Sabtu, 19 Oktober 2013

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Self-styled Sulu Sultan dies of multiple organ failure

Posted:

MANILA, Oct 20, 2013 (AFP) - A self-proclaimed Philippine sultan whose followers launched a bloody incursion into the Malaysian state of Sabah earlier this year died of organ failure in a Manila hospital on Sunday, his wife said.

Jamalul Kiram III, 75 - who described himself as the "Sultan of Sulu" after a group of islands in the southern Philippines - passed away at a government hospital but remained defiant to the end, his wife, Fatima Kiram said.

"The sultan died a poor but honourable man," she told AFP, adding that his fight to reclaim Sabah as part of the sultanate's territory would continue.

"His last words to all his brothers and followers were, 'It has already begun. Let us continue it for the good of our people. Do not abandon our people,'" she quoted him as saying.

She said, however, this did not mean renewed violence, adding that the family was willing to enter into negotiations with Malaysia.
Her husband had been undergoing twice-weekly dialysis sessions for kidney disease before his death.

In February, at least 100 armed followers of Kiram, who claimed to be the hereditary chief of the "Sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo," entered Sabah to press his claim on the Malaysian state.

After the group refused to lay down their arms Malaysian security forces moved against them, resulting in deadly clashes that left dozens dead and sent the invaders fleeing.

The Sultan of Sulu once ruled over islands that are now parts of the southern Philippines, as well as Sabah.

However the sultanate lost control of Sabah to European colonial powers in the 18th Century. The former British colony became part of the federation of Malaysia when it was formed in 1963.

Kiram and his family, as heirs to the sultanate, still receive annual compensation from Malaysia - the equivalent of about $1,700 - but he had previously said this amount was far too low.

Aside from Kiram, there are other descendants of the sultanate who also claim to be the true sultans of Sulu.

Fatima Kiram said her husband's younger brother, Bantillan, would take over as sultan, stressing he had "the legal authority".

Sydney Opera House celebrates 40 years

Posted:

SYDNEY (AFP) - The Sydney Opera House, world heritage-listed as "one of the indisputable masterpieces of human creativity", celebrated its 40th birthday Sunday with a flotilla of lifesavers, Aboriginal dancers and a gigantic cupcake.

Huge crowds packed the steps for a distinctively Australian performance on the glittering harbourfront, where three generations of Danish architect Jorn Utzon's family were the guests of honour.

It was a postcard-perfect day beneath the same cloudless blue skies that inspired Utzon's winning design to build Sydney an opera house back in 1956 - the white sails drawn from his childhood in the Aalborg shipyards.

"A building like this happens once in a lifetime," Utzon's son Jan told revellers on Sunday.

"It is a unique Australian expression of will and enthusiasm and 'let's go do it' kind of spirit."

A crew of surf lifesavers wearing their famous yellow-and-red caps and costumes arrived at the Opera House's Man O' War steps on one of Sydney's distinctive ferries, flanked by six of the association's dinghies and two tugboats.

They were met and led up the red-carpeted steps by Aboriginal dancers where a traditional smoking ceremony was held to spiritually cleanse the site accompanied by an indigenous dance ritual and didgeridoo.

A giant cupcake topped with a model of the Opera House made from icing was carried onto the stage by the lifesavers, and Australian rocker Jimmy Barnes - frontman of Cold Chisel - led a rousing chorus of Happy Birthday accompanied by a navy brass band and school choir.

An Etihad A340 made a low pass over the site to cap celebrations.

The distinctive performance hall is one of Australia's best-known landmarks and centrepiece of Sydney's cultural scene, hosting some 2,000 shows every year and attracting 8.2 million visitors.

"As the most internationally recognisable symbol of both Sydney and Australia, it has become our calling card to the world," said Governor of New South Wales, Marie Bashir, whose husband Nicholas Shehadie was the mayor of Sydney when Queen Elizabeth II opened the Opera House on October 20 1973.

