my Nipa Hut: Malaysia

Showing posts with label Malaysia. Show all posts

Friday, February 26, 2010

REFUGEES MAY BE ALLOWED TO WORK

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KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia is considering allowing refugees to work while awaiting resettlement abroad, a report said yesterday, after an industry group said the measure could help ease a labour shortage.

Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein told The Star newspaper he would discuss the proposal with the foreign ministry and foreign embassies. "The suggestion might work but we need to look at it from all angles," he said.

Foreign Minister Anifah Aman agreed, saying: "We have to study this in detail. It will benefit the country if refugees with certain expertise are allowed to work while they are here."

The United Nations refugee agency said there are almost 80,000 registered refugees and asylum-seekers in Malaysia, most of whom fled persecution in Myanmar. Its spokesperson told AFP the agency was ready to support the initiative: "We believe that this is in the long-term humanitarian, economic and security interest of Malaysia, and consistent with Malaysia's own humanitarian tradition in helping those in need."

Ms Florida Sandanasamy, an official with local refugee rights group Tenaganita, also welcomed the work proposal as a first "small step".

Several groups, including the Malaysian Trades Union Congress, have called on the government to allow refugees to work, particularly in labour-strapped sectors, instead of importing more foreign workers. The country depends heavily on foreign labour in industries such as construction, manufacturing and farming.

Earlier this month, Malaysia announced it planned to issue ID cards to refugees - in a first move toward recognising them and sparing them from being arrested with other illegals. Agencies

From TODAY, Tuesday, 23-Feb-2010

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Wednesday, February 24, 2010

It Was Simpler Then; Now Employers Have To Undergo Course As Well

MAIDS, EMPLOYERS IN MALAYSIA MUST ATTEND COURSE

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KUALA LUMPUR - From next month, all new foreign maids in Malaysia and their employers must attend a half-day course aimed at improving working relations between them, reported The New Straits Times.

The course that is being organised by the Human Resource Ministry is also aimed at reducing the number of runaway maids and physical abuse by employers. The maids and their employers must attend the course within six months of employment.

Human Resource Minister Dr S Subramaniam said the ministry found most employers to be responsible and supportive but "there is this 1 per cent who tarnish the country's image".

Speaking after launching a 30-page booklet on foreign maids on Saturday, he said the ministry also hopes maid employment agencies can do more: "We want them to act as a middle person and look into the management of the employer and the maid. They should also be able to counsel both the parties."

At present, agencies are obliged to replace a maid if the employer finds the helper unsuitable or if the maid runs away.

The course, which will be held during weekends, will also look into the contract's terms and conditions for salaries, working conditions, tips and how to end a contract.

Those attending the course will receive a book with hotline numbers, government addresses and phone numbers.

Asked if the ministry agrees with the recent call by Indonesia for a minimum payment of RM800 ($331.50) a month for an Indonesian maid, Dr Subramaniam said the ministry has rejected the demand.

"We will allow the market to decide on the pay because if we allow one country to decide on the pay, we will also have to entertain others," he said.

There are about 216,000 foreign maids in Malaysia with some 2,000 new maids entering the country every month.

Most are from Indonesia, followed by maids from the Philippines, Cambodia, India, Pakistan, Nepal and Myanmar. Agencies

From TODAY, Monday, 22-Feb-2010

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Thursday, June 25, 2009

Mas Selamat not extradited to Singapore due to security reasons

Posted: 25 June 2009 1922 hrs

Photo taken of Mas Selamat Kastari after his arrest on April 1.

SINGAPORE - Singapore's Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) militant leader Mas Selamat Kastari is still being detained in Malaysia due to security reasons.

The terrorist, who once plotted to hijack a plane and crash it into Changi Airport, was captured in Malaysia's Johor in April this year after escaping from Singapore's Whitley Road Detention Centre in February last year.

Malaysian Home Minister Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said Mas Selamat was arrested under the Internal Security Act (ISA) as he is deemed a threat to the country.

Speaking in the Malaysian parliament on Thursday, the minister said Mas Selamat's ISA detention would ensure that his activities and contacts with other militant groups in Asia could be contained.

"The ministry has sufficient information to arrest him under the ISA," said Mr Hishammuddin. "We know his background, the details of his plan, network and contact with militant groups.

"He is arrested under the ISA as the government finds that he not only poses a threat to the country but also to the neighbouring countries like Singapore and Indonesia."

