MORE PICS – What if Stowaway is Suicide Bomber? Osama R.M. Shublaq a Tourist Retours & Remanded 5 Days; KLIA Security aspect at stake

UPDATE:

October 21, 2007 16:44 PM

MAB Asked To Step Up Security At Airports
PENANG, Oct 21 (Bernama) -- Transport Minister Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy

today instructed Malaysia Airports Bhd (MAB) to introduce additional measures to beef up security at airports in the country. He said despite airports in Malaysia, especially the KL International Airport (KLIA), having met security standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), there was still room for improvement in terms of airport security. The MAB, he said, had been asked to submit proposals on the matter to the government as soon as possible. "Although, according to the ICAO audit, security at the KLIA meets the required standards, MAB should not rest on its laurels as it should continue beefing up security at airports," he told reporters after chairing the Penang MCA liaison committee meeting here. He was reacting to an incident where Palestinian Osama R.M. Shublaq managed to slip into Singapore onboard a Singapore Airlines (SIA) flight via KLIA. Shublaq, who was discovered when he fell off the nose wheel of the SIA plane, was then sent to Malaysia and is now in remand to assist the Malaysian police in their probe.Chan said the incident gave a negative image of Malaysia

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Malaysiakini has the KLIA SIA Plane Hitch Hiker to S'PORE story as

KLIA plane wheel stowaway charged in S'pore court Oct 13, 07 3:51am and the latest story ON

Wee to Suhakam: Probe conduct of quartet Beh Lih Yi | Oct 19, 07 4:16pm with its

Malaysiakini.tv ON Monkey business in ban lifting

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Despite a serious breach of security, our Transport Minister can boast that “ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organisation) has just conducted security audit on KLIA and we have complied with all ICAO requirements” and that ”whether there was any breach in security at KLIA”. What if it was a stowaway bomber then he considers it a breach? (See report below)
He has the gall to ask the “public should not doubt the security aspect at KLIA.” And just because a police report has been made, he would not comment further.
And the immigration department should upgrade its computer systems search capability. Just over a small name difference its computers can bring in records.
Showing “there is no record of him entering Malaysia legally” Like Google they should be capable to ask “ Do you mean Shuback or maybe Shulace?”

He further showed his ignorance how "he survived under that kind of situation...up in 29,000 feet". Mr Minister, KL- S'PORE is just a short hop of 55 mins!,

Stowaway Osama was here as a tourist

BERNAMA; KUALA LUMPUR, Fri.:

THE Immigration Department's Director-General, Datuk Wahid Mohd Don, has verified that Palestinian Osama R.M. Shublaq had entered the country on Sept 15 as a tourist with a valid social visit pass. “There is a slight difference in the name on his international passport. Perhaps this was the reason why the immigration authorities had failed to trace the record of his entry into the country," he said when contacted by Bernama here today. “The expiry date of the pass was Oct 14.” Osama has been remanded by the Magistrate’s Court in Bangi, Selangor, for five days as police investigate how he managed to stowaway on a Singapore Airlines (SIA) flight from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore on Oct 11 without being detected.

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ABOVE: Osama R.M. Shublaq being taken to the KLIA police lock-up

Stowaway Suspect Remanded For Five Days

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 19 (Bernama) -- The Magistrate's Court in Bangi,Selangor, today issued an order to remand for five days a man who had allegedly stowed away on a Singapore Airlines (SIA) flight from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore on Oct 11. Selangor CID chief SAC II Mazlan Mansor said the man would be investigated for trespassing, an offence which carries a jail term of up to two years and a maximum fine of RM1,000, or both, on conviction. Last Friday, Palestinian Osama R.M.Shublaq, 27, was charged in a Singapore lower court for entering the republic without a valid pass or permit. Osama is said to have hidden in the nose wheel of the SIA aircraft on Flight SQ119 and had fallen from the plane after it had landed at the Changi International Airport in Singapore.
However, the prosecution later withdrew the charge and Osama was discharged and deported here on the orders of the Singapore authorities following a request by Malaysia. Malaysian authorities did not have any indication how the man could have stowed away on the flight which had departed the KL International
Airport (KLIA) at 10.56pm. An investigation by Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) showed that the closed circuit television cameras did not record any movement and act of trespassing at the airport. The Immigration Department also did not have any record of the man having entered or left the country.
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2007/10/19

Cops may now learn how Osama sneaked onto plane

By : Lee Shi-Ian, Marc Lourdes and Ranjeetha Pakiam; SEPANG:

Finally, answers will be forthcoming on how a Palestinian breached security at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport. Malaysian authorities had been lamenting that they had no access to stowaway, Osama R.M. Shublaq, and did not have a clue on how he had boarded a Singapore Airlines flight at KLIA. They were contemplating making a request to Singapore to question the 27-year-old Palestinian who was being held in the republic. Their concerns were put to rest yesterday when Osama was deported to Malaysia after the Singapore Subordinate Courts acquitted him of entering the republic illegally. He was put on a Singapore Airlines flight which landed at KLIA at 5.55pm and was immediately taken into custody by Immigration Department officials. Osama was later handed over to Sepang police and questioned for over an hour by the Selangor CID chief SAC II Mazlan Mansor, who is heading investigations. Mazlan said this was a matter of national security and declined to comment further. It is, however, learnt that Osama had maintained that he had entered Malaysia legally although Immigration Department records showed no evidence of him entering the country. Checks are now being conducted to verify his claim. Osama was then sent to the KLIA police lock-up and is expected to be produced at the Sepang magistrate’s court today where police will apply for a remand order. He is being investigated for trespassing on a protected area, a charge under Section 7 of Protected Areas and Protected Places Act 1959 which carries a two-year jail sentence with fine upon conviction. Authorities here were concerned because after five days of intense investigations, they were clueless as to how Osama had breached security at KLIA. Transport Minister Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy had said that they did not know how the Palestinian made it to the KLIA tarmac unnoticed. Osama had not appeared on any closed-circuit television camera nor were there any intrusions along the perimeter fencing. On claims that this incident was a major security breach, Chan said that the International Civil Aviation Organisation had conducted a security audit late last year and the airport was found to be in full compliance with requirements. The incident, however, left KLIA officials red-faced as it happened at a time when airports around the world were tightening security procedures.Osama was discovered when he fell 2.4 metres from the nose wheel well of the Boeing 777-200 when the plane landed at the Changi International Airport in Singapore on Oct 12.Flight staff were amazed that the man survived the journey as he could have been crushed by the retracting nose wheel, lack of oxygen at high altitude or the cold.