"We will never forget the universal joy and pride, heralding a glorious new chapter in the performing arts," she said of that occasion.

Utzon won an international design contest to build the harbour city an opera house in 1956 that attracted 233 entries from 28 countries, despite being relatively unknown in the architecture world.

His ambitious blueprint, drafted from photos and maps without ever having visited the harbour site, took 14 years and Aus$102 million to complete, funded by a state lottery.

It was one of the most difficult engineering feats ever attempted at the time, with Utzon envisaging a chamber with vaulted roofs unsupported by pillars or columns.

The Opera House was listed a world heritage site by UNESCO in 2007.-AFP

Japan PM Abe's brother 'goes to Yasukuni shrine'

Posted:

Tokyo (AFP) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's younger brother, Senior Vice Foreign Minister Nobuo Kishi visited the controversial Yasukuni shrine Saturday, a report said.

Kishi told reporters that his action should not affect Japan's relations with other countries and that he had not conferred with the prime minister about the visit, Kyodo News said.

His visit at the shrine's annual autumn festival came only a day after scores of Japanese parliamentarians, including a cabinet minister, paid tribute there Friday, drawing a rebuke from Beijing which said the visit was a bid to "whitewash" history.

Yasukuni is the believed repository of the souls of about 2.5 million war dead.

The shrine is controversial because of the inclusion of 14 convicted top war criminals from the World War II era.

China and South Korea, whose peoples suffered under Japan's militarist rule, say Yasukuni is a symbol of Tokyo's present-day unwillingness to come to terms with its past misdeeds.

However, Japanese conservatives say it is natural that they pay homage to people who lost their lives in the service of their country, and insist the shrine is no different from Arlington National Cemetery, where the United States honours its war dead.

Abe, a committed conservative who has not visited the shrine since he came to power late last year, on Thursday donated a symbolic gift to the shrine, in what was taken as a sign that he would not be there in person.

Abe has so far remained strategically vague about his plan to visit the shrine.

Kishi, 54, is Abe's blood-related brother. But he was adopted by a relative who had the different surname.

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Progress with FARC slower than hoped for: Colombia's Santos

Posted:

PANAMA CITY (Reuters) - Nearly a year after starting peace talks with left-wing FARC guerrillas, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos said on Saturday that negotiations have not progressed as quickly as he had hoped.

The government is in discussions with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, to end a 50-year struggle that has killed more than 200,000 people and displaced millions.

Last week the two sides ended the 15th round of negotiations in Havana, with each blaming the other for the slow pace. For the first time they failed to issue a joint statement on the progress.

"The discussions have advanced, but not at the speed I would have liked. I thought that in one year we could have finished the agenda points we agreed upon, but that hasn't happened," Santos told presidents and heads of state at the 23rd Ibero-American summit in Panama City.

"But we are clearing up points, we are advancing," he added.

Talks have gone on since November 2012 with only a partial agreement on agrarian reform, including land for poor farmers and policies to tackle rural poverty and inequality, which the guerrillas have asked for since the conflict started in 1964.

The two sides are currently negotiating the rebels' future political participation, with the government requesting they disarm and form a political party.

They have yet to discuss the remaining four points on the agenda, including issues relating to reparations for victims and the drug trade, as well as how to cease hostilities and implement peace accords.

The government had hoped to conclude the process by November, the start of Colombia's national election cycle, which concludes with presidential elections next May.

Santos, who is expected to run for a second term, has staked his legacy on ending the Andean nation's conflict.

(Writing by Lomi Kriel; Editing by Eric Walsh)

Freed Lebanese, Turkish hostages fly home after deal

Posted:

BEIRUT/ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Two kidnapped Turkish pilots arrived in Istanbul after leaving Lebanon on Saturday and nine Lebanese hostages freed from Syria landed in Beirut, completing a hostage exchange after months of uncertainty.

Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan greeted the Turkish Airlines pilots on the tarmac as they disembarked from a Qatar Airways jet and were met with cheers from family members.

The Lebanese, seized by Syrian rebels in May 2012, were freed and left northern Syria for Turkey a day earlier as part of the deal negotiated by Qatari mediators.

At Beirut International Airport, friends and relatives ululated and cheered as the men walked onto the tarmac.

"The situation is worse than you can imagine, we paid a heavy price," said one of the hostages, who was walking with a cane, apparently from an injury sustained in captivity.

The hostages' release may in fact be a three-way deal, Lebanese security sources said. They said the release of the Lebanese was originally contingent on the Syrian government's freeing of prisoners in state detention centres.

An opposition monitoring group, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said the government had released dozens of prisoners over the past few days as part of that agreement.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said the release underscored Turkey's diplomatic clout.

"The success of this process, which has been conducted under the instructions of our prime minister, proves once again the regional importance of Turkey," Davutoglu said in a Twitter post before the pilots landed in Istanbul.

The kidnappings highlight how complex and regionalised Syria's 2-1/2-year conflict has become. The civil war has acquired sectarian dimensions that have pulled in its neighbours.

Sunni Muslim countries such as Turkey largely back the Sunni-led uprising against President Bashar al-Assad's rule.

Shi'ite Iran backs Assad, as does the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, which is Shi'ite and supported by Tehran. Assad is from the Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shi'ite Islam.

'WE DIDN'T SEE DAYLIGHT'

Security sources said the agreement required that the Lebanese hostages not leave Turkey until the Turkish ambassador in Beirut had seen the Turkish pilots, who had been kidnapped in retaliation for the snatching of the Lebanese.

One of the Turkish hostages said their captors treated them respectfully and did not use violence against them.

"We weren't treated badly, but the first 25 days were difficult. We didn't see daylight," Murat Agca told reporters.

The Lebanese hostages' families say they were religious pilgrims, but their kidnappers accused them of belonging to Hezbollah, which has been fighting alongside Assad's forces in Syria.

The Turkish pilots were kidnapped by the family of one of the Lebanese hostages in order to press the Turkish government to help secure the group's release. Turkey has some influence with the Syrian opposition, having offered refuge and support to the rebels fighting Assad.

Abbas al-Shuaab, one of the freed Lebanese hostages, wrapped a Hezbollah flag from the crowd around his shoulders.

"They accused me of being in Hezbollah and I was not in Hezbollah," he said. "But from now on, I consider myself a soldier and fighter for (Hezbollah leader) Hassan Nasrallah."

(Additional reporting by Alex Dziadosz Writing by Erika Solomon; Editing by Mark Trevelyan, Alison Williams and Peter Cooney)

Arab states urge Saudi to keep U.N. Security Council seat

Posted:

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The Arab Group at the United Nations urged Saudi Arabia on Saturday to reconsider its decision to renounce a rotating seat on the Security Council to protest the 15-nation body's failure to end the war in Syria and act on other Middle East issues.

"We hope that they (Saudi Arabia), which are amongst the blessed who represent the Arab and Islamic world at this important and historical stage, specifically for the Middle East region ... maintain their membership in the Security Council," the Arab Group's statement said.

The group appealed to the kingdom to "continue their brave role in defending our issues specifically at the rostrum of the Security Council."

The Arab Group includes Arab U.N. member states with the exception of Syria, whose membership was suspended when it was frozen out of the Arab League.

Diplomats said Washington would like the Saudis to keep the council seat.

No country has ever been elected to the Security Council and not taken the seat. As an incoming Security Council member, Saudi Arabia would have taken up its council seat on January 1 for a two-year term ending on December 31, 2015.

When it announced its decision on Friday to refuse its newly won council seat, the Saudi kingdom condemned what it called international double standards on the Middle East and demanded reforms in the Security Council, which has been at odds on ways to end the fighting in Syria.