"Believe me, from the information that we have gathered, it was a serious plan," said Mr Hishammuddin. "We did not extradite Mas Selamat as we are concerned it will undermine the country's peace and put the people's safety at risk."

The minister also told reporters that Malaysia needed the cooperation from Indonesia to carry out its investigations.

- CNA/ir

From ChannelNewsAsia.com; see the source article here.

Monday, June 22, 2009

Foreign maids to get 1 day off a week

A more humane treatment… this is good!

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05:55 AM Jun 18, 2009

KUALA LUMPUR - Foreign maids working in Malaysia will soon get one day off a week as part of a bid to improve working conditions for domestic helpers from overseas.

Human Resources Minister S Subramaniam told state media on Tuesday his ministry was amending the Employment Act to make it compulsory for employers to give maids a day off.

He said it was part of moves to prevent the abuse of domestic workers in Malaysia - most of whom are from Indonesia - who are not covered by legislation that protects foreign workers in other sectors like construction.

"The ministry will make it mandatory for all domestic helpers to sign (a) contract of employment containing provisions like salary, the name of employers, their workplaces and the compulsory one day off a week," Mr Subramaniam said.

Mr Subramaniam said the off day would be jointly determined by employer and employee while the domestic helper could forgo the rest day as long as they were compensated for it.

Employers could be fined up to RM10,000 ($4,128) if they fail to comply, he warned.

The minister added that the plan could be implemented this year, but did not elaborate on specifics.

More than 300,000 Indonesian women work as maids in Malaysia. Many have complained of ill treatment by their employers, including overwork, unpaid salaries and physical abuse. In a latest abuse case, a 33-year-old Indonesian maid claimed she was scalded with hot water and beaten by her employer, who is now in police custody.

However, not all are for the mandatory day off. Some agencies and employers worry that maids will use it to meet men and run away. "It looks very good on paper ... (but) if you give too much freedom to the maid, there is room for them to run away," said Mr Raja Zulkepley Dahalan, president of the Malaysian Association of Foreign Housemaids Agencies, which represents 160 of 360 maid agencies. AGENCIES

From TODAY, News – Thursday, 18-Jun-2009; see the source article here.

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Malaysian royal denies abuse allegations: lawyer

AFP - Friday, June 12

Malaysian royal denies abuse allegations: lawyer

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) - A Malaysian prince has denied abusing his estranged teenage US-Indonesian model wife and threatened to launch legal action against her for making false allegations, his lawyer has said.

Tengku Temenggong Mohammad Fakhry, the prince of Kelantan state, on Thursday lodged a police report in the Malaysian capital denying that he had raped and tortured his 17-year-old wife, his lawyer told the state Bernama news agency.

"A police report has been lodged... we will be contemplating legal action with regard to the false allegation," said the attorney, Haaziq Pillay.

Manohara Odelia Pinot last week told reporters she was treated like a sex slave after her marriage last year to Tengku Fahkry, whose father is the sultan of Kelantan.

She escaped the prince's guards at a Singapore hotel and returned to her family in Indonesia with tales of abuse, rape and torture at the hands of the 31-year-old prince.

District Police Chief Zulkarnain Abdul Rahman confirmed to AFP that a report had been lodged by the prince and that police would investigate.

"The investigations will be transferred to the Kubang Kerian police station in Kelantan as the incident was alleged to have occurred there and comes under the jurisdiction of the police there," he added.

Manohara -- a well-known socialite in Jakarta -- claimed to have been cut with a razor and injected with drugs which made her vomit blood while being held under guard in her bedroom at the palace.

Her lawyer said she had filed a police report on the abuse but Indonesian police say they are unable to investigate as the incidents took place outside their jurisdiction.

An Indonesian forensics expert said Tuesday that Manohara had been physically abused.

"He (Fakhry) is just panicking to guard the good name of his family. We have proof that Manohara was abused. He should be jailed," her attorney Farhat Abbas told AFP.

From Yahoo! News; see the source article here.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Indonesia model's medical examination confirms abuse

Posted: 09 June 2009 2259 hrs

Manohara Odelia Pinot

JAKARTA: A medical examination of a teenage US-Indonesian model who claimed she was raped and tortured by her Malaysian prince husband, has confirmed she was physically abused, a forensic expert said on Tuesday.

