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KUALA LUMPUR, May 28 — An ongoing dispute between the Taman Desa Phase 1 Night Hawkers Association (TPD1NHA) and a group of seven hawkers has not only annoyed but embarrassed a majority of the 80 hawkers at the regular Friday pasar malam in Taman Danau Desa here.

Though they said their livelihood and incomes remain unaffected for now, the faction’s behaviour has left a bad taste in their mouths.

Clothes seller Foo Yan Choy, 52, said, “All of us want to earn an honest living and if the rest of us can follow the association’s rules and regulations, what makes you so special?”

Footwear seller Shee Kok Hong, 50, said he was not surprised by the behaviour of some in the faction, having known them since the early days when the pasar malam used to be located near the now-closed Desa Water Park and before that along Jalan Desa Utama.

“Even back then they came infrequently to set up shop… unlike the rest of us who never failed to show up weekly if we can help it. Come to think of it, I think only one of the seven was active back then.

“My business has not been affected, but frankly this is ridiculous. This new place is far better than the water park, with more customers coming by so their behaviour will only bring about long-term problems for us all,” he said.

Nyonya nasi lemak seller Freddy Sta Maria, 50, said they are actually pleased with TPD1NHA’s efforts to make the pasar malam more appealing to the public.

“In the past year since we all moved here, foot traffic has increased by as much as three to four times. The association ensures we keep our surroundings clean and brightly-lit to deter petty crimes from happening within the vicinity.

“Then you have those idiots trying to instigate us, urging us to ignore the committee and not to wear the uniforms provided for us. Their complaints of being unfairly treated is illogical,” he added.

Of the apparent attempt by Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) to convince TPD1NHA to give trading licences to the seven hawkers, Sta Maria said the faction’s attempts to “go through the backdoor for help” is terribly irritating.

Attempts to contact the Licensing Division of DBKL were not successful at time of writing.

“Bad enough they do this, but that day when they went on TV to claim the association is behaving dictatorially was very humiliating. All I can say is they do not represent us all, not now and not ever,” he added.

Fried fishball hawker and association committee member Chin Kwek Keong, 52, said the faction’s conduct is why “we cannot have nice things.”

“Many of those coming to the pasar malam are our old regular customers, some of whom we have known for decades.

“They tell us the new place looks much nicer than the one near the water park, where foot traffic was nearly non-existent, crime was prevalent and the visitors fewer and far in between.

“Even more so, our uniforms provide a sense of security for them especially the elderly. This means we can even help them carry their purchases to their cars parked nearby, and they do not have to worry we are out to rob them,” he said.

Kwek Keong said he is unable to understand the faction’s mindset, when the rest of them have clearly shown they are willing to be reasonable and compromise with each other.

“It was especially stupid what they told the media on April 16. One of them even accused association secretary Carmen Sum of embezzling the fees, particularly from one old woman who runs a roast duck stall.”

He added that they were unhappy the media did not bother to get their side of the story but the harshest criticism was directed at the person believed to be the faction’s mastermind.

Agar-agar hawker Chin Choy Yuan, 49, said the salt baked chicken seller once boasted to her that he did not need a licence, since he had “powerful contacts” and as such could set up his stall wherever he pleased.

“My retort to his arrogant comment was to ask why he did not bother to help the association’s efforts to move from the water park to where we are now. That man is a moron for bringing all this unwanted attention upon us, and more fool the others for following in his stupidity,” said a visibly angry Choy Yuan.

“I tell you now, since moving here I have made triple from selling agar-agar, compared to what I used to make. I can see for myself how hard TPD1NHA’s committee members work to make sure we can all trade properly.”

KUALA LUMPUR, May 28 — A Sungai Buloh prisoner who died from tuberculosis (TB) was only diagnosed when the disease had spread and caused organ failure, his family’s lawyer alleged.

Melissa Sasidaran from human rights group Lawyers for Liberty said M. Proosothaman, 25, had complained to his family during their last visit on May 5 about serious fever, stomach ache, diarrhoea, and difficulty walking due to intense pain, but he was only given panadol for his pain.

Proosothaman was only brought to Sungai Buloh Hospital on May 21 and died four days later from multiple organ failure due to TB.

“The pathologists who conducted the post-mortem briefed the family members and lawyer that the deceased would have shown gradual symptoms of tuberculosis such as prolonged coughing, coughing with blood, fever, loss of weight and appetite,” Melissa said in a statement.