Unlike in the past, when Riyadh's frustration was mostly directed at Russia and China, it is now also aimed at Washington, its oldest international ally, which has pursued policies since the Arab Spring that Saudi rulers have bitterly opposed.

Citing the Security Council's failure to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian dispute, take steps to end Syria's civil war and stop nuclear proliferation in the region, Riyadh said the body had instead perpetuated conflicts and grievances.

The Saudis have expressed disappointment at U.S. President Barack Obama's failure to push Israel to end settlement building in the West Bank and agree to a Palestinian state. The Obama administration has blocked the Palestinians' push for full U.N. membership and vetoed a resolution condemning settlements.

WORRIED ABOUT U.S. POLICY ON SYRIA, IRAN

Western U.N. diplomats, suggested, however, that Riyadh's frustration with the United States had more to do with Syria and Iran than U.S. policy on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and peace process, which has been relatively consistent for decades.

They said the recent U.S.-Russian deal to eliminate Syria's chemical weapons, which appeared to break a long-standing impasse on the council over Syria's 2-1/2 year civil war, might have led the Saudis to conclude Washington is coming around to Russia's position that it might be better to let Syrian President Bashar al-Assad remain in place.

Blood-drenched images of Syria's civil war, in which more than 100,000 have died and in which millions have been displaced, are aired daily on Saudi news and the kingdom has backed the rebels with arms and money. Assad's ally Russia continues to support Assad's government with weapons.

Saudi anger boiled over after Assad escaped U.S.-led military strikes in response to an August 21 sarin gas attack near Damascus by agreeing to give up his chemical arsenal.

Saudi concerns that the U.S. decision to avoid striking Syria demonstrated weakness were underscored by signs of a tentative reconciliation between Washington and Tehran, something Riyadh fears may lead to a "grand bargain" on Iran's nuclear program that leaves Gulf Arab states at a disadvantage.

Earlier this week, the United States praised Iran's approach to negotiations with six world powers on its nuclear program during two-day talks in Geneva. Last month, Obama spoke on the telephone with Iran's new president, Hassan Rouhani, the first contact between U.S. and Iranian heads of government since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

If the Saudis insist on giving up their seat, the Asia Group will likely find another Arab candidate from the Middle East to take it. Any replacement candidate would likely need to be elected with a two-thirds' majority in the U.N. General Assembly.

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

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Two foreigners accused of ATM theft

Posted:

MARAN: Two foreigners have been charged with stealing money from an automated teller machine (ATM).

Argentinian Carlos Alberto Gonzales, 55, and Peruvian Timoteo Bartolome, 31, allegedly cut open the ATM at the Bank Rakyat branch in Jalan Perpustakaan between 3am and 5am on Oct 9.

No plea was recorded and bail was not offered.

Magistrate Rini Triani Mohamad Ali set Nov 20 for the case to be mentioned.

Insp Ridzwan Seman was prosecuting while the two accused were not represented.

The court was told that Gonzales and Bartolome had fled with RM174,000 from the ATM.

But police, alerted to the theft, caught one of them near the Maran toll plaza just 15 minutes after they made their escape.

The accomplice managed to hide in a nearby oil palm plantation but was eventually caught.

An assortment of cutting tools and five steel boxes containing the stolen cash were found in their car.

Battle lines drawn ahead of December polls

Posted:

KUALA LUMPUR: Like it or not, the battle lines for the tussle for the MCA top two posts – president and deputy president – are being drawn two months ahead of the Dec 21 party elections.

The outcome of the extraordinary general meeting (EGM) to censure incumbent deputy president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai tomorrow will inevitably reflect to a huge extent the choice of the 2,380 plus delegates at the central elections in December.

It cannot be denied that there are two factions for the time being, one led by president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek and the other by Liow.

Liow has announced his desire to go for presidency in July.