Friday October 19, 2007; STAR

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Palestinian stowaway deported to Malaysia

SEPANG: Singapore has deported the Palestinian stowaway who hid in the front wheel of a Singapore Airlines (SIA) jet from KL International Airport to Changi Airport last Thursday. Several Singapore police officers escorted Osama R.M. Shublaq, 27, on board a SIA flight that arrived here at 6pm Thursday. Singapore has decided not to charge him. If he had been convicted under Immigration offences in Singapore, he could have been jailed up to six months, caned, or fined up to S$6,000 (RM14,000). It is learnt the officers escorting Shublaq handed him over to Selangor police. “We will produce him before a magistrate’s court for a remand order to facilitate our investigations,” CID director Commissioner Datuk Christopher Wan Soo Kee said. It is learnt Shublaq, an engineer, breached security at KL International Airport by climbing over the facility’s perimeter fencing. It is also learnt that Shublaq entered the country legally last month and had sought political asylum for himself and his family at the United Nations High Commission for Refugees.

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October 16, 2007 20:32 PM
MAHB Lodges Police Report On Stowaway Incident

PUTRAJAYA, Oct 16 (Bernama) -- Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) Tuesday lodged a police report calling on the authorities to conduct thorough investigations into the incident of a Palestinian man slipping into Singapore on a Singapore Airlines plane which flew in from KL International Airport (KLIA).

Transport Minister Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy (ABOVE) said the report was lodged to enable the Malaysian police to conduct full-scale investigations into the October 11 incident, including interviewing the Palestinian, who is being held in Singapore. "We just received a report from the Singapore police yesterday. Based on that, we made a police report this morning to enable Malaysian police to start investigations. "This is because there are a lot of questions left unanswered in this case especially as to the real intention of this gentleman. Based on the little information we have, the immigration records show there is no record of him entering Malaysia legally and how he survived under that kind of situation...up in 29,000 feet," he told reporters today. Chan said he could not comment much on the incident as it was now under police investigations but the public should not doubt the security aspect at KLIA.

ABOVE: 2005 only, No more now

"I must tell you the ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organisation) has just conducted security audit on KLIA and we have complied with all ICAO requirements," he said. Chan said MAHB closed-circuit surveillance cameras also did not pick up any visual of the Palestinian anywhere in the airport and checks at the airport's security fences did not reveal any sign of break-ins.

"So many questions are left unanswered. We need to go through thoroughly. Let our police take some time to look into it," he said. He, however, declined to divulge contents of the Singapore police report on the incident or whether there was any breach in security at KLIA. A Palestinian, Osama R.M. Shublaq, 27, managed to sneak into a Singapore Airlines Boeing 777-200 aircraft via the nose wheel last Thursday. The Palestinian stunned the ground crew waiting to serve flight SQ119 from KLIA when the man fell from the nose wheel of the aircraft after it landed at the Changi International Airport just past midnight. He was handed over to the police and was charged in a Singapore court on Friday with entering the country illegally without a valid permit. He faces up to six months' jail or a fine of up to S$6,000 (RM14,000). Chan, who had ordered for a full probe into the incident, received a report today.
Meanwhile, Datuk Azmi Murad, MAHB's senior general manager (operations and services), confirmed the report was lodged at Sepang district police headquarters.
Declining to disclose details of the report, he said, MAHB, as the operator of KLIA, wanted the police to carry out full-scale investigations into the incident. Asked if sabotage was one angle being looked into, he said: "I don't want to comment on speculations, let the police do their job."

FBI Rejects Lingam Clip – Going to HK for Analysis; 2 ACA Officials taking Clip Personally for Check on Doctoring of Images; Voice comparison

FBI Rejects Lingam Clip – Going to HK for Analysis; 2 ACA Officials taking Clip Personally for Checks on Doctoring of Images; Voice comparison & possible identification of person talked to

Malaysiakini has the related story

Whistleblower is in Lingam tape II Bede Hong | Oct 18, 07 6:47pm and the latest

Malaysiakini-tv on PAC tours Port Klang Free Zone

and Malaysiakini has no connection on the following NST story.

Why is FBI rejecting this video clip for analysis? The "crimes" committed by those involved in th Clip are far worst than what the hard core criminals id. It would be difficult to ascertain the person talked to as the Clip is not capable to pick up the receiver voice. Circumstantial evidence on spoken contents would suffice for a conclusion iand it point to the one & only CJ.

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NST Online ;2007/10/19
Video clip probe: Video clip to be sent to Hong Kong for analysis
By : V. Anbalagan

KUALA LUMPUR: The Anti-Corruption Agency is sending the video clip of a lawyer purportedly in conversation with a top judge about judicial appointments, to experts in Hong Kong. A reputable institution there will examine the video clip to determine its authenticity. Sources said two ACA officers would head for the island in the next few days to hand over the video clip and other supporting documents to the organisation for analysis. The institution was recommended to the ACA by the Independent Commission for Anti-Corruption in Hong Kong.
The analysis is expected to be completed by the end of the month. “We will personally hand over the video clip and documents and collect them when the analysis is done to ensure the chain of evidence is not broken,” the sources said.

The ACA is rushing to get the video clip analysed because the agency is to brief the three-man independent panel on Oct 29 on whether the contents in the tape were doctored. The panel, chaired by former chief judge of Malaya Tan Sri Haidar Mohamad Noor, was established to determine the authenticity of the video clip and has been tentatively given until Nov 8 to submit its findings to the government. Sources said the ACA had earlier approached the US Federal Bureau of Investigation to analyse the video clip after the panel was set up on Sept 26, but the US organisation declined since it was not part of evidence involving a violent crime. The analysis would include whether the image of the lawyer in the video clip was doctored or not, a voice comparison of the lawyer and whether the identity of the person the lawyer is talking to could be ascertained. “The experts will attempt to enhance the voice of the person on the other end of the line with sophisticated equipment and technology,” the sources added. The eight-minute video footage which was released on Sept 18 has since been widely circulated on the Internet.

ACA deputy director-general Datuk Abu Kassim Mohamed confirmed that the video clip would be sent overseas for analysis but declined to elaborate. Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz said the independent panel would have to depend on ACA investigations if no one volunteers to provide information on the authenticity of the video clip. “The panel does not have the power to investigate unless it gets the consent of the attorney-general.” He said this in response to news reports that not a single person had approached the panel’s secretariat to shed light into the authenticity of the tape “We should not dismiss the panel. They should be given a chance to carry out their task and produce a report.” Nazri, however, expressed hope that those with personal knowledge about the video clip would come forward as the panel was set up to “get to the bottom of the matter

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'Deep throat' duo agree to testify if ...