Manohara Odelia Pinot, 17, last week told reporters she was treated like a sex slave after her marriage last year to Tengku Temenggong Mohammad Fakhry, the prince of Malaysia's Kelantan state.

She escaped the prince's guards at a Singapore hotel and returned to her family in Indonesia with tales of abuse, rape and torture at the hands of the 31-year-old prince.

"There are slash wounds on many parts of her body, especially on her chest. Some are still fresh," forensic doctor Mun'im Idries told AFP.

"We are still examining her blood and urine samples because she said she had been given jabs," he said adding that he also found an injection mark on her back.

Manohara - a well-known socialite in Jakarta - claimed to have been cut with a razor and injected with drugs which made her vomit blood while being held under guard in her bedroom at the palace.

She said after the examination on Tuesday that the prince would have sexual intercourse after injecting her with an unidentified substance.

"I don't know what I had been given but I could not move. I could see, feel, hear and smell... my senses are still there but I couldn't move," she told TV One channel.

With the help of Singapore police, the former model escaped home to Jakarta while visiting her father-in-law, Sultan Ismail Petra Shah II who was being treated at a Singapore hospital.

"The medical examination has been completed and the result confirmed that there is physical abuse all over her body. Her story has proven to be true," one of her lawyers Farhat Abbas told AFP.

He said his client on Tuesday formally lodged a written report on the alleged abuse with the Indonesian police. Besides the prince, she had named six other people, including the sultan and his wife, as accomplices.

"We have received the report today," national police spokesman Abubakar Nataprawira told AFP.

"Indonesian police is not able to investigate the case as the alleged abuse took place in Malaysia which is out of our jurisdiction. But we will assist in reporting the case to Malaysian police," he added. - AFP/de

From ChannelNewsAsia.com; see the source article here.

Sunday, June 7, 2009

Malaysia royals: sex allegations 'private affair'

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

AFP - Thursday, June 4

Malaysia royals: sex allegations 'private affair'

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) - - Malaysian royals have described allegations by a teenage US-Indonesian model that she was raped and abused by her Malaysian prince husband as "a private affair" between the couple.

Manohara Odelia Pinot, 17, Monday told reporters she was treated like a sex slave after her marriage last year to Tengku Temenggong Mohammad Fakhry, the prince of Kelantan state.

She escaped the prince's guards at a Singapore hotel and returned to her family in Indonesia with tales of abuse, rape and torture at the hands of the prince.

In its first comments on the matter, palace coordinator Abdul Halim Hamad said "the Kelantan palace authorities are watching and studying this issue and until now consider it as a private affair of a husband and wife that needs to be settled through the provisions of the law."

Abdul Halim in a statement Wednesday also said that all the remarks made by Mohamad Soberi Shafli, a friend of the prince, reflected his personal views only.

Soberi had said the ex-model was allowed to leave voluntarily and blamed her mother for influencing her to make up stories about the prince.

Her mother, Daisy Fajarina, said she would press charges against the 31-year-old prince, and accused the Malaysian and Indonesian governments for trying to cover up the alleged abuse.

"Manohara has suffered physical abuse. She's got several razor cuts on her chest," Fajarina told AFP on Monday.

The teenager -- whose fairy-tale wedding to a prince captured the imagination of Indonesia -- said she would be tortured if she did not appear to be happy when she attended social functions with Fakhry.

She said she secretly called Singaporean police and pleaded for help after the royal family took her to Singapore when they accompanied Fakhry's father, Sultan Ismail Petra Shah II, for medical treatment.

"The police told Fakhry that he would be held in jail if he did not let me go. No one could force me against my will in Singapore and I knew I had a chance to escape," she said.

Malaysia's royal rulers used to enjoy immunity from criminal and civil charges but the privilege was removed in 1993.

Manohara's lawyer, Yuri Darmas, said his client would have a medical examination to back up her allegations of abuse, adding that he intended to pursue criminal and civil lawsuits against the prince.

Manohara has already filed for divorce, her mother said.

From Yahoo! News; see the source article here.

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Malaysian govt denies cover-up in Kelantan prince scandal

By Channel NewsAsia's Malaysia Bureau Chief Melissa Goh

Posted: 03 June 2009 0029 hrs

Manohara Odelia Pino, 17, is kissed by her mother as she arrives at her residence in Jakarta

KUALA LUMPUR : The Malaysian government has denied any cover-up in the alleged abuse of the teenage Indonesian model wife by her Malaysian prince husband.