“Further, the deceased would have contracted tuberculosis for a few months prior to his death. However, the deceased was only diagnosed with tuberculosis after he was admitted to the Sungai Buloh Hospital. By then the disease had spread throughout his body, causing multiple organ failure.”

Melissa questioned if Sungai Buloh prison authorities had implemented proper medical and quarantine procedures, pointing out that TB is a highly infectious disease.

“Such lapses are in breach of the Prison Act 1995 and the Prisons Regulations 2000 that require seriously ill prisoners to be admitted to hospital and for prisoners with contagious diseases to be treated and quarantined so as to prevent the spread of the disease.

“Further, the family members were not informed of the seriousness of his condition and that he had been admitted to the Sungai Buloh Hospital, and they were only alerted by a fellow patient at the hospital,” she said.

Melissa demanded action from the Health Ministry and the Prisons Department on the “serious public health issue” as there was now a risk of exposure to other prisoners, prison wardens and members of the public.

“We call upon the police to launch an immediate investigation into this death which has elements of criminal negligence causing death,” she said.

“All prisoners must not be treated as lesser deserving human beings and deprived of proper medical treatment just because they are prisoners. The Home Ministry and the Prisons Department must accept responsibility for Proosothaman’s death as it was entirely preventable.”

TOKYO:US President Donald Trump met Japan’s new Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako on Monday in the ceremonial highlight of a state visit overshadowed by trade tensions between the two allies.

Trump, a fan of pomp and circumstance, was greeted by the new emperor and his Harvard-educated wife at the imperial palace in Tokyo in a formal welcome ceremony broadcast live on national television.

He became the first foreign dignitary to be received by the monarch since inheriting the throne this month after his father, Akihito, stepped down in the first abdication by a Japanese emperor in two centuries.

Trump gave a slight bow and he and First Lady Melania Trump shook hands with the imperial pair before entering the palace, to be met by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his wife, Akie, among others.

The president and emperor and their wives returned outside to walk a red carpet and stand under a hot sun while a military band played the national anthems of both countries.

Trump then walked the red carpet again, waving at assembled school children and inspecting Japanese troops before standing solemnly on a raised platform as a military band played a formal salute of honour.

Trump has made clear he was pleased to have been given the honour of the first reception with the emperor, who is treating him and his wife to a lavish state dinner later on Monday.

“It’s over 200 years since something like this has happened. So it’s a great honour to be representing the United States,” Trump said at a dinner with Abe and the leaders’ wives on Sunday.

Trade feud shadow

In between visits with the monarch, Trump is scheduled to hold formal talks with Abe, with whom he played golf, attended a sumo tournament and dined on Sunday.

The two leaders put on a show of friendship meant to demonstrate the strength of the US-Japan alliance but have policy disagreements over trade and North Korea.

Trump has threatened to target Japanese automakers with high tariffs in his effort to cut trade surpluses with other countries that he sees as a sign that the United States has been mistreated.

Tokyo and Washington are working on a two-way trade pact but Trump has said he does not expect major progress on it until July, when Abe’s ruling bloc faces an election for parliament’s upper house.

Trump has spearheaded an expensive trade dispute with China. That trade war between the world’s two largest economies has hurt markets worldwide and confounded US allies, including Japan and the European Union.

Such allies share US concerns about Chinese practices but object to Trump’s tactics of threatening tariffs on their products rather than seeking cooperation in standing up to Beijing.

In addition to trade, Abe and Trump are expected to discuss North Korea and Iran.

Trump said on Sunday he was not worried about a recent missile launch by North Korea.

That put him at odds with his own national security adviser, John Bolton, who said on Saturday Pyongyang’s recent short-range missile tests violated United Nations Security Council resolutions. Japan shares Bolton’s view.

Also on Monday, Trump will meet families of Japanese citizens abducted by Pyongyang decades ago to help train spies.

KUALA LUMPUR: Sultanah Terengganu, Sultanah Nur Zahirah memfailkan permohonan untuk saman fitnah RM300 juta terhadap editor Sarawak Report, Clare Rewcastle-Brown dan 2 pihak lain diputuskan melalui perkara undang-undang tanpa perlu meneruskan perbicaraan penuh.

Peguamnya, Haaziq Pillay Abdullah berkata permohonan itu difailkan 13 Mei lalu.

“Di bawah undang-undang fitnah kita, hakim mempunyai budi bicara untuk menentukan jika ia adalah kenyataan fitnah.