Llew-Ann Phang, TheSun

KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 18, 2007): The two sources of an eight-minute video clip showing a senior lawyer purportedly lobbying a high-ranking judge in a phone conversation have agreed they will openly testify about the video if a royal commission is set up. Sim Tze Tzin, who is Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s political coordinator, said both "X and Y" agreed to cooperate only if there was legal immunity as one of them appears in the full 14-minute version of the video. Speaking ina press conference today in the PKR headquarters, Sim would not say if "X and Y" actually recorded the phone conversation or were just the persons who passed on the recording to PKR in mid-September. "X and Y (are) the only people that I know and if the commission is set up, we will bring them forward to testify. They have agreed to," he said.

On Sept 20, Sim and PKR vice-president Sivarasa Rasiah lodged a report with the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) to investigate the contents of the video after it was screened at a PKR press conference a day earlier. On Oct 4, the ACA told Sim and Sivarasa they must reveal their sources or face a jail term of two years or a fine of RM10,000 or both. However, no action has yet to be taken against either Sim or Sivarasa for not doing so. Sim today questioned the investigations of the three-man panel headed by former Chief Judge of Malaya Tan Sri Haidar Mohd Noor which are reliant on the ACA and police. He questioned why the panel have yet to question the persons in the video or Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor who was mentioned in the recorded conversation. Sim also called for Chief Justice Tun Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim’s tenure, which ends on Oct 31, not to be extended in the light of the video recording. PKR information head Tian Chua also said the party was more than willing to provide the additional six minutes of the recording if the royal commission was set up.

PKR secretary-general Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim and treasurer-general William Leong, PAS central committee member Dr Syed Azman Syed Ahmad and DAP national publicity secretary Teresa Kok also requested for a royal commission and for investigations to be on corruption in the judiciary, instead of identifying the sources of the clip. "The formation of a commission is crucial to return the judiciary’s independence and if this is not done, the public’s now shaky confidence in the administration will not improve. "The panel’s investigations should be transparent and the government should stop hunting down the whistle blower," Syed Azman said, expressing confidence that many would come forward to cooperate in investigations if a royal commission was established. Kok said she was surprised the panel was relying on the ACA’s investigations instead of meeting with the persons implicated in the video. "Why is the panel not calling (Datuk) V.K. (Lingam – the lawyer seen in the video clip)," she questioned, urging for the prime minister’s intervention.
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Friday October 19, 2007, STAR

Nazri: We must verify video clip; By SHAHANAAZ HABIB

KUALA LUMPUR: There is a need to first verify the authenticity of the video clip featuring a prominent lawyer purportedly brokering the appointment of judges before there can be any investigation into the judiciary or formation of a royal commission of inquiry, said Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz. The minister in the Prime Minister’s Department said it was therefore important for those with information on the video to come forward and assist the independent panel set up by the Government to investigate if the video was genuine. “It’s one step at a time,” he said when contacted yesterday. “That is the process.” “It’d be unfortunate if the mechanism (panel) set up is not used by the people.

“I really hope people will come forward. Then we can have a look at the judiciary. Otherwise, we may conclude there is no case,” he added. The three-man panel was set up by the Government three weeks ago, but up till Wednesday no one has come forward to give information to the panel headed by former Chief Judge of Malaya Tan Sri Haidar Mohd Noor. Because of the absence of testimony, the panel – which also includes former Court of Appeal judge Datuk Mahadev Shanker and National Service Council chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye – could only hear the findings of the Anti-Corruption Agency, which was investigating the case. Nazri said there was nothing more the panel could do other than wait for people to come forward because it has neither the powers to compel people to appear before it nor the powers to carry out legal investigations. He said those who had already given their statements to the ACA need not come to the panel as the ACA would already be reporting its findings to the panel. “What we want are other witnesses. I do hope that whoever has information will come forward voluntarily. Without it, the panel would then have to depend on the ACA as the only source. “If possible, we do not want to rely solely on the ACA,” he added.
The video clip came from Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), which edited it to eight minutes 26 seconds from the original 14 minutes and 16 seconds to protect the identity of the source. ACA has since recorded statements from several people, including PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, party vice-president Sivarasa Rasiah, Anwar’s personal assistant Sim Tze Tzin, as well as a senior lawyer and a business tycoon implicated in the video. Nazri said that after the panel received the report from the ACA, it could then also call up these witnesses voluntarily if there was a need. Meanwhile, Sivarasa and Sim reiterated yesterday that they would only reveal the source of the video clip to a Royal Commission of Inquiry.

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Nazri: Govt will help 'video clip' probe panel
B. Suresh Ram

KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 10, 2007): The government has assured the three-man panel looking into the authenticity of a video clip showing a senior lawyer discussing the appointment of top judges over the phone of its assistance in the event of any problem it may encounter in its task. Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz said the Cabinet at its weekly meeting today discussed the difficulties facing by them in their task. He said the panel can submit their report of their investigations at the end of the 30 working days mandate, which is to be given with the recommendations and the difficulties and problems the panel faced in completing its task. Nazri said the Cabinet felt that it is better for the panel to submit its report and the difficulties associated with its task as a whole, in a collective manner, instead of raising problems and difficulties on a piecemeal fashion.

Nazri said in this way, the government will be able to effectively provide a solution on the whole, instead of doing so on a piece-meal fashion, which not only would be time consuming but also could possibly prevent the panel from completing its task within the 30-day time frame. "The Cabinet will help the panel in any which way they want. Let them finish their task and we will see in what way we can help them," he told reporters in Parliament after his ministry's post-cabinet meeting today. Several questions have been raised following the panel’s first meeting last week, such as protection to witnesses coming forward to the panel, the source of the vide tape and others. Nazri said he was also puzzled as to why Parti Keadilan Rakyat vice-president R. Sivarasa and political co-coordinator Sim Tze Tzin were reluctant to present themselves before the Anti Corruption Agency (ACA) to provide evidence and reveal the identity of the whistle blowers in the video clip issue. "I can’t understand why he does not want to cooperate now," he said, adding that Sivarasa and PKR should be happy that following the making public of the video clip, the panel was set up to look into their allegations. "The panel was set up to look into their complaint. Why should they not cooperate now? he asked.