The Minister in the Prime Minister's department Nazri Aziz will investigate if a formal report is lodged, as he said no one is above the law.

Meanwhile, the Kelantan royal family has denied all allegations of wrongdoing by Tengku Mohd Fakhry, also known as Tunku Temengganong.

17-year-old Manohara Odelia Pinot made the front page of Malaysian papers after news of her dramatic escape shocked the nation.

The teary teenage model claimed that she was sexually abused and tortured by her husband Tengku Mohd Fakhry, who treated her, she said, like a toy.

Last August, the then 16-year-old Manohara, whose father is French, married the 31-year-old prince.

Now back in Jakarta, she said she has had enough, and is filing for a divorce.

Manohara's mother Daisy Fajarina has also vowed to press charges against the prince pending a full medical report.

Speaking in Kuala Lumpur, government officials say they are in the dark as there has been no formal report lodged so far.

"He just happens to be the son of the Sultan... no one is above the law. This report is criminal act against the state and we will take action," said Minister Nazri, a Minister in the Prime Minister's department.

The Kelantan royal family, has also dismissed the allegations as slanderous and defended its youngest prince.

"Prove it. Manohara must be prepared to go to an independent doctor in Australia or France, only then it's fair," argued Mohd Sabri Shafiee, a spokesman for Tengku Fakhry.

Mohd Sabri, who is a close friend of Tengku TT - as the prince is commonly known - also expressed hopes that Manohara will apologise to clear the air.

He said: "Impossible as a human being that he can be cruel when we all know that he loves her so much. Tengku will not run away; we'll make sure the truth comes out.

He later produced footage of the couple's happy moments together. "To repair the damage, Manohara needs to tell the truth, seek the husband's forgiveness and Tengku TT will take her back," said Mohd Sabri.

He blamed Manohara's mother, whom he described as materialistic, for messing up the daughter's marriage which otherwise could have worked.

"She wants everything - house, cars, you name it. I don't want to go into details," said Mohd Sabri.

In a statement issued, the Kelantan royal family urged the media to respect their privacy and not to play up on the scandal that is fast becoming a major embarrassment to the royal family. - CNA /ls

From ChannelNewsAsia.com; see the source article here.

Monday, June 1, 2009

Teen model escapes 'abusive' Malaysian prince

This is the version from Yahoo! News…

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AFP - Tuesday, June 2

JAKARTA (AFP) - - A teenage US-Indonesian model has returned to her family in Indonesia with tales of abuse, rape and torture at the hands of a Malaysian prince, after her dramatic escape with the help of Singapore police.

Manohara Odelia Pinot, 17, told reporters she was treated like a sex slave after her marriage last year to Tengku Temenggong Mohammad Fakhry, the prince of Malaysia's Kelantan state.

Her mother, Daisy Fajarina, said she would press charges against the 31-year-old prince, and blamed the Malaysian and Indonesian governments for trying to cover up the alleged abuse.

"The things I've been afraid of were revealed to be true. Manohara has suffered physical abuse. She's got several razor cuts on her chest," Fajarina told AFP on Monday.

"No parent could be silent if their child was treated in such a barbaric way."

The Malaysian government had ignored her pleas for access to her daughter and had blocked her from entering the country, she said, while the Indonesian embassy had said that Manohara was fine with her new husband.

But the young woman -- a well-known socialite in Jakarta -- said her life at the royal palace involved a "daily routine" of rape, abuse, torture and occasional drug injections that made her vomit blood.

She said she was usually held under guard in her bedroom at the palace and was injected with tranquilisers whenever she complained.

"I am still traumatised by all that happened and it has left an impact on me," she told reporters in Jakarta on Sunday, after escaping the royal family during a trip to Singapore over the weekend.

"Sexual abuse and sexual harassment were like a daily routine for me, and he did that every time I did not want to have sexual intercourse," she was quoted as saying in The Jakarta Globe.

"I could never think a normal man could do such things," she said, adding: "Some parts of my body were cut by a razor."

"I've been treated like an animal. I'm like his property and I was in his room and whenever he wants to play with me he just goes into the room and plays with me. I'm like an object."

"The police told Fakhry that he would be held in jail if he did not let me go. No one could force me against my will in Singapore and I knew I had a chance to escape," she said.