His running mate (deputy president) is widely speculated to be Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong but the line-up on Dr Chua's side is not clear.

While Dr Chua said he would not defend his post, he has also voiced his concern over passing the baton to Liow.

The resolution to censure Liow states that he has refused to accept collective party decisions, and that his actions have triggered in-fighting among members and tainted the party's image.

Liow who was chairman of the general election preparation committee was also said to have not played his role, visiting not more than 10 of the 127 parliamentary and state constituencies that the MCA contested in.

With less than 48 hours to the EGM, the speculations on the much anticipated event have reached feverish pitch.

Among others there were allegations that Liow had sought Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin's help to strike off the resolution to censure him.

Yesterday, Liow had to call a press conference to deny that.

Dr Chua stressed that the resolution to censure Liow was not personal and the only winner from this was the party, adding that the resolution was to send a strong message to future MCA leaders to take their duties seriously and also not to trigger a party crisis when the party elections is due every three years.

Yesterday, there was also talk that the Registrar of Societies has directed the party to cancel the EGM.

One of the 20 central committee members who petitioned for the EGM said the rumour that the much awaited event was cancelled only went to show the other side was not confident of winning.

He said the bid to drag RoS in was also to frighten delegates or make delegates angry, thinking that MCA would risk being de-registered when it went against RoS.

He described such a tactic as undermining the intelligence of the delegates and no respect for the party's dignity and pride as a democratic party.

Party secretary-general Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha confirmed that there was no such directive from RoS.

He said preparations were smooth and the results of the EGM would be out around 2pm.

The central delegates would start to cast their votes at Wisma MCA here at 10am, he said, adding that some of them from outstation had arrived yesterday.

Kong said the turn out is expected to be about 90%.

The other three resolutions at the EGM are to revert an earlier party resolution of not accepting any government posts when the party's performance in GE13 was worse than that of GE12.

Well, more speculations and claims will surface until the results are out.

This is part and parcel of politics.

Families cause a ruckus at mortuary over engineer’s body

Posted:

MALACCA: Two families traded insults and caused a ruckus outside the Malacca Hospital mortuary over the funeral arrangements for an engineer who died from burns to his body.

The family of the dead man accused his widow of driving the engineer to his death with her alleged incessant nagging and ridicule.

The 42-year-old engineer died after dousing himself with petrol following a heated argument with his wife at their home in Taman Sutera, Batu Berendam, near here, at around 4pm on Oct 15.

He died at the hospital at about 11am yesterday.

His family prevented the 41-year-old woman from taking back the engineer's body to the couple's home and to make the funeral arrangement as they were furious at her for allegedly "mentally abusing" him and causing his death.

The situation became rowdy and so tense that the police had to be called to calm both sides.

It took the policemen about four hours to appease the two families.

"We finally gave them the solution that the body will be cremated straight away after the autopsy is done," said state deputy CID chief Supt P.R. Gunarajan, adding the post-mortem is expected to be completed today.

The engineer's neighbours told police the couple, who had three children from their marriage of over 20 years, often fought over family matters.

Following an argument on Tuesday, the man hastily walked out of the house.

When he returned home about two hours later at around 6pm, he brought a bottle of petrol and right before his wife's eyes poured the fuel over his body and set himself on fire.

The victim, described as a quiet person, had 40% burns on his body and was warded at the inten- sive care unit of the Malacca Hospital.

Supt Gunarajan said the victim's family was emotionally upset and could not forgive his wife

"We managed to console all of them and allow the funeral arrangement to go on smoothly without any problem," he added.

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

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Philippines calls off search for quake survivors

Posted:

MANILA, Oct 19, 2013 (AFP) - Philippine rescuers on Saturday called off the search for survivors after a powerful earthquake on the tourist island of Bohol that killed at least 180 people.

"The rescue operations have ended and instead we are now conducting recovery operations," said disaster chief Eduardo del Rosario.