“Jika hakim membuat keputusan berpihak kepada permohonan kami, ia bermakna Tuanku tidak perlu memberikan bukti,” katanya sambil menambah Rewcastle-Brown, penerbit Chong Ton Sin dan pencetak Vinlin Press Sdn Bhd mungkin perlu mengemukakan pembelaan mereka bagi mempertahankan kenyataan itu.

Saman itu difailkan pada November 2018 terhadap dakwaan Sultanah Nur Zahirah ialah sekutu rapat Low Taek Jho yang lebih dikenali sebagai Jho Low dan membantu ahli perniagaan itu mendapat jawatan penasihat dalam Pihak Berkuasa Pelaburan Terengganu (TIA).

TIA diambil alih kerajaan persekutuan pada 2009 dan dinamakan 1MDB.

Sultanah Nur Zahirah turut mendakwa kenyataan Rewcastle-Brown dalam bukunya, “The Sarawak Report – The Inside Story of 1MDB Expose”, membayangkannya campur tangan dalam pentadbiran kerajaan negeri.

Rewcastle-Brown mendakwa Jho Low baik dengan seorang pemain utama di Terengganu, isteri sultan di mana persetujuannya diperlukan untuk menubuhkan dana dan sokongannya penting untuk Jho Low mendapat jawatan penasihat TIA.

Sultanah Nur Zahirah berkata, kenyataan Rewcastle-Brown ialah fitnah dan mencemarkan imejnya.

Dalam samannya, sultanah menuntut RM300 juta ganti rugi daripada Rewcastle-Brown, Chong dan Vinlin Press, serta arahan untuk menghentikan jualan dan penerbitan buku Rewcastle-Brown.

Hari ini, Haaziq berkata, Hakim Mahkamah Tinggi, Ahmad Zaidi Ibrahim menetapkan 17 Jun ini untuk sebutan permohonan itu.

Sebelum ini, mahkamah menetapkan 25 hingga 29 November ini untuk perbicaraan.

KUALA LUMPUR, May 27 — The Singapore authorities are investigating the recent incident of a BMW car driver switching his Singapore licence plate to another registered plate under a Hyundai car before being caught speeding in Malaysia, a report said.

Singapore’s Land Transport Authority said the Hyundai car’s owner had lodged a complaint with the authority, which said it had initiated a probe on the May 18 incident that took place in Johor near the Tuas checkpoint at the Malaysia-Singapore border, Singapore daily The Straits Times (ST) reported.

ST noted that it is illegal in both Singapore and Malaysia for a car to use a number car plate that is different from the one under which it was registered.

The paper said in the May 18 incident at around 7.30am, a male driver was seen switching his BMW 320i’s licence plate of SLX27E to the SKD2777C licence plate which was later found to be registered to a Hyundai Elantra.

The switch took place while the BMW car was being refuelled at a petrol station in Gelang Patah, Johor. The vehicle was caught speeding one hour later on a highway but with the summons of RM150 made out under the Hyundai car’s licence plate.

An eyewitness told ST that there were many Singapore-registered cars at the Johor petrol station that morning, and that many of those present were shocked to see the driver openly changing his car’s licence plate.

“The (BMW) driver was so arrogant and a very bad example for Singaporeans. What if he had got into an accident in Malaysia and someone had been injured or killed?” the eyewitness was quoted saying by the ST, adding that the driver’s insurer could also contest the claims.

The same eyewitness, who took a photo of the BMW using the Hyundai’s licence plate while on Malaysia’s North-South Expressway, said others might start copying the BMW driver and switch to a different licence plate while driving in Malaysia if nothing is done.

According to ST, a Singapore driver had also video recorded the BMW driver as he was switching the car licence plates and posted screengrabs on the SG Road Vigilantes’ Facebook post of the same incident.

ST said online users found two unpaid speeding summonses under the Hyundai car plate on Malaysia’s e-payment portal —  last July and on May 18, but noted that the summonses could no longer be seen on the site as of May 20.

The paper said the BMW was sighted going back to Singapore on May 18 with its actual licence plate.

Johor police deputy chief Datuk Mohd Kamaruddin Md Din reportedly told ST that there have so far been no cases of Singaporean drivers switching their licence plates, but said police would not hesitate to take stern action if the alleged “irresponsible act” on May 18 was true.

The offence under Malaysia’s Road Transport Act of having a car with a licence plate that it is not registered under will result in a maximum fine of RM5,000 and maximum one-year jail term and with the possible seizure of the car, ST said.

As for Singapore’s laws, using a forged licence plate results in a maximum fine of US$5,000 and/or a maximum jail term of one year, ST said.