theSun | TUESDAY JUNE 9 2009 5

news without borders

Iranians nabbed with

syabu worth RM5m
NILAI: Using ice to keep food fresh is one thing,
but two Iranians brought preserved fruits with
a different kind of ice - the party drug syabu.
This was what the Customs Department
uncovered when it found 20.4kg of syabu - also
known as “ice” among users - in their luggage
at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport
near here, last Saturday.
Apart from the syabu, worth about RM5.1
million, and fruits, their luggage also contained
books on the Islamic Revolution.
The foreigners, in their 20s and 30s, had
arrived from Dubai about 4pm when customs
enforcement officers detected the drugs in their
luggage through the scanner.
They were detained under Section 39B of
the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 which carries
the mandatory death penalty upon conviction.
This is the first time the customs department
has nabbed Iranians for smuggling drugs into
the country, said its assistant director-general
(enforcement) Datuk Md Hassim Pardi.
“It’s their first time here and our enforce-
ment officers had detected the drugs in their
luggage through the scanner,” he told reporters
yesterday.
He said the drugs were found hidden inside
a secret compartment of the luggage which
was also laden with Persian preserved fruits
and a dozen books on the Islamic Revolution.
On the same day, Md Hassim said the
customs department had seized a Pos Laju
package containing 8,950 Eremin Five pills
worth RM179,000 and 500 ecstasy pills worth Mahathir
RM15,000 in the black market. receiving
He said the package was meant to be sent to the honorary
Miri, Sarawak, from a sender in Seri Kemban- doctorate
gan, Selangor. - Bernama from Lim.

No new cases of flu: DG Z A A(H1N1)

PETALING JAYA: No new cases still trying to trace the remain- tion, and if they
INFLUEN

HO

of influenza (A) H1N1 have been ing contacts of five of the do, they are en-
TLINE

reported in the country since confirmed cases, and appealed couraged to get
Sunday, said Health Ministry to passengers of MH091 which treatment first,”
director-general Tan Sri Ismail landed at KLIA on June 3 at 7.15 said Ismail.
Merican. am, AK702 which landed at the Meanwhile,
03

