4 theSun | THURSDAY MAY 14 2009

news without borders

e-roadtax services
awaiting
Finance Ministry nod
by Karen Arukesamy and Husna Yusop public wider access to the services
newsdesk@thesundaily.com offered and prevent monopoly by
one particular service provider.
PETALING JAYA: The Transport Ministry is awaiting the Ong, however, declined to name
Finance Ministry’s approval to allow new companies to the three companies but said that
provide online services for the Road Transport Department they were “major players” and
(RTD). could roll out their services any time
RTD director-general Datuk Solah Mat Hassan told theSun:
“Three companies applied to offer the e-road tax service last
soon.
Ong has repeatedly expressed the wish to break existing
Ho holds a
picture of
‘Mommy, please
year. But the applications are being studied by the Finance
Ministry (MoF) which has yet to give its approval.” He said it
was normal for MoF to look into the application first.
monopolies with the ministry on the ground that it would
help “fight graft”.
“With enhanced competition, they will strive harder to
her mother
Yam during
come home’
the press
“So, as of now, only one company (My EG Services Bhd) market their services, and this would elevate the level of by Opalyn Mok
conference
is providing the service,” said Solah. awareness among the public.” newsdesk@thesundaily.com
yesterday.
Transport Minister Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat had last No- One of the company’s CEO, said: “There has been con-
vember announced that three companies have been chosen tinuous technical meetings with RTD officers on how to go GEORGE TOWN: For a month, 10-year-old Ho Lai Wen has
to provide electronic transaction services for RTD to give about with the matter but it has not been launched yet.” been pining for her mother, Yam Mei Hei, 39, and missing
school due to poor health and depression.
“I miss my mother and I hope she will come home and

Police detainee take care of me,” the Year Four student told reporters at
a press conference called Gerakan Public Complaints
Bureau chairman Dr Kiew Hen Chong.

died due to fall

by Tan Yi Liang
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
KUALA LUMPUR: A coroner’s inquest yes-
terday found that 40-year-old security guard
Prakash Moses’s death in police custody in
2003 was caused by misadventure.
“... there were no criminal elements found
(in his death). The cause of death was head
injuries caused by a fall,” said magistrate
Nazran Mohd Shan, who read out the coro-
ner’s findings.
Counsel for the family Amer Hamzah Arshad
later told reporters that Prakash was arrested
on Feb 14, and he sustained his injuries and
died during that period.
“He was brought to the Hang Tuah police
station for documentation and he had a fall.
He was then brought to the hospital on Feb 15,
and was pronounced dead at 7.05am on Feb
18, “ said Amer, who explained the conditions
behind Prakash’s arrest.
“He was arrested as a suspect in an anti-
Yam had left home on April 10 after a quarrel with
her husband, Ho Weng Cheong, 41, and all attempts to
contact her were unsuccessful.
Ho said his daughter has poor appetite ever since his
ing the findings of the inquest, Amer said he wife left and due to that, she frequently gets stomach
had advised the family, and that the decision ache and had to miss school two to three times a week.
to proceed was their call. “I hope my wife will return and try to resolve whatever
“I have told him (Prakash’s son) the avail- problems we have as our daughter’s health and well-be-
able options, and I have explained to him the ing are very important,” he said.
decision of the court today. Of course, there is He urged Yam to at least meet him and try to work out
an option for him to file a revision with the High a solution rather than disappear like this with no news of
Court, asking for a review of the coroner’s find- her whereabouts.
ing. It is up to the family to decide,” he said. “Lai Wen misses her mother very much and often
Amer condemned the recent spate of cries whenever she thinks of her,” he added.
deaths in police custody and called for an Kiew urged Yam to contact him at 012-4047765 or to
improvement in standards in police lock-ups. call Lai Wen directly at 016-4600705.
“A death in custody is something which is He reassured Yam that Gerakan would do all it can to
unfortunate. There may not be any criminal help her if she was facing any problems now.
element in today’s case, but the fact that it has “She should come out of hiding and find a way to
happened before, and recently, as in the case resolve whatever family problems they have for the sake
of A. Kugan, speaks for itself,” he said. of their daughter,” he said.
“They have not been charged, they are Just last week, Ho had appealed for Yam to return
suspects. So they should be given basic human home through the help of Penang MCA but there was
rights and treated like normal human beings. no response.
They shouldn’t be tortured,” said Amer,
adding that the public would always
question such deaths.
Prakash’s son, Steven Moses, Cops identify duo
BERNAMAPIC

