smokers nationwide. "This will indirectly affect the customs collection and, subsequently, the country's economy generally," he said to reporters after launching a Tak Nak Rokok Seludup (say no to smuggled cigrattes) here on Tuesday. In light of this, Zainul said the department would undertake more operations as well as new approaches in efforts to curb the problem, including imposing tougher penalties on peddlers of smuggled fags. "We will zero down on where the supplies come from and we will also hold exercises in retail premises to remind sundry shops not to sell contraband cigarettes. "Peddlers will also gradually stop selling smuggled cigarettes if we continue to enforce tougher action on them," he said. Full content generated by Get Full RSS. |
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