External News

SANDAKAN: A primary school disciplinary teacher in Beluran was sentenced to a total of 80 years imprisonment and a total of 20 strokes of the cane on 14 charges of rape, molestation and sodomy of eight female pupils.

Sessions Court judge Ummu Kalthom Abd Samad meted out the sentences on Freddie @ Ampat Unsin, 56, here today.

Freddie was sentenced to 15 and 18 years imprisonment respectively on two charges of raping a nine-year-old pupil in November 2015 and a 10-year-old in March-July 2016 at the school where he worked in Beluran. He was also ordered to be given three and four strokes of the cane respectively.

The judge ordered that the sentences run concurrently from the date he was first charged on Dec 27, 2017. He will thus serve only 18 years.

On 11 charges of molestation, the judge laid down concurrent sentences of 10 years’ imprisonment on six charges. The 10 years will be served after his time for the two rape charges.

He was also sentenced to three strokes of the cane on each charge.

The 11 molestation charges involved pupils aged six to 10 years old, and occurred between January and July 2016.

He was also found guilty of sodomising a 10-year-old pupil at the same school between June and July 2016 and was sentenced to four years imprisonment and one stroke of the cane to run consecutively from the other offences.

In delivering her ruling, Ummu Kalthom said the offences committed by the accused were serious as he was serving as a disciplinary teacher, but took advantage of the child victims who were supposed to feel safe under his supervision at the school.

“Circumstances of the offences in this case showed resistance from the victims, but due to the accused’s position as a teacher puts all the victims in helpless situations,” she said.

During mitigation, counsel Hamida Ambo asked for a lenient punishment for her client as he was a first offender and was married with four children.

Deputy public prosecutor Mark Netto appeared for the prosecution.

SERDANG, Aug 26 — The Public Service Department (PSD) is looking into the possibility of creating service employment without any scheme, for future implementation, said its director-general Datuk Borhan Dolah.

He said this was part of the 32 reform initiatives proposed by the PSD in line with the government’s agenda for public sector reform.

“We will look at some of the services that are appropriate. If previously there are thousands of service schemes, we will reduce them to just over 200 and adopt the shared services concept to align business goals,” he said in his lecture at Universiti Putra Malaysia today.

Borhan said the proposed schemeless service employment will enable a scheme to be created for a combination of existing employment schemes, adding that several countries have already adopted this practice.

In another development, Borhan said the Public Service Bill which should have been tabled in Parliament in July had been postponed.

“We are still in discussion with the stakeholders and ironing out issues on separation of powers between civil servants and the political administration,” he said.

Earlier, Borhan was appointed as Professor of Practice at Putra Business School. — Bernama

GEORGE TOWN: A supporter of the Penang football team has reported being assaulted by a group of men after the Penang-Perak match at City Stadium yesterday while he was at a petrol station in Jalan Dato Kramat here.

George Town police chief Che Zaimani Che Awang said the 18-year-old man lodged a report saying he was roughed up by a group of men believed to be Perak supporters at 11.30pm.

“One of the men managed to punch him in the face before fleeing,” Che Zaimani said. The man sustained injuries on the nose, left eye and head. He claimed he did not know the suspects involved.

Che Zaimani said police believe the incident could have been a misunderstanding following a water bottle-throwing incident between Penang and Perak supporters which led to a brawl during the match.

Penang and Perak drew 1-1 in a group stage match of the Malaysia Cup competition.

CARY: Brooks Koepka earned a one-shot lead over Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffele after the third round at the Tour Championship on Sunday, setting up the prospect of a mouth-watering finale to the PGA Tour season in the race for the US$15 million first prize.

A deft chip at the par-five 18th led to a tap-in birdie and a two-under-par 68 for Koepka at East Lake in Atlanta.

At 15 under par, Koepka will begin the final round on Sunday afternoon with the narrowest of leads over fellow American Schauffele (67) and Northern Irishman McIlroy (68).

Englishman Paul Casey (68) and American Justin Thomas (71) trail by four shots, with Thomas having been left reeling by a triple-bogey at the 16th hole.

The third round was completed on Sunday morning after being suspended on Saturday afternoon due to a thunderstorm.

Six spectators were subsequently injured after a lightning bolt struck a tree on the course.

Five were taken to hospital and all have now been released, the PGA Tour said in a statement.

Koepka, who had completed five holes on Saturday, acknowledged that he was assisted by the delay.

“It did help,” he told Golf Channel. “I was struggling to find some rhythm.

“Old habits crept in a little bit and it was nice to take a little break.”

World number one Koepka said he would not be fazed by the pressure of playing for US$15 million.

“It’s easy for me – just go play golf,” he said of his attitude. “I guess that’s what I was born to do.”

Koepka and McIlroy, both four-times major champions, will be paired again, four weeks after locking horns at the WGC-St Jude Invitational, where Koepka demolished his rival.

McIlroy said it was not particularly important to be in the final pairing, though he still relished the challenge.

“I’ve been trying not to look at the leaderboards at all this week because it really doesn’t matter what anyone else is doing,” he said.

He also observed that it had been important to adapt quickly to the significantly cooler conditions on Sunday.

“I think this is the first time ever I’ve played East Lake and haven’t been sweating.

“The ball’s not travelling quite as far. Because of the cold air the ball’s getting hit by the wind a little more.”

Schauffele, meanwhile, had his first-ever hole-in-one, from 240 yards no less, at the par-three ninth, where his ball landed on the front of the green and trickled into the cup at a perfect pace.

“I told my caddie I think (the first ace) will come in a tournament round and be in a hole longer than 230 (yards). I guess it came true,” said the 2017 Tour Championship winner.

“I didn’t even see it go in. I looked away. I did pull it too. I’m not going to lie. I yanked it.”

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 25 — Three individuals lost USD101,500 (RM425,400) in cash to a trio believed to be Africans in Taman Ampang Jaya here, yesterday.

In the 3.09pm incident, the three individuals including a woman aged between 48 and 58, were punched by the trio.

The three victims had already withdrawn the money and converted it to US Dollars for a business payment, but they were approached by a woman who offered to exchange the money at a higher rate of RM6 for USD1, said Ampang Jaya District Police Chief ACP Noor Azmi Yusoff.

Interested in the offer, they rode in a Nissan Teana car with the woman to her office, he added.

“Unfortunately, when they reached the location, the woman stopped the car and they were approached by the three foreign suspects who seized the backpack containing the money,” said Noor Azmi.

A fight ensued and the victims were pushed and punched by the three men. The suspects then fled with the woman (who offered a higher exchange rate for the currency) in a Nissan Sentra car.

Apart from the cash, the backpack also contained important documents.

He said a police check found that the two cars used in the incident were cloned vehicles and the Nissan Sentra had a fake registration number. — Bernama