The model once voted as being among Indonesia's "100 Precious Women" said she escaped her guards by pushing the Singapore hotel elevator's emergency button.

They were reluctant to chase her because they knew the scene would be captured on security cameras.

She blasted the Indonesian embassy in Malaysia, saying: "They made it worse by telling lies, saying that I was fine while I was suffering in Kelantan."

A spokesman for the Indonesian foreign ministry insisted the embassy had done everything it could to help Manohara and said the government would assist her if she wanted to file charges against her husband.

But Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said the government would not investigate the allegations.

"I think this is more of a personal matter. To date we have not been dragged into it, so we want to leave it as it is," he told reporters in Kuala Lumpur.

Malaysia's royal rulers used to enjoy immunity from criminal and civil charges but the privilege was removed in 1993.

There has been no comment from the Kelantan royal family.

Manohara's lawyer, Yuri Darmas, said she would have a medical examination to back up her allegations of abuse.

"We need one to two days to gather evidence before we file a lawsuit to the Malaysian police," he said, adding that he intended to pursue criminal and civil lawsuits against the prince.

Manohara has already filed for divorce, her mother said.

From Yahoo! News; see the source article here.

Model flees, claiming sex abuse by prince

Some things never change; a prince at this age and time, still thinks like a prince in the many, many decades past – that he is in full control of his subjects, let alone his wife…

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JAKARTA — Indonesian model Manohara Odelia Pinot, whose family claimed she was abused by her Kelantan prince husband, fled for Indonesia yesterday from Singapore, where the royal family was accompanying the Kelantan sultan for medical treatment.

Indonesian media reports said that the Indonesian-American met her mother in Singapore and flew back to Indonesia yesterday morning.

She told reporters she was no longer in love with the Kelantan prince, Tengku Temenggong Mohammad Fakhry, whom she accused of sexual abuse and violence.

"I am afraid of the daily sex abuse and violence," the Banjarmasin Post quoted the 17-year-old as saying.

Ms Manohara married the Kelantan prince last year.

Her mother, Mdm Daisy Fajarina, earlier alleged that Ms Manohara suffered "emotional and physical abuse" at the hands of her husband, who was holding her against her will in Malaysia.

THE MALAYSIAN INSIDER

From TODAYOnline.com –World News, Monday, 01-Jun-2009; see the source article here.

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Find your future in Singapore with online portal

LOH CHEE KONG

MORE efforts are underway to "help those who are interested to sink roots and set up a home in Singapore", said Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng.

These include the launch of a new online portal www.home-in-singapore.sg, which describes itself as a "one-stop portal for information about finding your future in Singapore".

The new website, which is already up-and-running, features a wide array of articles and video clips on life in the Republic.

Stressing that the Government would "press on with our efforts to build a strong core of committed and dedicated citizens", Mr Wong, who oversees the National Population Secretariat, added that citizens "always remain the Government's first priority, and citizen interests will always be accorded a higher priority over those of permanent residents and foreigners".

He noted that it was premature to assess if the marriage and parenthood package, which was enhanced in August last year, "has worked".

From TODAY, News – Wednesday, 20-May-2009

Sunday, May 17, 2009

He hid in Singapore for four days

This is already past, but just would like to put in on record; chronicle file. This is a look into the mind of a escaping fugitive… will someone duplicate the effort?

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MAS SELAMAT'S ESCAPE

Mas Selamat managed to evade arrest — despite having thousands of security personnel looking for him. TODAY FILE PHOTO

JOHOR BARU — Despite a massive manhunt that was launched immediately following his escape, Mas Selamat Kastari managed to remain in Singapore undetected for four days, according to a Bernama report.

It was only on the night of the fourth day after he slipped out of the Whitley Road Detention Centre on Feb 27 last year that Mas Selamat reached Woodlands, the report, quoting a source familiar with operation to nab the Jemaah Islamiyah fugitive, said yesterday.

Mas Selamat, who walks with a limp, apparently hid himself in several places before reaching Woodlands.

From there, he was believed to have swum cross the Tebrau Strait towards Stulang Laut in Johor Baru under the cover of darkness, the source added.

"He used the buoy lights, which mark the border at the Tebrau Strait, as his guide to reach the place where he thought he could find a refuge," he said.