00

-8
Dr M honoured
“The number of cases in Low Cost Carrier Terminal(LCCT) police traced,
881 00/3
the country remains at seven, on June 3 at 1pm, and Air Asia within hours, a 49- 02
while the five cases receiving X D7 2723 which landed at year-old Canadian ex-
antiviral treatment are in stable the LCCT on June 5 at 7am, patriate who had fled the CYBERJAYA: Former prime minister In crediting Mahathir for being
condition with no signs of fe- to contact the ministry at Kuala Lumpur Hospital (KLH) on Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was instrumental in the liberalisation of
ver,” he said in a press release 03-88810200 or 03-88810300 Sunday after being quarantined conferred an honorary Doctorate of private education, Lim said it was
yesterday. between 8am and 9pm. for monitoring. Humanity by Limkokwing University the catalyst that enabled Malaysia to
He said the number of peo- He also urged students to Dang Wangi police chief ACP of Creative Technology yesterday as become a regional hub of education,
ple under home quarantine had delay their return for their sum- Mohd Dzulkarnain Ibrahim said tribute to his vision and achievements leading to the university becoming a
increased to 193 from 153 on mer holidays. the man was found in a resi- in transforming Malaysia during his 22 globalised player in tertiary educa-
Saturday. “The ministry urges all Ma- dential area on Jalan Tun Razak years of premiership. tion.
“All of them are healthy laysian students overseas who at about 9am yesterday. “To talk about Tun Dr Mahathir is Mahathir was one of three icons
with no sign of infection,” said wish to return for the summer He said police contacted the easy. There is so much that he has conferred with the doctorate by the
Ismail. holidays to delay their return in HKL authorities who took the done. His footprints are literally eve- university. Other recipients were
He said the ministry was case they show signs of infec- man back to the hospital. rywhere in this country. You will also former South African president Nelson
find his footprints in other countries,” Mandela in June 2008 and former Bot-
said the university’s founder-president swana president Dr Festus G. Mogae in
Prof Emeritus Tan Sri Dr Lim Kok Wing February 2008.
Swine flu spreads to 73 countries, Top Australian rugby players at the conferment ceremony. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Ab-
more than 25,000 infected quarantined “But to pay tribute to such an dul Razak was conferred the Honorary
GENEVA: Swine flu has now spread to 73 countries with SYDNEY: The Brisbane Broncos and North Queensland extraordinary person calls for more Doctorate of Social Transformation in
25,288 people known to have been infected since the Cowboys rugby league teams quarantined nine top than an extraordinary effort.” April 2008.
disease was first uncovered in April, data from the World players yesterday after one of their State of Origin
Health Organisation showed yesterday. teammates tested positive for swine flu.
The number of deaths rose to 139 after 14 more The National Rugby League teams decided to
deaths were reported, according to the latest WHO tally
of confirmed influenza A(H1N1) cases.
isolate all players who had been in contact with
Queensland forward Ben Hannant, who caught the
virus after representing his state in last week’s open-
DAP wants PAS to explain
Most of the new cases were reported by the United
States, with 2,163 new infections, bringing its total
ing Origin match in Melbourne.
Australian Test skipper Darren Lockyer confirmed
unity govt proposal
caseload to 13,217, including 27 deaths. he and fellow Broncos-based Origin players Israel PENANG: DAP secretary-general Lim the matter at the last meeting of the
Australia also posted a significant rise of 175 cases, Folau, Karmichael Hunt, Sam Thaiday, Justin Hodges Guan Eng has asked PAS to explain to Opposition top leadership council,” he
bringing its total to 1,051. Chile likewise saw its caseload and Peter Wallace had been quarantined and given its partners in the opposition alliance told the media after Tan Cheng Chui
grow by 42 to 411. doses of the anti-viral drug Tamiflu. the proposal by its president Datuk was sworn in as the new president of
Flu experts are watching the situation in Australia and The Cowboys ordered Johnathan Thurston, Luke Seri Abdul Hadi Awang to establish a the Penang Island Municipal Council.
Chile carefully as they are part of the southern hemi- O’Donnell and Matt Scott into quarantine, while the unity government, which will involve Lim said the meeting was expected
Gold Coast Titans said they would consider taking cooperation with Umno. to be held soon, probably on the
sphere which is entering the flu-prone winter season. Lim, who is chief minister of sidelines of the Dewan Rakyat sitting
Meanwhile, the Cayman Islands, Dominica and the similar measures with their Origin stars.
The latest scare comes as Australia’s confirmed Penang, said the explanation was im- which begins next week.
United Arab Emirates reported a case each to WHO for portant because DAP had never been The Dewan Rakyat is scheduled to
swine flu toll increased to 1,051, with 874 cases in
the first time. – AFP the southern state of Victoria. – AFP informed of and had not agreed to the sit from June 15 to 30.
formation of a unity government. The When opening the 55th PAS
DAP and Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) general assembly in Shah Alam last
are the PAS’ partners in the Opposi- week, Abdul Hadi had called for the
National transplant programme to be developed: Ministry tion alliance. establishment of a unity government
“PAS has to provide an explanation to solve the problems in the country
KUALA LUMPUR: The Ministry of told reporters before attending the “As of February 2009, there were on the matter at the next top leader- in general.
Health is committed to developing a meeting here yesterday. over 11,250 patients awaiting various ship council meeting. As far as I know, His proposal did not go down well
national transplantation programme Mohd Ismail also said besides kinds of transplant, including kidney, it (a unity government) had never been with the DAP and the PKR and some
in accordance with the World Health discussing the revised principles, the liver, heart and lung,” he added. agreed to. In fact, PAS never raised PAS leaders as well. – Bernama
Organisation’s (WHO) guiding princi- meeting would also identify gaps and Even though there were a high
ples on human cell, tissues and organ draft follow-ups to strengthen legisla- number of patients waiting for organs,
transplant, said its director-general tion, regulations and ethics in organ the ministry would not condone organ Boy saves family from fire
Tan Sri Dr Mohd Ismail Merican. transplantation and to update on tis- trafficking or commercialisation as
He said WHO had recently revised sue banking and xenotransplantation there are social, moral and ethical TUMPAT: He may be four years old he saw the fire blazing through the
the guiding principles intended to pro- (the process of grafting or transplant- issues associated with it, he said. but that did not keep Khairul Anan roof of their house at about 8.30pm
vide an orderly, ethical and acceptable ing organs or tissues between differ- He hoped the public would con- Jasmari from saving his family from on Sunday.
framework to cover various practices ent species). tinue donating organs and tissues a fire on their house in Kampung “He was playing with his brother,
associated with transplantation. He said the ministry had drawn that could help overcome these Genting here. Khairul Ikhwan, in the bedroom
“WHO in collaboration with the up measures to address the disparity problems. His mother, Rosila Ibrahim, 24, when he told me that the roof was
Health Ministry and Malaysian Soci- between the demand for transplants The three-day meeting was attend- said she was grateful that her son on fire,” she told reporters here
ety of Transplantation has organised and the shortage of cadaveric organ ed by 20 participants from 13 Western had notified her immediately after yesterday. – Bernama
a meeting to discuss this matter,” he donations. Pacific countries. – Bernama