MORE PICS – 19 Year Old Woman Killed in 4-WD, traveling with 4 others skidded; 6 am Wed 17th Oct 07 Cheras Baru; Driver with serious head Injuries

Malaysiakini has no such stories and is today high on the exclusive and updated
Ex-ISA detainee gets RM2.5 million Soon Li Tsin | Oct 18, 07 12:29pm and
Make police torturers pay Soon Li Tsin | Oct 18, 07 7:06pm also
Malaysiakini.tv on Ex-ISA detainee wins RM2.5 million suit

MORE PICS – 19 Year Old Woman Killed When 4-WD she was traveling with 4 others skidded; 6 am Wed 17^th Oct 07 Cheras Baru; ; Driver with serious head Injuries warded in Bandar Tun Razak HUKM together with 3 other injured passengers.

Sorry to know she was one of the Reno people, may her soul RIP. Anyone can give her correct name in the comment for the records. There is a 34s Video clip on this scene loaded (see below post)
ABOVE & BELOW: Junction in Cheras Baru, Kuala Lumpur


A 19-year old woman was killed when 4-WD she was in skidded in Cheras Baru 6 am Wednesday 17^th Oct 2007. It was believed the vehicle was speeding.

ABOVE & BELOW: The smashed out 4-WD Vehicle.

Victim identified as Shu Zheng Wieng (Is the name correct?)

ABOVE: In the early hours of the morning, the body covered with newspapers before the body bag arrived and BELOW: Much later, the 2 uninjured had the courage to take a good look at their friend before being taken to HUKM for the required postmortem

The 4-WD vehicle she was traveling in with 4 other passengers was dragged for 100 m after it skidded. The accident caused a 10 Km traffic snarl along Jalan Cheras. Driver of vehicle sustained serious head injuries and has been treated in UKM hospital together with 3 passengers of the car.

...... and taking another farewell look at a friend.....

What a surprise?

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= = == = == = == = == = == =Watch the 34s Video Clip Below

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P R E V I E W Coming Post..

and the MAT REMPIT Fatal Kick in Movie Rempit

Those who have seen this Raya movie would have been horrified at the way the Mat Rempits are glorified and the menace from them continues

watch the sequence and moments after the kick

ABOVE & BELOW: How can they allow this scene to be in. This is now repeated and followed everywhere in the Country.
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ABOVE & BELOW: The felled motorcyclist hero went underneath a long trailer and emerged from the other side

= == = == = == = == == == = == = ABOVE & BELOW: and smashed into the water filled portable Plastic Road divider

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ABOVE & BELOW: And the movie ends with the hero "dead" in this manner
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ABOVE:the winner gives a thumbs-up for the kick and BELOW rides away into the night

= == = watch also the Video Clip & the Hero Riding skills

BAR COUNCIL Refutes Haidar Claims “No Body has come forward”; Request for a meeting - todate NO REPLY; Bar Council & Ailiran Say No to Extension

The Star today (see below) has reported that the Panel Chairman complained that “I take it that nobody has come forward. If anybody had come forward, I’m sure the secretariat would have alerted me”

And today the Bar Council bares all and said that it had requested for a meeting with the panel on Oct 10 in a letter dated Oct 8 07. The Secretariat through its DG reply on Oct 10 07 that ”he had been directed by the Chairman” of the Independent Panel To Verify The Authenticity Of The Video Clip, Tan Sri Haidar Mohamad Noor that the Council should first state the issues to be discussed. of the Independent Panel To Verify The Authenticity Of The Video Clip, Tan Sri Haidar Mohamad Noor that the Council should first state the issues to be discussed The Bar Council replied stating the reason on Oct 12 07 and no reply thereafter

Details & documents can be seen H E R E

So did the Panel Chairman Tan Sri Haidar directed the DG to reply or completely clueless to the correspondence. Is the DG pulling all the strings in this so called investigation on the authenticity of the Video Clip and we have the “independent puppets” in the Panel? Is this the way an independent panel operates. Also in the Bar Council's Memo, it was raised if the disclosure to ACA can be revealed to a 3rd party under Section 21(4) of the ACA act 1997. (see below)

and its conclusion

= == = == = = = =read the full 6 page Pdf Memo (link given above)

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Malaysiakini reported

Panel under fire for postponing meeting Soon Li Tsin | Oct 17, 07 2:02pm and the latest breaking news Ex-ISA detainee Abdul Malek Hussin today won his legal suit against the government over his arrest and torture in 1998.
Malek gets RM2.5 million for ISA arrest Oct 18, 07 12:29pm

Malaysiakini-tv

= == = == = = from Bar council

Panel wants to know first the issues to be raised by the Bar Council before deciding whether to meet

Thursday, 18 October 2007, 10:06am

The Panel KUALA LUMPUR, Thurs: In a letter dated October 10, in reply to Bar Council’s letter of October 8, the Director-General of the Legal Affairs Division of the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Abdullah Sani bin Abdul Hamid, informed the Bar Council that he had been directed by the Chairman of the Independent Panel To Verify The Authenticity Of The Video Clip, Tan Sri Haidar Mohamad Noor that the Council should first state the issues to be discussed before members of the Panel would make a decision whether to meet the Bar Council. Abdullah Sani also requested that all these issues to be presented to his Division for onward transmission to the Panel.
Earlier, the Chairman of Bar Council, Ambiga Sreenevasan had written to the Panel requesting for a meeting on the afternoon of Wednesday, October 10.

On October 12, the Bar Council then forwarded a memorandum listing down the issues which the Council would like to bring to the attention of the Panel. Todate, the Council has yet to receive a reply from the Panel.

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Thursday October 18, 2007

Panel fails to get a single report after three weeks; By CECIL FUNG, STAR

KUALA LUMPUR: No one has come forward to give information on the video clip featuring a senior lawyer allegedly brokering the appointment of judges. Three weeks have passed since the Government set up an independent panel to verify the authenticity of the video clip. Panel chairman Tan Sri Haidar Mohd Noor (BELOW) said that until yesterday, the panel’s secretariat – the Legal Affairs Division of the Prime Minister’s Department – had yet to report to him.

“I take it that nobody has come forward. If anybody had come forward, I’m sure the secretariat would have alerted me,” he told The Star. The panel was set up on Sept 27 after the video clip was made public on Sept 19. The 30-working day deadline given by the Government to investigate the video clip’s authenticity and submit a report ends on Nov 8. Haidar said the Anti-Corruption Agency would be meeting the panel later this month for the ACA to give its report on the authenticity of the video clip. This meeting, he said, was initially scheduled for yesterday but as the ACA was not ready, it was rescheduled to Oct 29 to give the agency’s experts more time to study the video. The former Chief Judge of Malaya maintained that the role of the panel was only limited to determining the video clip’s authenticity. He said currently, the panel could only hear the findings of the ACA because no other party had come forward with information.