The question of how Mas Selamat managed to evade arrest — despite having thousands of security personnel looking for him in Singapore — remains unanswered for now.

"It is still a puzzle how he managed to avoid arrest and travel up to Woodlands, which is not a short distance from Whitley Road.

"Perhaps, we will be able to know later whether he had walked to Woodlands or used public transport, and the route he had taken to reach Woodlands," the source told Bernama.

Apart from the usual tight security at the Woodlands checkpoint, the Singapore authorities had also stepped up security in Tebrau Strait in anticipation of Mas Selamat making a dash across the narrow waterway.

The Singapore Police Coast Guard, for example, stationed boats in every kilometre along the sea border, said the source.

The search for Mas Selamat, now 48, finally ended on April 1 when he was captured by the Malaysian Special Branch at a kampung house in Skudai, Johor. He remains in the custody of the Malaysian authorities at an undisclosed location.

From TODAY, News – Thursday, 14-May-2009

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Report: Top terror suspect hid in Malaysia village

This is the version of the report from Yahoo! News...

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AP - Monday, May 11

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - The Islamic militant suspect recently recaptured after escaping from a Singapore jail avoided detection for a year by living in an isolated Malaysian hamlet and rarely leaving his wooden house on stilts, a newspaper said Monday.

The Star daily reported that Mas Selamat Kastari, one of the most wanted terror suspects in the region, lived in Tawakal, a village of less than 100 people in the southern Johor state. It said residents were shocked to find out the fugitive had been living among them.

"He never spoke to anyone and kept to himself. And he never prayed at the local prayer room," resident Mohamad Saat, 56, was quoted as saying.

Mas Selamat, the alleged Singapore commander of the al-Qaida-linked Jemaah Islamiyah group, was sometimes seen gardening or fishing in a canal behind his house, and went out rarely. If he did, it was usually after dark, dressed in a long white robe and white turban, the report said.

Mas Selamat escaped from a high-security Singapore jail on Feb. 27, 2008, which severely embarrassed the city-state known for its rigorous security. According to Singapore authorities, he was caught again on April 1 by Malaysian security forces.

Malaysian authorities have confirmed the arrest but shared no more details. Police on Monday would not confirm The Star's unattributed report.

Mas Selamat, a Singaporean citizen of Indonesian origin, is alleged to have plotted to hijack a plane and fly it into Singapore international airport, its government says. He was caught by the Indonesian police in 2006 and handed over to Singapore, where he was being held under the Internal Security Act that allows indefinite detention without trial.

He escaped detention in Singapore by wriggling out a bathroom window just ahead of a scheduled visit by his family.

Mas Selamat, who walks with a limp, is said to have used an improvised flotation device to swim across the Strait of Johor _ the narrow waterway that separates Malaysia from Singapore _ after his escape.

It was unclear why he ended up in Tawakal, where he rented the basement of a two-story wooden house on stilts, and how authorities learned of his whereabouts. The Star said Tawakal lies in a remote neighborhood surrounded by oil palms about 7 miles (10 kilometers) from the North-South Expressway that stretches the length of Malaysia.

The report said Mas Selamat was captured in a pre-dawn police raid on his house. The landlord of the house, who lived upstairs, was also arrested, it said.

It quoted resident Mohamad Saat Marjo as saying that some 30 armed policemen surrounded the house and ordered Mas Selamat to come out before breaking through the doors. They led him out with his face covered in a dark blue checkered cloth.

Police are now holding Mas Selamat under Malaysia's Internal Security Act, which is similar to Singapore's ISA. Malaysia has not said when or if he will be handed back to Singapore.

From Yahoo! News; see the source article here.

His hideout revealed

Villagers in sleepy Kampung Tawakal stunned to discover reclusive stranger was a fugitive

by Leong Wee Keat

05:55 AM May 12, 2009

EVEN the next-door neighbours had diverging ideas about who he was, eight months after he moved into their rustic Johor kampung.

Mas Selamat Kastari lived on the ground floor of this house.

Photo by ERNEST CHUA

Mr Jamian Simin, who often saw the man gardening or repairing the drains, thought he was a live-in subcontractor hired by his neighbour Johar Hassan. “He was very quiet,” the 70-year-old retiree told Today. “Almost to the extent of being aloof.”

Another neighbour was spun a different tale: The stranger was Johar’s “cousin” who was staying with them as he had “family problems”, he was told.

