Two workers killed, seven trapped in building collapse

PETALING JAYA (May 28, 2009): The building which housed the Jaya supermarket and still remains a landmark in Section 14 here partially collapsed this evening, killing at least two workers and trapping seven others.

Chinese embassy concerned over snatch thefts

KUALA LUMPUR (May 24, 2009): The Chinese Embassy in Malaysia has expressed concern over the number of Chinese tourists falling victims to snatch thieves, and wants the country's law enforcement units to take note of the matter.

According to a report in Nanyang Siang Pau yesterday, counsellor Su Qiang of the embassy disclosed that the embassy has received reports from five to six of its nationals being snatched of their belongings in Kuala Lumpur lately.

Commenting on the latest case which happened on Friday, Su said the embassy is taking a serious view of Chinese tourists becoming targets of snatch-thieves and urged the Malaysian authorities to also take a serious view of the safety of these tourists.

"The Malaysian Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen has just been to China to promote Malaysia's tourism industry, I hope the Malaysian authorities will pay attention to snatch-thefts in which Chinese tourists are the victims."

He said the visa unit of the embassy has complained to the police on the number of Chinese tourists falling victims to snatch-thieves in Kuala Lumpur but Chinese tourists continued to be victimised.

He told the daily that on top of losing an average of 2,000 renminbi (about RM1,000) each, the victims also lost their passports and other important documents.

"The Chinese visiting Malaysia are not affected by the A(H1N1) scare, but some of them fall victim to snatch-thieves or robbers," he lamented.

He said the victims face much inconveniences, including having to get replacement passports and visas. The Sun

300 dogs dumped on Malaysia islands eat each other

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — More than 300 stray dogs that were dumped on isolated islands turned to cannibalism after weeks of starvation, animal welfare activists said Thursday.

(pic) One of the dogs in pathetic condition.

The plight of the dogs cast away by villagers on two small, uninhabited islands off Malaysia's western Selangor state ignited outrage after activists this week released photographs showing dogs eating the carcasses of ones that had died.

Residents of a fishing village on Pulau Ketam, another island off Selangor, caught the dogs last month and took them to the islands covered in mangroves. The villagers said they never intended to be cruel — they believed the dogs could feed on the deserted islands' wildlife — but wanted to rid their island of dogs that defecate on the streets and sometimes bite children.

A team from the Selangor Society of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals visited one of the islands — Pulau Selat Kering — on Monday and saw several emaciated dogs "crowded and hunched around something — they were hungrily feasting on the remains of another dog," the SPCA said in a statement.

"Nearby, a weak dog was screaming because several dogs were trying to bite her," it said.

Volunteers have so far rescued two dogs and left food for the others, said SPCA official Jacinta Johnson. They estimate 200 might have survived. Activists would also try to rescue any dogs left on the other island, Pulau Tengah.

Pulau Ketam's residents have said some dogs tried to swim back to their island, about a half-hour boat ride away, but it was not clear how many succeeded.

Efforts to save the dogs have been slow because many were fearful of people and scampered into mangrove swamps when rescuers approached, Johnson said.

Activists have persuaded Pulau Ketam's villagers not to dump any more dogs and are considering measures such as sterilization and relocation to ease problems posed by an estimated 2,000 stray dogs, the SPCA said. (By SEAN YOONG/Associated Press Writer)

Condo residents jittery after blaze

THE STAR
By CHRISTINA LOW

IT WAS a near miss that residents of the Amandari Condominium at Segambut in Kuala Lumpur will not forget easily, and they are now living in fear of a fire outbreak.

Lightning struck three units recently, causing a fire and the residents now feel jittery each time there is a thunderstorm and flashes of lightning in the sky.

But the real risk during the fire last week was when the firemen arrived and had a hard time driving the fire engine through the condominium’s main entrance.

Precious time was wasted as the fire engine had to squeeze through the gate.

The residents want the developer to ensure that the two condominium blocks are safe, particularly with arrester rods in working condition and ensuring the easy accessibility of rescue vehicles such as fire engines.

The residents raised the issue at a meeting with Azmal Shah, an official of the developer Sheyher Development Sdn Bhd. The meeting was arranged by Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng,

On the fateful day when the fire broke out, neighbouring residents who heard the loud bang rushed out of their homes but did not realise that a fire had broken out.

According to resident K.P. Tiam, it was the foreign workers from the construction site opposite the condominium who saw the fire and alerted them by shouting.

Tiam said the residents then called the fire and rescue services department which promptly sent a fire fighting team in a fire engine, but they had a hard time struggling to get past the narrow main entrance.

“Much precious time was wasted as the fire engine had to squeeze its way through the gate,” he said.

“The condominium developer should do something about the entrance and exit points because during an emergency, getting to the problem area fast is essential to protect life and property,” Tiam said.

In addition to the lightning and fire risk, residents of the four-year old condominium also have a bagful of complaints to highlight.

“We have been suffering from water leakages and our walls are cracking.” said Ng Yee Kim, 28.

Ng said she had been diligently paying her maintenance fees, but when she lodged a complaint on her unit with the developer, the company just ignored her.

“I keep reminding the company about the problem but no action has been taken to rectify the situation,” said Ng, who then decided to stop paying her maintenance fees from January this year.

According to Azmal, the residents of the two blocks owed the company more than RM240,000 in maintenance fees.

“Sometimes, we manage to collect about 50% of the maintenance fees from the 88 units, but there are times when we only have about 30% to 40%,” Azmal said.

He blamed the residents for not taking the initiative to attend meetings organised by the developer, saying that usually only about 20% of them were present.

Azmal said some units had gone through various renovations and rectifications which might be the cause of the leaking problem and other defects, but a thorough check had to be conducted.

Asked about the fire incident, Azmal said the company was still waiting for the full report from the fire and rescue services department which would take about two weeks.

He also said if the residents were not satisfied with the developer, they should perhaps ask the housing tribunal to mediate on the matter.

Meanwhile, Lim said he had discussed the matter with the developer last year when he visited the area but the situation had not changed much since then.

Lim said he understood that the developer needed to collect at least 70% of maintenance fees monthly for works on the building, but he did not blame the residents for not wanting to pay as their complaints were not attended to.

“I have discussed with the developer urging the company to rectify certain parts of the condominium first to let the residents know that there is value for their money,” he said.

“Once residents see that things are being done, I am sure they will pay their fees,” Lim said.

Lim said he would wait for the report from the fire and rescue service department to discover the cause of the incident, especially with regard to the safety of the two blocks.