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Relatives find man hanging from beam BorneoPost Online | Borneo , Malaysia, Sarawak Daily News » Sabah - New 2 Borneo

Relatives find man hanging from beam

Posted: 03 Dec 2013 03:41 PM PST

by Jenifer Laeng, reporters@theborneopost.com. Posted on December 4, 2013, Wednesday

MIRI: A 31-year-old offshore worker is believed to have committed suicide by hanging himself last Monday at a double storey wooden house in Pujut Adong here.

The body of Edwind Langat Ngau, a Kayan from Long Bemang was first found by a 14-year-old relative who has gone to his house with her parents about 3pm yesterday.

"We went to see the house as this area always floods. Edwind's aunt had reminded us to come over to check since she had gone back to the village," explained the girl's mother when met by reporters yesterday.

When they arrived, the door was locked.

Since they could see the cushions were wet from the flooding, they tried to enter the house but found the door locked.

The girl's mother said they called out to Edwind but after receiving no response her husband forced the door open.

She said while she was busy cleaning the ground floor with her husband, their daughter went upstairs to check if Edwind was home since the TV and fan were switched on.

"Then, I heard my daughter screaming and said that she found someone hanging from a wooden beam upstairs. We went up and were shocked to find that Edwind was lifeless," she said.

She said they last saw Edwind last Sunday during a gathering held not far from the house.

"He was a very quiet type of person. We do not know if he ever had any personal problems, but he seemed to be just fine last Sunday night," she said.

Edwind's cousin, Galvin Ibau, 30, said he received a message from him last Monday telling him that he wanted to end his life but he had thought that it was a joke.

The body was brought to Miri Hospital yesterday afternoon for post-mortem.

Police are investigating.

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Taib appreciates role of private sector in providing healthcare

Posted: 03 Dec 2013 11:45 AM PST

KUCHING: The medical facilities and services provided by the private sector can fill the gap left by the public sector in ensuring patients are provided with high quality healthcare.

In saying this, Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud noted that healthcare was something that the government would not be able provide to the satisfaction of all the people for the next 20 years, not because it lacked the resources, but due to the people's rising expectations.

"These expectations maybe, in certain ways, cannot be met by the government generally speaking, although the government also can give specialist service but the rest has got to be filled by the private sector," he said when officiating at the opening of Borneo Medical Centre (BMC) here yesterday.

Taib admitted that scarcity and inadequacy were something that the government was aware, especially in the field of healthcare, adding: "Even now we in the government do not profess to have done what we would wish to fulfil and satisfy the requirements of our people."

"Nevertheless, we try our best and if it's not the best, we can certainly say that devoting consistently about five per cent of our GDP (gross domestic product) to healthcare and putting up healthcare in the government budget to share almost the same spot as the budget for security and education is testimony that we want to do our best."

He stated that in fact, the private sector had rendered healthcare services to the people very well and those with high income tended to lean more towards the private sector rather than government facilities.

"In a way, this is good because it does give more room for those who really need help from the government. It is in this context that I see that we have adjusted ourselves to the problem of healthcare quite well."

Taib said although there were instances of success by the government in solving healthcare problems in the state, the problem was still very great.

"The Kuching Hospital (Sarawak General Hospital) is still overcrowded; some tried to put patients in the passage. We are going to have another hospital in Petra Jaya but I can tell you that it will not be enough either."

He said it was not feasible to implement the plan to provide a hospital in each district of the state as announced during the past three Malaysia Plans as some of the districts were too large and the population was scattered.

"Because of the scattered nature of our population, we in Sarawak came up with many ways in trying to provide our people with healthcare services such as by boat dispensaries and even flying doctors. And that is how we try to cope with the problem in giving fair and widespread healthcare services to our people."

Despite these challenges, he said the state managed to pull through, adding that private doctors would be the hope for the future as society becomes more prosperous.

"So you can see the initiatives by the private sector is really welcomed by the government and we have no way to do without you nor should we because good service is always based on individual personal care and that is what no public hospital can ever give because of the pressure of number and shortage of staff."

Among those present were Assistant Minister of Public Health Datuk Dr Jerip Susil, BMC chairman Dr John Chew, managing director Dr Peter Tang, executive director Robert Lau and his wife Lucinda Lau, Engkilili assemblyman Dr Johnical Rayong Ngipa, Nangka assemblyman Dr Annuar Rapa'ee and renowned cardiologist Prof Dr Sim Kui Hian.

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Fast-rising water disables Pontoon No. 7

Posted: 03 Dec 2013 11:44 AM PST

SIBU: Fast-rising water after days of downpour has damaged a pontoon at Khoo Peng Loong Road causing it to sink as the King Tide now threatens to flood Sibu.

Sarawak River Board controller William Jenip confirmed yesterday evening Pontoon No. 7 was already a few feet under water, and his officers were keeping vigil at the wharf.

He said they had cut the submerged pontoon from the other six in a bid to save the rest, and as the water resided, they would immediately move in to re-float the submerged pontoon.

"The other six pontoons are not affected. At this time when the river water is rising, we advise those traveling in open boats like sampans and the others to be equipped with sufficient life jackets."

William confirmed the situation at the wharf was under control, assuring his officers would be there until remedial action was completed.

He said water had seeped into Pontoon Seven because of the swift current coupled with the waves created by the passing boats.

"We were at the wharf area the whole day. The situation was fine in the morning. The mishap happened in the afternoon as the river water rose."

Engineer of the Department of Irrigation and Drainage Ting Sing Kwong, when contacted yesterday evening, confirmed the King Tide was here and the water level would be high.

