Police gave me wrong summons, claims driver

By ZORA CHAN
zora@thestar.com.my
Tuesday June 8, 2010

The people must report to the police if they felt that the police had acted beyond their powers, and the media must also not give prominence to the DAP for highlighting the people’s problem. 

- Tuan Haji Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah

A DRIVER who purportedly beat the traffic lights claimed that he was only stopped by police about 2km away from the point he allegedly committed the offence.

And when he was reluctant to produce his driving licence, the police officer who stopped him asked: “You mau main kasar? (Do you want to play rough?)”.

Motorist Chong Eng Jee, 28, said the incident happened on June 1 at around 11pm. He was driving past Jalan Datuk Merican Salleh to Jalan Kwong Lee Bank when he realised a Mobile Police Vehicle had been trailing him.

He claimed that he had driven “cautiously and made a U-turn at the Jalan Kwong Lee Bank junction to Lorong Sebor and headed towards Jalan Datuk Abdul Rahman Rahim”.

“At Jalan Datuk Abdul Rahman Rahim, the MPV stopped me and a policeman asked for my driving licence. When I was reluctant to show my licence because I felt I didn’t do anything wrong, the policeman threateningly asked me if “I was trying to play rough”. I was alone and there were two of them, so I gave them my licence,” he told reporters at the DAP headquarters in Kuching yesterday.

Chong said the policeman had issued a summons stating that he had beaten the red light at Jalan Kwong Lee Bank when he made the U-turn.

Pending assemblywoman Violet Yong who called a press conference to highlight the issue said if Chong was at fault, the MPV should have stopped the driver immediately instead of allowing him to drive another two kilometres until Jalan Datuk Abdul Rahman Rahim.

‘Go to the police, not DAP’

June 7, 2010

Opposition party is not the authority on criminal cases — Abdul Karim

KUCHING: Sarawak Barisan Nasional Backbenchers Club (BNBBC) chief Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said the DAP should not be the place for alleged wrongdoers and lawbreakers to fall back on.

The DAP should also be more responsible and not try to sensationalise alleged wrongdoings of suspected law breakers, he added.

Karim, who is also chief political secretary to the Chief Minister, said people must report to the police, even if one of their own was believed to have acted beyond their powers.

The media must also not give prominence to the DAP because by doing so the public would be swayed to portray the police, who have been entrusted to look after the safety and security of the general public, adversely.

He was referring to media reports on alleged police brutality on a technician following a road mishap at KM85 Jalan Kuchin-Sri Aman around 2pm on Friday.

From what had been reported, said Karim, the technician had refused to follow the instructions of the police and this itself was an offence.

The police must not be cowed by all these threats of alleged brutality.

Opposition front a mix of strange bedfellows, says George Chan

April 21, 2010

KUCHING: Despite the state Pakatan Rakyat (PR) presenting a more united front with the entry of Sarawak National Party (SNAP), Barisan Nasional leaders said the Opposition lacked a clear political stand.

SUPP president Tan Sri Dr George Chan said the Opposition front was too flexible in its ideology by working with different parties with different goals.

“Since the DAP can work with PAS, it shows they are willing to work with any party, despite their opposing ideologies,” Dr Chan told The Star yesterday.

“The Opposition front is a mix of strange bedfellows. I cannot see clearly what is their ideology. I think that is not going to work. Either you believe in certain things or you do not. You cannot have so many different ideologies working together.”

Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) president Datuk Seri Dr James Jemut Masing said SNAP itself did not know where it stood. Masing claimed SNAP had some members who preferred the party to be aligned to Barisan.

“It is not a united party. It is a party that does not know what it really wants. There are factions within it that believe in different things. Any party that is not united will end up confusing voters.”

Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu Sarawak (PBB) supreme council member Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah agreed.

Lai juggles between job and caring for cancer-striken daughter

Story and photo by NG AI FERN aifern@thestar.com.my
Friday April 16, 2010

AMBER Chin has been in and out of Sarawak General Hospital (SGH). This seven-month-old infant started suffering from liver cancer when she was only three months old.

Her mother Lai Sze Wei, 26, said that Amber had to go to the hospital every two weeks for chemotherapy. She has to stay in the hospital for three to four days each time and Lai can never leave her alone.

“Normally, my in-laws look after her when I go to work, but when she has to go to the hospital, I have to apply for leave to keep her company ” said Lai, who works as a clerk.

Amber is Lai’s first child.

During a recent visit by Asajaya assemblyman Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah and members of the Indian Association of Kuching, Amber was all smiles.

Karim will not contest for the PBB Youth Chief post

February 22, 2010

KUCHING: Abdul Karim Hamzah’s withdrawal from the contest for the PBB Youth Chief post shows how much the party has matured over the years, where leaders are groomed, says PBB President and Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud.

“I don’t want to claim ourselves as a (good) example but the principle is there. I regard PBB as a party where we can groom good leaders,” he said when asked if PBB’s way of solving internal conflict should be made an example for other BN component parties, at PBB Headquarters here yesterday.

He said that gradually, the well-groomed leaders would take over by moving up the leadership ladder, which a ‘senior party’ like PBB had been practising.

“You must remember that when you want to have a working democracy, you must have someone with good leadership skill in order to exercise the mandate that the people has entrusted upon you.

“If you don’t have good leadership in the party, which is built over the years, and if there is no desire on the part of the people to serve the country from the beginning, then you will find out that politics is no more than just politicking,” said Taib. 

He also believed that Karim’s withdrawal was proof that “we (PBB) have a good and stable party”, which meant a lot. 

“We did not start yesterday. If we did, we would have a lot of quarrels now. We are a party in the government, and as such, there is a sense of responsibility in all of us, and we understand that we must prepare ourselves to serve the nation,” he said.