Woman cons VIPs and artistes of RM432mil

A WOMAN who is believed to have conned hundreds of VIPs and artistes of RM432mil is now on the police most-wanted list.

Her victims include veteran rock singers Amy Search, Hattan and Awie, as well as Misha Omar and the wife of a Tan Sri who lost RM26 mil.

Police believe Rohaniza Aladib, 31, has absconded to Australia.

Her case as well as statements by several artistes who had fallen victim to her con-game was reported by Harian Metro.

Hattan and Awie admitted to having been conned by the woman who always appeared “decent”. Their loss totalled almost RM2mil.

Quoting a spokesman from the commercial crime unit in Bukit Aman, the tabloid said Rohaniza lured her victims to part with their money by promising them very high return of up to 50% of their investment within 30 days.

As in any scams, her victims would receive the high return as promised on their initial investment, thus encouraging them to “invest” more, including using money collected from friends and family members.

Hattan said he initially invested only RM50,000 but after receiving good returns, he increased his investment until it reached a total of RM1.4mil.

Awie meanwhile said he lost RM50,000 to the woman who had promised him a return of 30% within 45 days.

Country’s largest oil refinery to be in Kedah

KUALA LUMPUR, July 15 — Kedah’s economy received a major boost today with the launch of the largest oil refinery project in Malaysia.

The Merapoh oil refinery in Yan, Kedah will cost US$10 billion (RM35.7 billion) and have a refining capacity of 350,000 barrels per day, nearly twice the capacity of the country’s second largest refinery in Melaka.

The refinery will be developed by Merapoh Resources Corporation and funded by international investors.

The Merapoh refinery will refine crude oil sourced from the Middle East for export, mainly to China.

China’s state oil company China National Petroleum Company (CNPC) has agreed to take up 200,000 barrels per day for 20 years.

CNPC is also expected to take up a stake in Merapoh at some point.

Kedah Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Azizan Abdul Razak says that the state is expecting some RM80 billion worth of oil and gas investments in the future.

“We will continue to give assistance to Merapoh and others as we are a business-friendly government,” he said at the signing ceremony.

When completed in five years, the Merapoh refinery is expected to contribute RM200 million in annual revenues to the state government.

Touching on the subject of the trans-peninsular oil pipeline that was proposed a few years ago to connect Kedah to the east coast, Azizan said the project has been put on hold.

Commenting on the near-loss by PAS in yesterday’s Manek Urai by-election, Azizan told reporters that what was important was PAS managed to retain the state seat.

Azizan also said that relations between PAS and DAP in Kedah were back to normal, after the recent pull-out threat by DAP.

Malays are second biggest group of clients for ‘Ah Long’

KUALA LUMPUR, July 14 – The MCA Public Complaints Bureau received 65 appeals for help from Malays who had borrowed a total of more than RM2 million from loan sharks or ‘Ah Long’ since early this year.

The bureau’s head, Datuk Michael Chong said of the complainants comprised 40 and 25 women.

“A total of 341 cases were received from January until June this year and Chinese borrowers topped the list with 241 cases,” he said at a media conference at his office, here today.

He said the Malay borrowers were, generally, between the ages of 30 and 40, and were facing financial problems while some were involved in get-rich-quick schemes.

“For the other races, they borrowed for business purposes or gambling, but among the Malay borrowers, many were involved in the get-rich-quick schemes and there were some who owed the Ah Long more than RM700,000,” he said.

Chong revealed that the loan sharks were now adopting new tactic to collect debts – by sending attractive and sexy women to the borrowers’ homes or business premises.

“These women will wait at the shops or homes of the borrowers to collect debt. The women will go to the borrowers’ homes or business premises repeatedly until the debt is paid,” he said. – Bernama

PTPTN turns to CIMB for a loan to help fund more student loans

KUALA LUMPUR, July 14 — For the first time ever the National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) is resorting to commercial financing to help reduce its reliance on government funding.