He said his department was monitoring the water situation.

"Flood alert levels have been breached in a few places, including Kapit and Sibu. Residents should be on the lookout."

At nightfall yesterday, water had risen and burst the banks.

It has inundated the town from Lanang Road and Khoo Pheng Loong Road, where Pontoon Seven is.

The river water might continue to rise, and Ting expected the highest water level could be tomorrow (Thursday).

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‘Sick’ projects to the fore

Posted: 03 Dec 2013 11:43 AM PST

by Lian Cheng, reporters@theborneopost.com. Posted on December 4, 2013, Wednesday

Minister to raise the issue at coming State Cabinet meeting for discussion

KUCHING: Datuk Fatimah Abdullah will submit a report on 'sick' or delayed school projects to the State Cabinet during its meeting on Dec 12.

Fully aware of the seriousness of the issue, Fatimah who has been entrusted with a watching brief on national schools said a report was already in place and that she would table it at the coming cabinet meeting.

"I am fully aware of the issue. It has also been brought up during the just-concluded state assembly sitting. I have a complete list of schools suffering from 'projek sakit' (sick projects) and I will submit it for discussion in the coming cabinet meeting.

"Whatever decision made in the meeting will then be a state decision so that later, when we submit our decision to the federal level, it will be from the state government," she told The Borneo Post yesterday.

The Welfare, Women and Family Development Minister was responding to the 2012 AG Report which stated that out of the 56 school projects in Sarawak, only one was completed on time.

The Third Series of 2012 AG Report said the audit carried out between October last year and March this year found that management of school building projects in the state had not been satisfactory.

It further said between 2008 and last year, 56 out of the 737 school projects were audited.

Among the weaknesses identified was a delay of between 219 and 909 days in the completion of 55 projects worth RM1.05 billion, while construction plans of eight schools did not take into consideration the aspects of safety, suitability and conduciveness.

The report also said quality was found to be below standard and supervision of these projects was unsatisfactory.

The report has full written details on these sick school projects, and pictures have also been taken as evidence of its findings.

The Education Ministry in response to the report received on May 7 this year admitted that construction works of these projects were not satisfactory.

The ministry also admitted that contractors which were identified were only interested in making profit by using sub-standard or low quality building materials and they did not meet the specifications which were stated in the contracts resulting in cracks in buildings and holes in the building floor.

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Crime rate has not reached alarming level — Sabtu

Posted: 03 Dec 2013 11:43 AM PST

KUCHING: The crime rate in the state had not reached an alarming level despite the few serious criminal cases being reported in the media lately.

State police commissioner Datuk Muhammad Sabtu did not deny there were serious criminal cases including a murder but said that it was an isolated case.

"We did not say that it did not happen but it is not that serious. The situation in Sarawak is still under control, safe and stable," he told reporters after a working visit to Kuching district police station at Jalan Simpang Tiga here yesterday.

Also present was Kuching police chief ACP Roslan Bek Ahmad.

Earlier he disclosed that the crime index here saw a drop by 789 cases as a total of 3, 290 cases were recorded compared to last year which recorded a total of 4, 076 cases.

While snatch thieves, house-breaking and other cases recorded a great decrease, vehicle theft still topped the list and recorded an increase on the rate.

"There were a total of 274 cases of lorries and vans reported stolen, 280 car theft cases and 1,388 cases of motorcycle theft. For last year, the number of vans and lorries reported stolen were 232 while for cars there was 211 cases and 1,070 for motorcycles.

"The index shows there was an increase of 18.10 per cent of lorry and van theft, 32.7 per cent increased for car theft and 29.72 per cent for motorcycle theft." Sabtu added.

He also said that the 'Ops Cantas' was a success as it helped to contribute to the decrease of the crimes.

"For example, gangsterism cases are rarely heard nowadays as the members are lying low. We know the members of the group and they know we are tracking them down.

"Their activity is not 100 per cent being crippled but I can say that they are not active anymore," said Sabtu when responding to questions posed by reporters.

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Cops ponder motive for woman’s murder

Posted: 03 Dec 2013 11:40 AM PST

KUCHING: Police believe the motive for the murder of an elderly woman at her house at Green Road here on Friday night could be anything but housebreaking.

State police chief Datuk Wira Mohammad Sabtu Osman said this after making a working visit to Kuching District Police Station yesterday.

The body of Kam Pit Chin, 58, was found lying face-up near the kitchen door around 9.50pm Friday by her elder sister.

Sabtu told reporters they had no lead on the case yet.

"The motive for the murder is unclear. It could be housebreaking but we believe there could be another motive," he said.

The case is being investigated under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder.

Sabtu disclosed that the postmortem result showed strangulation marks on the neck of the victim.

He urged members of the public with information on the case to inform police.

On another case, Sabtu ruled out rape of a 12-year-old girl found dead near the junction of Jalan Roban-Selalang in Sungai Pasir, Kabong in Saratok.

"We are still waiting for the postmortem. There seems no sign of rape as there is no tear on her private part."

He disclosed that the victim suffered from cancer of the thyroid.

The police are investigating the case under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder.

The victim was found naked on the grass verge near the junction on Saturday.

It was said she had earlier rode pillion with her brother around 8pm to join a group of residents from their longhouse Rumah Nunong, Sungai Mengeris, Nyabor, Kabong to attend the wedding of a relative at Rumah Robert in Sungai Pasir about 15 minutes away.

On other issue, Sabtu said no suspect was arrested in connection with a foetus found floating in the septic tank of Kuching Sentral by a maintenance staff.

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