"We are still looking for 13 others. Our responders are now on site to recover their bodies," the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council executive director told a news conference.

The island of about one million people, one of the country's main tourist destinations, suffered landslides, fallen bridges, shattered roads and collapsed buildings in Tuesday's 7.1-magnitude quake.

About 600 kilometres (370 miles) from capital Manila, Bohol is known for its beaches, its rolling "Chocolate Hills", tiny tarsier primates, and centuries-old Catholic churches, many of which collapsed or sustained heavy damage.

Del Rosario said 167 people were killed on the island. There were 12 fatalities on Cebu island and one on Siquijor. A total of 13 people are still missing.

No fatalities were reported among foreign tourists.

Bohol governor Edgar Chatto told the news conference broadcast by Philippine radio stations that power had been restored on the island while major roads blocked by landslides had re-opened, speeding up the delivery of relief.

The disaster council said the quake displaced nearly 400,000 people. Many are still in makeshift tents, terrorised by aftershocks and unwilling to return home.

The quake damaged more than 34,000 houses across the region, with about 109,000 people sheltering at government-run camps on Bohol.

Question raised in ex-professor’s sex-for-grades sentence appeal

Posted:

THE question of whether former law professor Tey Tsun Hang's actions amounted to corruption or simply exploitation of his former student Darinne Ko was raised by High Court Justice Woo Bih Li on the second day of Tey's appeal.

Tey, 42, got out of jail on Oct 5, after serving a five-month sentence for corruptly obtaining gifts and sex from Ko. But he is appealing against his conviction and sentence. He has been absent from the hearing.

Justice Woo questioned if Tey was corrupt, if all he did was give Ko the false impression that he loved her.

He asked: "Even if (Tey) was exploiting (Ko) out of greed and lust, does that make it corruption?"

In response, Deputy Public Prosecutor Andre Jumabhoy said the terms exploitation and corruption overlapped.

He noted the corrupt intent was demonstrated by Tey's conduct and state of mind.

He also did not declare the gifts to his employer, the National University of Singapore, breaching its code of conduct.

DPP Jumabhoy noted that his statements to anti-graft officers also said he was corrupt.

Earlier in the day, Tey's lawyer, Peter Low, had pressed on in his attempt to challenge the admissibility of six statements given by his client to officers of the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau.

Low argued his client had been in "a fragile state of mind" during this period.

He referred to evidence given by psychiatrist Tommy Tan that Tey exhibited symptoms of "acute stress reaction" when he saw him last year.

But DPP Jumabhoy argued that another psychiatrist, Dr Michael Yong, had testified Tey was able to respond appropriately and could understand what was said to him.

He also rebutted Low's argument, raised on Wednesday, that Tey had allegedly been subject to threats and badgering by anti-graft officers. — The Straits Times / Asia News Network

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Philippines calls off search for quake survivors

Posted:

MANILA, Oct 19, 2013 (AFP) - Philippine rescuers on Saturday called off the search for survivors after a powerful earthquake on the tourist island of Bohol that killed at least 180 people.

"The rescue operations have ended and instead we are now conducting recovery operations," said disaster chief Eduardo del Rosario.

"We are still looking for 13 others. Our responders are now on site to recover their bodies," the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council executive director told a news conference.

The island of about one million people, one of the country's main tourist destinations, suffered landslides, fallen bridges, shattered roads and collapsed buildings in Tuesday's 7.1-magnitude quake.

About 600 kilometres (370 miles) from capital Manila, Bohol is known for its beaches, its rolling "Chocolate Hills", tiny tarsier primates, and centuries-old Catholic churches, many of which collapsed or sustained heavy damage.

Del Rosario said 167 people were killed on the island. There were 12 fatalities on Cebu island and one on Siquijor. A total of 13 people are still missing.

No fatalities were reported among foreign tourists.