“People have the impression that we just swallow whatever that is given to us. “I can’t pre-empt what’s going to happen. Let’s see first whether we are happy or not (with the ACA’s findings). “Let’s go step by step,” he said, adding that the panel would only be able to decide on its next course of action after the meeting with the ACA. He said the panel, which also includes former Court of Appeal judge Datuk Mahadev Shanker and National Service Council chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye, might seek a third party’s opinion. In a statement, Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang lamented that the panel had not made any progress after three weeks. He called on the panel members to resign and for a royal commission of inquiry be set up instead.

So far, the ACA has recorded statements from several people, including a prominent lawyer, a business tycoon and Parti Keadilan Rakyat de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. PKR vice-president Sivarasa Rasiah and Anwar’s personal assistant Sim Tze Tzin, who lodged a report with the ACA on the matter, are standing firm by their decision not to disclose the identity of the source of the video clip. The video clip is 14 minutes and 16 seconds long but PKR edited it to 8 minutes and 26 seconds before releasing it, to protect the identity of the source. The ACA issued a statement saying the video clip supplied to the agency was not the original copy. The agency urged anyone with an original copy to hand it over to facilitate investigations.

= = == = == = ad Bar Council & Ailiran say NO to Extension of CJ

Press Statement: Interest of the institution of judiciary is best served by refusing the extension

Contributed by Ambiga Sreenevasan
Wednesday, 17 October 2007, 09:19pm
The Bar Council notes the statement of the Minister published in the New Straits Times that the King must act on the advice of the Prime Minister in relation to the extension of the current Chief Justice. This is the first time such an issue in relation to extension sought under Article 125 has arisen. The Article provides that the extension of a Judge of the Federal Court may be given "as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong may approve". The argument appears to be that this nevertheless requires the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to

act on the advice of the Prime Minister in accordance with the scheme under the Constitution in relation to the appointments and promotions of Judges under Article 122B. If that be the case, it would also require consultation with the Conference of Rulers to provide the necessary checks and balances and to preserve the core value of the independence of the Judiciary from the Executive. Whatever the interpretation, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong is not precluded from proferring a view nor from asking for information under Article 40. It is however unnecessary to enter into this constitutional debate at this stage. There is a much larger issue at stake. Whenever there is any hint of a scandal that cannot be dismissed as frivolous (as with the video clip incident), involving an institution of high value such as the Judiciary, and given the nature of the allegations

and the importance of the position held, it is necessary to take such steps as would best serve the public interest and the interest of that institution. The overriding principle is that, even though a finding has yet to be made in this regard, and we are mindful that it has not been, it is crucial to act in the higher interests of this critical institution, so that

the "streams of justice" are kept pure, and public confidence in the institution is restored or maintained. Nothing is more important. Therefore in the case of any doubt or reservation, the course that best serves the institution and the public must be taken. In these circumstances, the best interests of the institution and of the public clearly invite a withdrawal or, failing this, a refusal of the application for extension.
Ambiga Sreenevasan; President; Malaysian Bar____

from aliran.com

Chief Justice must go - and go now; Wednesday, 17 October 2007

It would upset and disappoint Malaysians terribly if the tenure of the current Chief Justice, Tun Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim, were to be extended. It would seriously undermine the confidence of the people in the judiciary to a point of no return. The judiciary is already in a shambles and there is no need to degrade it further by extending the tenure of the Chief Justice of the Federal Court.

On behalf of all Malaysians, Aliran would like to politely and humbly appeal to His Majesty, the Yang diPertuan Agong, to reject Ahmad Fairuz's application to His Majesty for a six-month extension of tenure. Article 125(1) states: Subject to the provisions of Clauses (2) to (5), a judge of the Federal Court shall hold office until he attains the age of sixty-six years or such later time, not being later than six months after he attains that age, as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong may approve. In this extension of tenure of office, the Prime Minister does not seem to have any role to play. It would appear that His Majesty, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, solely decides on this matter. It is the absolute discretion of His Majesty, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. By now it is very clear that it is the collective view of all thinking Malaysians that Ahmad Fairuz does not deserve to be in office even a minute

longer. He must go - and go in the soonest time frame that is possible. After the disgraceful Lingam tape, it is only morally correct that he should not be around to denigrate an institution that is the custodian of justice. It is as simple as that. Ahmad Fairuz has not openly and publicly denied that he is the person on the other end of the telephone conversation. He has not said any thing to dispel all the rumours that link him to various episodes in the promotion and elevation of judges. Neither is he spared from the negative and speculative judgments that he has been associated with. How could such a person who has miserably failed to put the record straight be considered for an extension of tenure of office? We are not persuaded by Datuk Seri Nazri's claim, according to the NST of today, that "the Yang di-Pertuan Agong has to act on the advice of the prime minister on extending the tenure of the chief justice", who is due to retire

at the end of the month. He further reiterates that the "king as a constitutional monarch was bound by the prime minister's advice in the appointment and promotion of judicial officers. This includes whether to extend by six months the tenure of the chief justice after he attains the compulsory retirement age of 66". Nazri seems to conveniently forget that in the appointment and promotion of judicial officers, His Majesty is required to act "after consulting the Conference of Rulers". "After consulting the Conference of Rulers" does not seem to suggest that it is purely an academic exercise. It is more than that. There has to be deliberation to arrive at a collective decision – no matter what Nazri may insist. There are others in the legal circle who do not share Nazri's interpretation of the Federal Constitution. Under the Federal Constitution, when it comes to "tendering his advice as to

the appointment of a judge", the Prime Minister does not simply pluck out a name for consideration out of thin air. He "shall consult" the respectiveheads of the Federal Court, the Court of Appeal and the High Court before submitting the names to His Majesty, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. Just as in this case, "shall consult" does not mean a meaningless chat with the respective heads but refers to a constructive discussion and recommendation, this same process applies when His Majesty consults the Conference of Rulers. Aliran would like to advise Nazri not to confuse the public with his one-sided interpretation of the Federal Constitution. P Ramakrishnan; President

17 October 2007

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Nazri: King must act on PM's advice