CIMB Group has extended a RM1.5 billion Islamic loan to PTPTN, of which repayment will be over a period of ten years. The loan is guaranteed by the government.

Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Khaled Nordin said PTPTN needed RM4.2 billion to finance students this year and of which, RM3 billion would be obtained commercially while the remaining RM1.2 billion through internally generated funds.

“We don’t need to raise the other RM1.5 billion yet. If we do it now, we’ll need to pay the interest. When the need arises, then only we will raise it,” he told reporters after witnessing the agreement signing ceremony between CIMB and PTPTN here today.

PTPTN, established under the National Higher Education Act 1997, is an organisation tasked with managing and providing financing for Malaysian students who are eligible to pursue studies at local institutions of higher learning.

Khaled said it was the government’s responsibility to provide loans to eligible higher education students but they would have to be grateful for it and repay the loans so as not to deprive others of the same opportunity.

Interests on the their loans were actually paid by the government, otherwise it would be passed on to students, he said and added that the percentage of PTPTN loan repayments was on the increase as the government had put in place measures to ensure a better flow of payment.

He also said that the country was on track to achieve the 40 per cent target of having those aged between 17 and 23 receive tertiary education.

“Many countries want to learn from us in terms of our higher education, including having PTPTN to help students,” he said.

Meanwhile, PTPTN chairman Datuk Dr Mohamad Shahrum Osman said the repayment of loans in 2008 showed an increase with the organisation receiving RM1.19 billion from 659,880 loans that were supposed to pay back by May 2009.

Since its inception in 1997, he said, PTPTN had received RM5.295 billion from the government.

In 2003, it borrowed a total of RM13 billion from the Pension Trust Fund and the Employees Provident Fund to continue financing students at local higher education institutions. — Bernama

The 1-Malaysia Unit Trust For 'the poor'

THE 1Malaysia Unit Trust proposed by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak on Saturday should be carefully monitored to benefit more of the medium- and low-income earners.

Groups fear that the richer section of society would quickly snap up the unit trust shares, depriving others who need time to raise funds to purchase them.

They feel the government should reserve a certain number of the shares and allow a grace period for the poorer section of society to secure loans to purchase them.

Earlier this year, Permodalan Nasional Bhd had offered 3.3 billion units of Amanah Saham Malaysia and two billion units of Amanah Saham Wawasan 2020

A cap of 20,000 units per person was placed for 10 days for ASW, and three months for ASM, to enable more people to purchase them.

A racial quota was also instituted for ASM, but any units which remained after three months would be open for sale to others.

Malaysian Malay Business and Industrialists Association president Datuk Moehamad Izat Emir said it would be better if the 1Malaysia Unit Trust was reserved solely for medium- and low-income earners.

"The unit trust should be controlled very strictly to ensure the shares are disseminated to lower-income earners.

"The government should take all necessary steps to encourage this section of society, to come forward and take up the shares."

Malaysian Indian Business Association president P. Sivakumar felt the government should reserve a certain number of shares for the poorer section of the Indian community.

He said: "These people don't have the money to purchase the shares and need to look for funds.

"If a quota of shares is reserved for them, then they will have more time to secure the necessary funds."

Sivakumar said the low-income earners would lose out if they were to compete for the shares on equal terms with the economically stronger section of Malaysian society.

Pak Gad UM Nak Jadi Polis Pula

Biarpun Akta Universiti dan Kolej Universiti(AUKU) dipinda tahun lepas, tindakan polis menahan dua orang aktivis mahasiswa di dalam kampus Universiti Malaya(UM) serta mereman mereka selama dua hari atas alasan “mencerobohi kampus” memperlihatkan ruang demokrasi kampus yang lagi menguncup di bawah pentadbiran Perdana Menteri baru.

Kedua-dua mereka, Ong Jing Cheng dan Yap Heng Lung telah ditahan di Balai Polis Lembah Pantai semalam di bawah Kanun Keseksaaan 447 kononnya mencerobohi kawasan Universiti Malaya.