Bohol governor Edgar Chatto told the news conference broadcast by Philippine radio stations that power had been restored on the island while major roads blocked by landslides had re-opened, speeding up the delivery of relief.

The disaster council said the quake displaced nearly 400,000 people. Many are still in makeshift tents, terrorised by aftershocks and unwilling to return home.

The quake damaged more than 34,000 houses across the region, with about 109,000 people sheltering at government-run camps on Bohol.

Question raised in ex-professor’s sex-for-grades sentence appeal

Posted:

THE question of whether former law professor Tey Tsun Hang's actions amounted to corruption or simply exploitation of his former student Darinne Ko was raised by High Court Justice Woo Bih Li on the second day of Tey's appeal.

Tey, 42, got out of jail on Oct 5, after serving a five-month sentence for corruptly obtaining gifts and sex from Ko. But he is appealing against his conviction and sentence. He has been absent from the hearing.

Justice Woo questioned if Tey was corrupt, if all he did was give Ko the false impression that he loved her.

He asked: "Even if (Tey) was exploiting (Ko) out of greed and lust, does that make it corruption?"

In response, Deputy Public Prosecutor Andre Jumabhoy said the terms exploitation and corruption overlapped.

He noted the corrupt intent was demonstrated by Tey's conduct and state of mind.

He also did not declare the gifts to his employer, the National University of Singapore, breaching its code of conduct.

DPP Jumabhoy noted that his statements to anti-graft officers also said he was corrupt.

Earlier in the day, Tey's lawyer, Peter Low, had pressed on in his attempt to challenge the admissibility of six statements given by his client to officers of the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau.

Low argued his client had been in "a fragile state of mind" during this period.

He referred to evidence given by psychiatrist Tommy Tan that Tey exhibited symptoms of "acute stress reaction" when he saw him last year.

But DPP Jumabhoy argued that another psychiatrist, Dr Michael Yong, had testified Tey was able to respond appropriately and could understand what was said to him.

He also rebutted Low's argument, raised on Wednesday, that Tey had allegedly been subject to threats and badgering by anti-graft officers. — The Straits Times / Asia News Network

Cops search for second man involved in murder of model

Posted:

POLICE in Pakistan are looking for a second man believed to have been involved in the murder of Singapore-based model Fehmina Chaudhry.

The man – who investigators say strangled the 27-year-old with a rope – was in a car with Chaudhry and real estate broker Muaz Waqar on the day she was killed.

The three of them were on the way to see the land she had bought from Waqar for three million Pakistani rupees (RM89,090), paid for in the form of gold.

Waqar, who has been arrested, has already admitted to the murder.

"They drove for two hours, and took her to a desolate place," investigating officer Javed Awan said.

"When they stopped, the other man took a rope and strangled Chaudhry from behind the passenger seat. Then they drove a few more kilometres and dumped her body in a drain."

He added that police know the man's identity and are tracking him down.

The body of the pageant winner was found in a drain in Pakistan's capital Islamabad on Monday.

Police say telephone records show contact between Chaudhry and Waqar, and there are photographs of them on his Facebook page. It is believed he visited her at her hotel. These connections led police to Waqar, said officer Awan.

Chaudhry went missing on Thursday last week after flying to Pakistan to negotiate a land deal with Waqar. Chaudhry's mother Nashiba Taskeen reported her missing two days later.

When Waqar seemed unable to carry out his part of the deal, Chaudhry asked for her payment back.

He then offered her a modelling deal with Pepsi worth 20 million Pakistani rupees.

She had been planning to set up a fashion school.

It is believed that she moved to Singapore with her husband a few years ago, but they divorced about 12 months ago.

The catwalk fashion model and beauty pageant judge came from a "very good" family in Karachi, Pakistan, and married at the age of 18.

Those who knew Chaudhry said she had a zest for life and was always ready to help her friends.

She had been working hard to make it in Bollywood before she was murdered, they said. — The Straits Times / Asia News Network

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