Wednesday, 17 October 2007,

KUALA LUMPUR: The Yang di-Pertuan Agong has to act on the advice of the prime minister on extending the tenure of the chief justice, Tun Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim, who is due to retire at the end of the month, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz said. The minister in the Prime Minister's Department said the king, as a constitutional monarch, was bound by the prime minister's advice in the appointment and promotion of judicial officers. "This includes whether to extend by six months the tenure of the chief

justice after he attains the compulsory retirement age of 66," he said. Nazri said he was merely clarifying the position of the king as provided in the Federal Constitution on the question of whether Ahmad Fairuz's term would be extended or a new chief justice would be appointed next month. "Only the prime minister is in the capacity to know about it because he does not delegate the matter to me." Ahmad Fairuz, who has been chief justice since 2003, will turn 66 on Nov 1, the compulsory retirement age for judges. He applied to the king in July for a six-month extension but with two more weeks to go before his retirement, Ahmad Fairuz has not received an official letter to allow him to remain in office. Meanwhile, the Conference of Rulers, which endorses the appointments and promotions of judges, will meet for two days from Oct 31. It is not immediately known whether the chief justice's position is among the topics for discussion at the meeting. Under the Constitution, the prime minister need not consult the incumbent chief justice on who should fill the post when he forwards a name to the Conference of Rulers. By convention, the Court of Appeal president, the judiciary's number two, will be elevated to the post. The Court of Appeal president is Datuk Abdul Hamid Mohamed, 65, who assumed the position on Sept 5.

On Oct 8, Bar Council president Ambiga Sreenevasan called on the authoritiesto fill the top position in the judiciary in view of Ahmad Fairuz's retirement at the end of the month. She said the appointment must be made immediately to avoid the post of chief justice being left vacant for any length of time.

MORE PICS – Tioman Ferry Fire Body Found ; Identified -Wong Soong Leng, 37; By Police Air Wing floating - 2 nautical miles east Pulau Tokong Bahara

UPDATE: Oct 19 07; 11:30PM

October 19, 2007 20:44 PM
Last Missing Victim In Ferry Tragedy Found
MERSING, Oct 19 (Bernama) -- The body of the last of the three missing passengers of last Saturday's ferry tragedy was found Friday. The body of Choong Yoong Kim, 43, from Petaling Jaya, was identified by family members at the Forensic Unit of the Mersing District Hospital here. Search and Rescue (SAR) Operations Coordinator Maritime Captain Tan Kok Kwe said a police air unit Cessna spotted the body floating at 12.05pm about 10 nautical miles south of Pulau Tioman and alerted the Marine Police which then sent a patrol boat to retrieve the body. He said the decomposed body, clad in brown shorts, arrived at the Mersing jetty about 5pm and later taken to the Mersing District Hospital for a post-mortem. The jetty was packed with onlookers as well as relatives and family members of the ferry victims, including Choong's wife, Wong Soo Ching,

40, who broke down as soon as she saw her husband's body being taken to the police vehicle. Following the Saturday mishap, a SAR team, comprising 140 members from the various agencies, including the Malaysia Maritime Enforcement Agency (APMM), the police Air Unit, Marine Department, Fire and Rescue Department, the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) and the Civil Defence

Department (JPA3), was formed to look for the seven???(only 3) victims missing from the ferry. The ill-fated ferry was carrying 106 people, including the skipper and two crew members, and was on its way to Pulau Tioman when it caught fire and sank about 12.30pm. The incident claimed seven lives, including Choong, and injured four others

ABOVE: The family of missing victim Choong Yoong Kim praying for his safey at Mersing jetty before body was found

= == = == = == = == = = =2nd Body Ferry Tragedy Found
UPDATE: 18th Oct 2007; 8.5 pm October 18, 2007 15:40 PM

Death Toll From Seagull Express Tragedy Rises To Six

MERSING, Oct 18 (Bernama) -- The death toll from the Seagull Express 2 ferry tragedy rose to six today with the recovery of another body at 11.15am. The victim was identified as Wong Hann Wen, 29, by a family member at the Mersing Hospital's forensic room about 2pm based on the dress worn.
Search and Rescue (SAR) operation coordinator Maritime Captain Tan Kok Kwee said the body was found by a team led by Maritime Leading Rate Ridzuan Che Leh from the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) some 6.6 nautical miles south of Pulau Jahat. "It was clad in a grey shirt and rotting blue jeans. What is left of the head is the skull," he told reporters as the body arrived at Mersing jetty at 12.45pm.The body was found 7.5 nautical miles from that of Wong Soong Leng, 37,who was found floating two nautical miles east of Pulau Tokong Baharayesterday, 10 nautical miles from where the ferry caught fire and sank on Hari Raya Aidilfitri. Tan said the SAR team will continue to search for the last missing person, Choong Yoong Kim, 43

ABOVE: 2nd Body found near Pulau Jahit at about 11.15 am this morning (18th Oct 07) and BELOW: the maritime vessel is taking the body to Mersing Hospital.

= == = == = ==STAR account; By BEH YUEN HUI
Mersing ferry tragedy -- Oct 18th update

MERSING: It was a heart-wrenching scene when the search-and-rescue team brought Wong Han Wen's body back here, with all the flesh from his head gone. Only the skull was left attached to the rest of the body which was still intact.

ABOVE: Wong Yuh Ling (left) breaking down upon hearing that the body of her brother Wong Han Wen, a victim of the Mersing ferry tragedy, had been recovered. She had to be carried away by her uncle and a volunteer from the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation. Another sister Wong Yuh Jen also had to be helped away.

His family had to identify him from the grey shirt and blue jeans he had worn. Han Wen’s body was spotted floating at 11.15am about seven kilometres from Pulau Jahat by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency yesterday. The location was nine nautical miles from where the ferry tragedy took place last Saturday. He was the second of three people listed as missing from the Seagull Express 2 which caught fire while en route to Pulau Tioman. On Wednesday, the body of Wong Song Leng, 37, was retrieved from the sea about two nautical miles from Pulau Tokong Bahara. This brings the official death count from the ferry tragedy to six. Another person, Choong Yoong Kim, 43, is still missing. Seeking divine help:

. — KENNETH WONG /The Star Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency’s Kuantan enforcement chief Capt (M) Tan Kok Kwee said its boat Kilat 34 spotted Han Wen’s body. “We retrieved it from the sea and sent it here,” he told reporters here yesterday. He said the search-and-rescue mission, co-ordinated by the agency, would continue until the last missing person was found. “We have deployed at least five big boats, seven small boats and a Cessna plane. More than 120 men are taking part in the mission. “The team has stepped up operations to locate the third victim,” he said. Han Wen’s sister Yuh Jen, 24, and Yuh Ling, 28, together with an uncle, had joined the search on a marine police vessel but returned an hour later. They were then told that Han Wen's body had been recovered. They immediately broke down and Yuh Ling almost fainted. Han Wen’s father, Wong Yang Seng, 64, remained calm throughout. Meanwhile, Song Leng's body was claimed by his wife Seng May Ying at the Mersing Hospital mortuary yesterday. It was sent to Petaling Jaya for a memorial service