drug operation but he had not been charged

with any criminal offence. The death happened said he would discuss further with
during the documentation period when sus-
pects are also held for urine testing,” he said.
counsel before making a decision on
whether to proceed further on his
in RM400,000
Asked whether the family would be appeal- father’s death.
Bukit Jambul heist
Special rural bus service by Bernard Cheah
newsdesk@thesundaily.com

to curtail Mat Rempit
PUTRAJAYA: The Road Safety Depart-
ment and the Education Ministry have
agreed in principle to introduce a special
rural school bus service to curtail the use
of motorcycles by students.
The department’s director-general,
Datuk Suret Singh, said the mechan-
ics of introducing such a service were
now being studied and a decision was
expected soon.
He said yesterday it was necessary
to provide alternative transport to these
students or they would be forced to use
motorcycles to get to school.
He said motorcyclists were posing
a big problem as most of them did not
possess valid riding licences and tended
to misuse their machines for stunts and
racing.
“The department has also taken
proactive action to ensure the curtailment
of the Mat Rempit (illegal motorcyclist)
culture among schoolchildren. With the
cooperation of the Education Ministry,
we have commenced an advocacy pro-
gramme to educate students, teachers
and parents on the dangers of reckless
riding and misuse of motorcycles.
A pilot project was launched in five
schools in Selangor last month and if
found to be viable, would be introduced
nationwide, he added.
“The parent-teacher associations,
headmasters and teachers have assured
that they will cooperate with us to help
reduce the Mat Rempit menace,” Suret
Singh said.
The programme would be a soft
approach and not strong-arm tactics to
achieve its objectives, he said.
On the use of crash helmets, Suret
Singh said the department was on target
to achieve 100% compliance of using hel-
mets by 2010. The department was also
distributing free helmets to motorcyclists,
particularly those in the rural areas.
So far it had distributed 125,000
Sirim-approved helmets which were
contributed by various companies un-
der the Corporate Social Responsibility
programme of the road safety council.
– Bernama
SEBERANG PERAI: Police have identified two suspects
believed to be behind the RM400,000 gems and jewel-
lery shop robbery in Bukit Jambul Complex on Penang
Island on Saturday.
Penang CPO Datuk Wira Ayub Yaakob said police
wish to contact Loke Siang Hai, 30, and Ng Boon Chuan,
38, to help in investigations. They are from Ayer Itam
and Balik Pulau respectively and are believed to be
odd-job workers.
Ayub advised the public not to engage with the duo
if they know of their whereabouts, but to alert the police
instead.
“The suspects are armed and dangerous. They will
not hesitate to use firearms for robberies or other pur-
poses,” he told reporters in the Seberang Perai Tengah
police headquarters here yesterday.
Information on the suspects were obtained from a
Ayub shows
30-year-old waitress who was remanded early Monday some of the
morning and other sources.
weapons
Ayub also identified a third robber, who was shot recovered
dead by a security guard during the robbery, as a 22-
on Saturday.
year-old vegetable seller from Balik Pulau.
“From our investigations, we have found that the
deceased was a ‘good boy’ who was trying to earn a obtained by the robbers. The robbers also left behind a
good living. We are not ruling out the possibility that he bag containing some of the loot near a hotel.
might have had a heavy debt to settle,” said Ayub. Police are investigating whether a sling bag, contain-
He said police were investigating how the weapons ing two fully loaded magazines and a smoke grenade,
used in the robbery – an AK-47 assault rifle, a HK 33 found by a passer-by on Sunday near Jalan Tun Sardon,
automatic rifle and a conventional “grease” gun – were is connected to the robbery.