Kes ini adalah kes kedua pihak polis melakukan tangkapan ke atas mahasiswa dalam 100 hari pertama Najib Razak menjadi Perdana Menteri.

Kejadian ini memperlihatkan hak mahasiswa dan autonomi kampus bukan sahaja belum dikembalikan meskipun AUKU telah dipinda, sebaliknya polis dibenarkan “mencoboh” masuk ke dalam ruang autonomi kampus serta melakukan tangkapan sewenang-wenangnya. UM tidak lagi selamat!

Pegawai keselamatan UM tidak sewajarnya menghalang pergerakan kedua-dua mereka itu kerana UM seperti institusi pengajian tinggi awam yang lain, merupakan tempat awam yang diwujudkan atas dana awam dan terbuka kepada masyarakat umum, bukannya milikan swasta.

Pegawai keselamatan juga tidak patut bertindak seperti polis malah menyerahkan kedua-dua orang aktivis mahasiswa tersebut kepada pihak polis hanya sekadar kerana mereka memiliki risalah kempen “Street Safe” yang menggalakkan keselamatan persekitaran.

Persoalannya: apakah salahnya seseorang itu memasuki kawasan kampus walaupun bukan penuntut universiti tersebut? Apakah kuasa pegawai keselamatan universiti sehingga boleh melakukan tangkapan ke atas seseorang?

Kami menggesa Menteri Pengajian Tinggi Mohamed Khaled Nordin menyatakan pendirian beliau dalam isu ini memandangkan tindakan polis bercanggahan dengan konsep kuasa autonomi universiti yang pernah diwar-warkan oleh beliau sendiri semasa pindaan AUKU.

Making way for English, shorter hours for 3 subjects

(NST) PUTRAJAYA: Learning hours for Music, Physical Education and Science may be reduced by 45 minutes each to accommodate the extended hours for the English language.

Education director-general Tan Sri Alimuddin Mohd Dom said schools would not have extra schooling hours, especially for primary school children, once the teaching and learning of Science and Mathematics in Bahasa Malaysia come into force in 2012.

The school hours for the pupils end at 12.50pm.

“We may reduce the hours of these subjects by at least one period or 45 minutes each. This is because we do not want to burden our children or make them stay back,” Alimuddin told the New Straits Times yesterday.

He also said teachers would be encouraged to use English terms in teaching art subjects.

The cabinet had decided that the medium of instruction for Science and Mathematics would revert to Bahasa Malaysia in national schools and mother-tongue languages in national-type schools from 2012.

The reversal of the teaching of Mathematics and Science in English (PPSMI) policy would be done in stages, said Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin last Wednesday.

He, however, added that there would be greater emphasis on learning the English language.

English literature will be reintroduced, as will subjects on grammar and composition.

Alimuddin said a policy decision had been made by the government and that it was final.

He gave an assurance that students’ proficiency in English would improve through the policy.

“If we do it rightly and stay on course, I believe we can reinforce Bahasa Malaysia and strengthen students’ proficiency in English by the end of 2012.

“Their English will be better, I am sure. We will increase the number of English teachers by about 14,000 from the 32,000-plus now.

“More language labs will be set up and we are also getting at least 1,000 English specialists from abroad.

“Even master teachers and retirees will be roped in. Given all these, our children stand a good chance of improving their command of the language in a short period of time.”

He said parents should remain committed to help the government improve the national education agenda.

“Buy more English magazines or novels for your children. Make them read more English materials.”

In line with the new policy, he said the ministry would issue a circular to encourage teachers to teach Science and Mathematics in English and Bahasa Malaysia.

He said students would have adapted themselves with Bahasa Malaysia terms used in the two subjects by 2012.

“Within these two years, we want students and teachers to be exposed to the terms (in Bahasa Malaysia) and I believe, with commitment and effectiveness, we can do this.”