= == = == = == = == = = =original post First Body Found

MORE PICS – Tioman Ferry Fire Body Found ; Identified as Wong Soong Leng, 37 (immediately by the wife when the green color and dark pants were revealed to her). Body spotted by Police Air Wing floating - 2 nautical miles east Pulau Tokong Bahara

Malaysiakini has no update of this latest find

Malaysiakini has an earlier story about the survivors planning to sue

Ferry survivors likely to sue Bede Hong | Oct 16, 07 6:39pm and the latest on

Panel underfire for postponing meeting Soon Li Tsin | Oct 17, 07 2:02pm

Malaysiakini-tv

= == == =UPDATE: Oct 18 07; 7.50am

ABOVE: Retrieval of body from sea; divers were sent down to place the body on a large inflatable raft attached with lifting cables and BELOW: the Maritime vessel then maneuver close to it
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ABOVE & BELOW: with a lifting boom the whole raft with the body is slowly winched up
= === == = == = == == == = == = == =BELOW: the distress wife Seng May Ying. consoled by relatives

== = == = =on-line STAR account, no pics yet

Thursday October 18, 2007
Mad scramble at Mersing jetty

MERSING: It was a chaotic scene when news that a body was found reached the jetty here at about 11am yesterday. Dozens of people, including tourists, packed the jetty waiting for the body to be sent back. Family members of the three missing men – Wong Han Wen, Choong Yoong Kim and his brother-in-law Wong Song Leng – also rushed there anxiously to learn more from the officials. Choong’s wife Wong Soo Ching was the first to burst into tears, followed by her missing brother’s wife Seng May Ying (BELOW, in yellow T-shirt).

The two women could not say anything except to put their hands together in prayer. The two sisters of Han Wen – Yuh Jen and Yuh Ling – also joined in the prayers. About an hour later, the families were told that the body would be sent to Tanjung Gemuk in Rompin, about 40km from here, as the Malaysia Maritime Enforcement Agency (APMM) boat could not dock due to low tide. Upon hearing this, the victims’ families split into two groups. One rushed towards Rompin while another stayed back here. Seng, who was at the jetty in Rompin, rushed down the walkway of the jetty but was stopped. A relative advised her not to look at the body. But when told the colour of the clothes on the body, she knew it was her husband.

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= = ==== = = = = =NST account
2007/10/18

Body of one victim found; By S. Suganthinews@nst.com.my

MERSING: Police yesterday recovered the body of 37-year-old Wong Sing Ling, one of the three missing victims of Saturday's ferry mishap, 10.5km from the accident site. Rompin police chief Abdul Rahman Jalil said the body, which was sent to Hospital Mersing, was found by the search and rescue team at 10.30am, near Pulau Harimau. The body was found by the police air wing. It was brought in from Tanjung Gemok, about 45 minutes from Mersing. Rahman said the search and rescue team saw another body in the sea but attempts to retrieve it failed as it quickly disappeared into the water. "It was some 30 minutes after the first body was retrieved about 30m away," he said.

The 120-member search and rescue team had scoured a five-kilometre radius area where the ill-fated Seagull Express 2 ferry caught fire and sank while cruising to Tioman from Mersing. The team was still looking for Chong Yong Kim, 43, from Petaling Jaya and Wong Han Wan, 29, a factory supervisor from Klang. Wong is the fifth victim. Four others drowned in the incident, which is the second in less than a year. Last November, a 3-year-old boy was killed after a ferry collided with another passenger ferry in Langkawi. In both incidents, passengers complained about the lack of life jackets and of the unhelpful crew.Wong leaves a wife and two sons. Meanwhile, family members of the remaining two missing passengers expressed their disappointment and anger over the way the search and rescue operation was carried out on Tuesday. They claimed the operation was not carried out seriously and lacked professionalism.

Wong Yuh Jen, 24, Han Wan's sister, said the families were told the search and rescue operation would begin at 8am but the team only arrived three hours later. "They didn't allow family members to join in the operation.
"My sister began crying in front of the officers and only then did they allow us to go," she said, adding that three boats went in the operation. Sunburnt and filled with emotion, she said the search and rescue team didn't venture into nearby islands to look for the victims. "Instead, they only shouted from the boat, calling out the victims' names. What if my brother had fainted or was injured? How could he have responded?" she said as she wiped her tears. "These are lives we are talking about, not mere puppets." Chan Ewe Aun, 53, brother-in-law of Sing Ling, said he felt the search and rescue team was not doing enough. Yong Kim's brother, Choong Yoong Fatt, agreed with Chan and was disappointed that helicopters were not sent to look for the missing victims. The arrival of a civil defence van at the Mersing jetty at 11.20am, with officials carrying stretchers, saw the victims' families rushing to the jetty. Many began to cry openly. Some started praying and chanting loudly.

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UPDATE: Body found was identified by family members as that of Wong Soong Leng, 37

ABOVE & BELOW: the moment after the color of the shirt & pants was revealed, the wife Seng May Ying. knew it was her husband; she was comforted by a relative
Body Of Missing Passenger In Tioman Island Ferry Tragedy Found

ABOVE & BELOW: The bloated body being transfered from the Maritime Support search vessel via the jetty to be taken to the hospital

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= == = = == = = == =UP some more

MERSING, Oct 17 (Bernama) -- The body of one of the three missing passengers in the ferry fire tragedy near Pulau Tioman on Saturday was found today. The body was found floating by the Police Air Wing at two nautical miles east of Pulau Tokong Bahara, said maritime search and rescue operations coordinator Kapt Tan Kok Wee.