The man was polite, said the neighbour, and spent his time lazing on the porch of the two-storey house, bathing from a well in the backyard, or going fishing at a nearby canal and barbequing his catch.

Other neighbours told The Star that he ventured out only after dark, in a white robe and turban. “He never spoke to anyone. And he never prayed at the local surau,’’ said Mr Mohd Saat Marjo, 56, who lived opposite.

But Kampung Tawakal was more than a retreat for the reclusive stranger while he sorted out his domestic issues. The tiny village, with a population of less than 100, appeared the ideal hiding place for Jemaah Islamiyah fugitive Mas Selamat Kastari.

About a 30-minute drive from the Causeway and 20 minutes away from Skudai town, Kampung Tawakal nestles between oil palm plantations and the Berjaya industrial estate, with the Starhill Golf and Country Club a short distance away.

Not marked on most maps and with no signs pointing to it, the village that sits 10km off the North-South Highway is almost impossible to locate for those unfamiliar with the area - it took the Today team more than two hours and several requests for directions.

But once at the village, the house where Mas Selamat was captured on April 1 stood out.

Like time stood still.

While the other houses had been rebuilt with concrete and coated with fresh paint, this house was made of wood and the paint had long since faded off. Electrical wires, which skirted the exterior, were left dangling and holes marked the walls.

In the kitchen where Mas Selamat sought refuge.

Photo by ERNEST CHUA

Shoes, slippers, toys, wood and bicycle parts littered the unfenced, spacious compound about the size of a basketball court. At the back were sheds that stored wooden doors, scrap metal and plastic pipes.

The interior of the house - or what could be seen through the windows - appeared neat and tidy. A punching bag hung in the living area of the ground floor where Mas Selamat resided.

It looked as if time had stood still for the house: Dead fish floated in an aquarium, and a wheelbarrow was filled with dried leaves and branches that someone was clearing before the work was abruptly interrupted.

Villagers recalled when that moment was. At about 6am on April 1, Mr Tukiman Aziz was sending his child to school when seven unmarked cars whizzed past.

“I didn’t know what was going on. We never had that many cars entering the village at once,” he said.

The cars stopped at Johar’s house. Mr Jamian, who was having tea with his wife, said some 30 armed policemen surrounded the house and ordered Mas Selamat to come out. When he refused, they stormed in.

The backyard, which has a well where neighbours said Mas Selamat had bathed.

Photo by ERNEST CHUA

Villagers then saw a man being led out with his face covered in a dark blue cloth. The operation was over in “a few minutes”, they said, and no shots were heard. Afterward, the officers searched the house and swept the compound with devices.

A kampung bewildered

According to The Star, last week Johar was arrested at his workplace. He was reportedly one of two men who came to the fugitive’s aid after he swam across the Johor Straits using an improvised flotation device.

Picture from Yahoo! News

Villagers knew little about Johar or his wife and two young children, who moved into the kampung two years ago. They had lived on the second floor while Mas Selamat had occupied the ground floor. Neighbours said Johar’s wife kept to herself and was seen around the village wearing a veil.

Yesterday, as the Singapore and Malaysia media descended on the sleepy village, bewildered residents found themselves unexpectedly the centre of attention.

Many could not believe the stranger who had lived in their midst was a fugitive terrorist who had been on the run for more than 13 months. “I never thought he was Mas Selamat,” said Mr Tukiman. “He seemed like a normal person. Like you and me.”

From TODAY, Home – Tuesday, 12-May-2009

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Friday, February 26, 2010

REFUGEES MAY BE ALLOWED TO WORK

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

It Was Simpler Then; Now Employers Have To Undergo Course As Well

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Mas Selamat not extradited to Singapore due to security reasons

Monday, June 22, 2009

Foreign maids to get 1 day off a week

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Malaysian royal denies abuse allegations: lawyer

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Indonesia model's medical examination confirms abuse

Sunday, June 7, 2009

Malaysia royals: sex allegations 'private affair'

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Malaysian govt denies cover-up in Kelantan prince scandal

Monday, June 1, 2009

Teen model escapes 'abusive' Malaysian prince

Model flees, claiming sex abuse by prince

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Find your future in Singapore with online portal

Sunday, May 17, 2009

He hid in Singapore for four days

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Report: Top terror suspect hid in Malaysia village

His hideout revealed

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