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Youth gets 20 years, 16 strokes for raping half-sister BorneoPost Online | Borneo , Malaysia, Sarawak Daily News » Sabah - New 2 Borneo

Youth gets 20 years, 16 strokes for raping half-sister

Posted: 02 Jan 2014 11:39 AM PST

by Jane Moh, reporters@theborneopost.com. Posted on January 3, 2014, Friday

SIBU: A 23-year-old man was sentenced by the Sessions Court here to 20 years' jail and 16 strokes of the rotan after he pleaded guilty to raping his half-sister.

Bartholomew Sempurai Rudang was charged under Section 376(3) of the Penal Code, which provides for not less than eight years but not more than 30 years' jail.

The offender is also liable to whipping of no fewer than 10 strokes.

On Oct 8 to 9, 2012, between 8am to 9am at a longhouse in Sg Naman, the victim, who was then only 14 years and three months old, was doing her homework in the living room when the accused came and raped her.

The victim did not dare to fight as she was scared of the accused.

The accused also warned the victim not to tell anyone about it.

The offence occurred a few more times in the same living room, with the last one in January last year.

The victim stopped menstruating in November 2012, but did not tell anyone about it until she felt a stomach ache on July 14, 2013.

After she complained of stomachache, her mother sent her to Kanowit Hospital where she was confirmed pregnant.

She gave birth to a boy on July 14, 2013.

Police were informed.

On July 17, 2013, Bartholomew turned himself in at Sibu Central Police Station.

A DNA test on Aug 17 confirmed he fathered the baby.

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Twin-cab vehicle stripped and abandoned

Posted: 02 Jan 2014 11:38 AM PST

KUCHING: A twin-cab reported missing on Christmas Day was found abandoned near an industrial area in Demak Laut here yesterday.

But all that was left was a shell. It was learnt that when found around 1am, the vehicle had been stripped of its doors, mirrors, seats and others.

"All the parts were believed taken for spare parts. It was found by members of the public curious about the car parked near the bushes and they immediately alerted the police," a source said.

Initial investigation revealed the vehicle matched the description of a Triton reported missing on Dec 25 last year after it was parked at a commercial centre in Stutong.

Yesterday, the vehicle was towed to the One Stop Centre at Jalan Simpang Tiga for further investigation.

Its owner was informed of the discovery.

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62-year-old found hanging in verandah of his house

Posted: 02 Jan 2014 11:38 AM PST

SIBU: A man was yesterday found hanging from the rafters of the verandah on the first floor of his house at Lane 15, Rejang Park here.

The 62-year-old was believed to have committed suicide due to depression.

A friend of his son alerted the police after she was told by a relative that the man had hung himself using a cable.

The friend then informed the man's wife who was then working at a noodle stall in Sungai Antu.

A neighbour said she saw the man at the verandah when she went out to fetch her son from school at 1pm.

"In a brief glimpse, I only saw the man facing the house at the verandah," she said, adding that she did not sense anything amiss.

She was shocked when told of the incident when she arrived home later.

From a neighbour's house, the police climbed over to the verandah of the man's house.

A relative said the man, who was on medication, had just returned with his family from a vacation in Hong Kong.

He left behind his wife and four children – a son and three daughters.

A daughter and the son work in Singapore while one daughter is staying in the United States and the other, here.

Another neighbour said the man resigned from a timber company long time ago and had been jobless since.

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Price of leafy greens up by 20 per cent

Posted: 02 Jan 2014 11:36 AM PST

by Peter Boon, reporters@theborneopost.com. Posted on January 3, 2014, Friday

SIBU: The price of leafy greens here has risen by some 20 per cent as farmers are hard hit by incessant rain and flooding.

Another round of hikes is expected in a week's time.

A farmer with the surname Kong said vegetable farms in Sungai Bidut, which supply 80 per cent of the town's leafy greens, have been hard hit by the recent flooding and inclement weather.

"All greens cost more now as supply dwindled amidst increased demand, more so with the Lunar New Year just weeks away.

"The flood affected our production and it is difficult to grow vegetables during wet spells. Fertiliser is swiftly washed away by rainwater as soon as it is applied to the crops," he explained yesterday.

He believes the losses suffered by farmers this time round are more serious compared to previous years, adding that his own farm was submerged for two days.

Kong pointed out that vegetables would rot away when inundated in murky flood waters even for a day.

He said although flooding had subsided, they still needed to clean up before they could replant.

Meanwhile, the price of chilli has dropped to between RM7 and RM8 per kg.

"There is ample supply of chilli from Sarikei," added Kong.

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Rains, super moons and high tides herald 2014

Posted: 02 Jan 2014 11:35 AM PST

KUCHING: Sarawak will continue to experience wet weather in the first week of the New Year with more rain expected in West Sarawak and coastal areas statewide.

While several areas in Kuching, Bintulu, Miri, Sibu, Kota Samarahan, Sri Aman, Sarikei and Betong were struck by flash floods, intermittent rains continue and residents of low-lying areas are reminded of potential risks.

As of 8am yesterday, the state Meteorological Department registered 2,120 families affected by flash floods with 15,323 victims.

But as of 4pm yesterday, the figure declined — 1,600 families affected by flash floods and 12,554 victims.

The evacuation centres included Surau Kampung Rimba Padi in Kota Samarahan, Dewan Masyarakat Pakan in Sarikei, Dewan Suarah Bintulu, Dewan Sukan KPSU Tatau, Dewan Suarah Marudi and Dewan Masyarakat Bakong.