ABOVE: The pilot DSP Ho Kok Keong who spotted the body floating on the sea at about 10.50am with his co-pilot SM Leong , immediately contacted the nearest Support Station staff to pick up the body after circling the place for sometime and throwing in a marker buoy

ABOVE: The spot where the body was found and BELOW: the exact Spot
He said the body has been taken to Tanjung Gemok in Rompin, Pahang. The victim's family members have been asked to identify the body, he told reporters. A 120-member search and rescue team has been scouring a 5km radius area where the ill-fated Seagull Express 2 ferry caught fire and sank while cruising to Tioman Island from Mersing. The unaccounted for passengers are Choong Yoong Kim, 43, and Wong Soong Leng, 37, both from Petaling Jaya, and Wong Hann Wen, 29, a factory supervisor from Klang. Four holidaymakers were killed in the tragedy. More pictures...updated

ABOVE & BELOW: The maritime vessel that was sent to pick up the body, clad in a green shirt and dark pants

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ABOVE: The body wrapped in a brown blanket was taken down from the vessel and BELOW: on the way to the Maritime Office
= == = == = == == = == == = == = = =
ABOVE: Along the jetty walkway and BELOW: Up the ramp to the Maritime Support Station Building, where it was later transferred to the nearest hospital in Tanjung Gemok in Rompin, Pahang. A post-postmortem would have to carry out to ascertain the cause of death

= == = == == = === == = == == == = == == = == = = and what is the Donald Duck quaking about?

Are the mobile phones not utilized; in that area or out of range? How much it cost to install those sophisticated equipments and with the vibration and & water; they would be out of order or stolen very soon.

October 17, 2007 20:17 PM

Call To Equip Ferries With Communications Equipment

From Yeong Hui Ling

CHANGCHUN (China), Oct 17 (Bernama) -- Ferries should be installed with an efficient communications equipment to facilitate rescue operations during emergencies, said Malaysian Deputy Tourism Minister Datuk Donald Lim.He said the equipment was necessary in light of a ferry fire tragedy on Saturday while another ferry went adrift after it ran out of fuel on Monday, both off Pulau Tioman. "If the distress signal could be relayed immediately to the authorities, the search and rescue operations could be activated fast and passengers could be saved quickly," he said.

Five passengers drowned and two are still missing when a ferry on its way to Pulau Tioman from Mersing caught fire and sank at 12.30pm on Saturday.Two days later, a ferry heading for Mersing from Pulau Tioman went adrift when it ran out of fuel and passengers had to wait for 45 minutes before the fuel was replenished.

Lim asked ferry operators to make the two incidents as a lesson by complying with safety measures stipulated by the marine department. "Ferries in Langkawi and Mersing are known to be carrying extra passengers and I hope the operators are aware that they must meet the international safety standard," he told Malaysian reporters accompanying him on his visit to north-east China to promote Visit Malaysia Year (VMY) 2007. Lim today held a discussion with Changchun vice mayor Shenyang Songqi on bilateral cooperation in the joint-promotion of Changchun and Kuala Lumpur by introducing chartered flights between both cities. Lim said they would pursue the matter with Malaysia Airlines (MAS) and China Southern Airlines. He said MAS was not keen to develop the Shenyang-Guangzhou-Kuala Lumpur sector as it was deemed to be not a profitable route due to the lack of passengers.

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October 16, 2007 17:48 PM

Family Members Of Missing Ferry Fire Victims Observe SAR Operation

By Suhanie Mohd Khalid
MERSING, Oct 16 (Bernama) -- Family members of two missing victims of the "Seagull Express 2" ferry fire tragedy off Pulau Tioman today observed the search and rescue (SAR) for the three people on it still not accounted for.

ABOVE & BELOW: The ferry used by the families members and newsman

Twelve of them left the Mersing jetty at noon onboard two boats belonging to the "Blue Water" company accompanied by Pressmen to observe the search for Choong Yoong Kim, 43, Wong Soong Leng, 37, and Wong Hann Wen, 29, who have still not been found since the tragedy happened on Saturday.

Also present at the jetty were Pahang Family and Women's Development, Culture, Arts and Tourism Committee chairman Datuk Maznah Mazlan, Tioman State Assemblyman Rusli Ismail and Mersing MCA division chief Ng See Tiong. The Marine Department had initially stopped them from going to sea because of safety concerns but relented after they insisted on observing the operation conducted by the Marine Police, Fire and Rescue Department, Civil Defence Department and the Royal Malaysian Navy. On nearing Pulau Tokong Bahara, the family members recited some prayers and shouted the victims names.

ABOVE: One of the relative spotted and BELOW: the plaintiff cry-out of the names of the missing persons from relatives

They were later taken to Pulau Jahat, Pulau Sri Buat and several nearby islands. However, Choong's wife Wong Soo Ching, 40, and Wong's wife Seng May Ying, 32, did not join the group and were seen meditating for about 20 minutes at the jetty. Maznah had some comforting words for Soo Ching and May Ying who were sobbing uncontrollably while waiting for news on developments of the operation. She said her visit to Mersing was to give moral support to the victims' families and to get the latest developments on the rescue operation. "I understand their feelings and helped to get them observe the operation so that they are satisfied. My concern is for the welfare of those affected and will leave the investigation to the authorities." In the tragedy at 12.30pm on Hari Raya (Saturday), the "Seagull Express 2" ferry with 106 passengers and crew on board caught fire and sank seven nautical miles off Pulau Tioman. Four passengers Hoo Lee Lan, 67, from Kuala Lumpur, Hong See Tiew, 53, and Teh Siew Lian, 52, from Klang and Tee Moi@Haw Lee Maoi, 68, from Batu Pahat lost their lives in the incident.

= == = =see related last post H E R E on

MORE PICS & Video – Reactions Tioman Ferry Tragedy; Suspended - Ferry Operator & 2 Marine Officers; Opposition Fishing in Troubled Tioman Waters

Video Clip (within clip) - 3 min 17s

= == = = == = == = P R E V I E W - coming post

MORE PICS – 19 Year Old Woman Killed When 4-WD she was traveling with 4 others skidded; 6 am Wed 17^th Oct 07 Cheras Baru; ; Driver with serious head Injured warded in Bandar Tun Razak HUKM together with 3 other injured passengers

A 19-year old woman was killed when 4-WD she was in skidded in Cheras Baru 6 am Wednesday 17^th Oct 2007. It was believed the vehicle was speeding.

ABOVE & BELOW: The smashed out 4-WD Vehicle.

Victim identified as Shu Zheng Wieng.

ABOVE: In the early hours of the morning, the body covered with newspapers before the body bag arrived and BELOW: Much later, the 2 uninjured had the courage to take a good look at their friend before being taken to HUKM for the required postmortem

The 4-WD vehicle she was traveling in with 4 other passengers was dragged for 100 m after it skidded. The accident caused a 10 Km traffic snarl. Driver of vehicle sustained serious head injuries and has been treated in UKM hospital together with 3 passengers of the car.

and taking another farewell look at a friend.....

What a surprise?