Apart from wet days, the king tide which began yesterday (Jan 2) would last until Jan 7.

Besides king tides, Jan 1 also marked the first super moon for year 2014.

According to the definition of super moon coined by Richard Nolle over 30 years ago, this year has a total of five super moons — two new moons in January and a full moon each in July, August and September.

Large tides could be expected around the super moons of the month — Jan 1 and 30 — pointed out a weather news portal.

Super moon is defined as a new or full moon which occurs with the moon at or near (within 90 per cent of) its closest approach to Earth in a given orbit.

Spring tides are said to accompany January 2014's super moons. Each month, on the day of the new moon, the Earth, moon and the sun are aligned, with the moon in between. This line-up creates wide-ranging tides known as spring tides.

The Jan 1 and Jan 30 extra-close new moons will accentuate the spring tide, giving rise to what is called a perigean spring tide.

If one lives along an ocean coastline, watch for high tides caused by the two January new moons or super moons.

These high tides are said not to cause flooding unless a strong weather system accompanies the perigean spring tide.

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‘Religious laws must not be influenced by politics’

Posted: 02 Jan 2014 11:34 AM PST

by Peter Sibon and Lian Cheng, reporters@theborneopost.com. Posted on January 3, 2014, Friday

KUCHING: Malaysian leaders must decide once and for all the interpretation of religious freedom enshrined in the constitution, says Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) president Tan Sri Dr James Masing.

"Religious policies should not be decided based on political expediency but rather it should be decided on sound religious principles tempered by centuries of divine wisdom," Masing told The Borneo Post here yesterday.

He was commenting on an online news report that the Selangor Islamic authorities yesterday raided the Bible Society of Malaysia (BSM) in Petaling Jaya and seized copies of both the Malay-language and Iban bibles that contain the word 'Allah', while three BSM officials were also being held by police.

Prior to the action taken by the Selangor religious authorities yesterday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak had said that the word 'Allah' could still be used by the Christians in Sarawak and Sabah who are mostly Bumiputeras while Christians in the peninsula were barred from using the word after the High Court made a judgement that it was illegal for The Herald, a weekly Catholic tabloid to use it in its Malay publication.

On the latest action taken by Selangor Statet Islamic Affairs Deprtament (Jais) yesterday, Masing said it was expected.

"Nevertheless the most disappointing thing in Malaysia is when the constitution says in no uncertain terms 'freedom of religion' existed in the country. It doesn't say "limited freedom of religion," said the Senior Minister.

It was reported yesterday that BSM executive council member Nic Ng said a team of about 20 people comprising police and Jais officers arrived at the society's premises.

"They took at least 321 copies of the Al-Kitab, which contains the word 'Allah', and they also took 16 copies of the Iban bible, the Bup Kudus. In Iban, the word for God is 'Allah Ta'ala'," said Ng.

BSM is the one that imports and prints and distributes Malay bibles to Sarawak and Sabah.

Meanwhile, Ng said that the police had told BSM President Lee Min Choon and Secretary-General Dr Simon Wong to follow them to the Damansara police station.

At the police station, it was also reported that Lee, Wong and BSM office manager Sinclair Wong were arrested under the Selangor Non-Islamic Religions (Control of Propagation Among Muslims) Enactment 1988 that prohibits non-Muslims in Selangor from using 35 Arabic words and phrases, including the word for God, 'Allah'.

MSM pointed out that all its Malay bibles were imprinted with a picture of the cross and the words 'Penerbitan Kristian' on the cover and noted that the Home Ministry regularly inspects its bible shipment imports.

"The authorities know what we're doing. They're aware of the existence of our bibles," said Lee.

He added that BSM's customers were not just the churches in Sarawak and Sabah, but also Sarawakian and Sabahan Christians, Orang Asli churches and other Malay-speaking Christians in the peninsula.

"We expect the authorities to work with each other and to sort this situation out so that Malay-speaking Christians in this country can read their scriptures," said Lee.

Jais' raid comes after its newly-appointed director, Ahmad Zaharin Mohd Saad, said last Thursday that letters will be sent to all churches in Selangor to ask them to comply with the Selangor 1988 enactment.

Meanwhile, Sarawak Chinese Annual Conference (SCAC) president Dato Su Chii Ann expressed disappointment over the seizure Bibles of Iban and Bahasa Malaysia languages.

"I urge both political and religious leaders to uphold and respect Article 11 of the Constitutions. The Article has clearly outlined every individual's right to freedom of speech and religion," said Su.

He further hoped that the leaders of the country, regardless of their religions, would not use the issue to confuse the Christians in Sarawak and Sabah as well as those in the Peninsular Malaysia.

When contacted, Assistant Bishop of Anglican Church Bishop Aeries Sumping Jingan said he was shocked and saddened by the event and quoted to The Borneo Post what he wrote on his social network page.

"According to the 10-point agreement worked out by the PM through Datuk Idris Jala, Christians in Malaysia (East & West) are given the assurance that not only can we import and use the Alkitab. We are even allowed to print it locally.

"Jais confiscated not only the Alkitab but also the Iban Bup Kudus. Let see what action the PM will take in the face of this blatant disregard of the PM's assurance by Jais! What a sad day for Malaysia…if this is going to be the order of things for 2014!

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