Thesun 2008-12-23 Page18 Year In Review 2008

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theSun

| TUESDAY DECEMBER 23 2008

6

News that

gripped the nation by Charles Ramendran [email protected]

CRIME and disasters received the lion’s share of media attention for 2008. Just when the nation was recovering from the shocking news of Nurin Jazlin Jazimin, eight, who was found sadistically raped and murdered almost a month after she was abducted on Aug 20, 2007 at Wangsa Maju, a similar case involving another girl signalled a bad start to the year on the crime front. Sharlinie Mohd Nashar, six, went missing from her home off Old Klang Road on Jan 10. Police embarked on a massive search for her but have yet to make any headway in the case. Sharlinie is believed to have fallen victim to “Kampung Baru molestor”, the man who abducted Nurin. » On Jan 11, Tenggaroh state assemblyman Datuk S. Krishnasamy (pix) was shot dead by a lone gunman outside the state MIC building in Johor. His killer remains at large. » The drug pipeline into the country was severely cut when police seized RM48 million worth of drugs and RM1.1 million cash with the arrest of 12 members of a syndicate, including three Singaporeans and a Thai, in Johor Baru on March 31. » Airports became the focus of serious crimes when on April 9, six gun-toting robbers grabbed S$1.5 million (RM3.5 million) from two money-changers in a dramatic three-minute heist at the KL International Airport after engaging in a shootout with two bodyguards of the victims and an off-duty policeman. All five and a Nepali bystander caught in the crossfire escaped death, but were seriously injured. In a similar case on Aug 27, two men armed with automatic pistols shot and injured a money-changer at the Penang International Airport but failed to relieve him of the RM1.9 million he was carrying in a suitcase. Less than a month later, on Sept 23, at the same airport, three gunmen robbed two goldsmiths and escaped with gold bars worth RM850,000. Following the incidents, police took over security control at all international airports. » Criminals also “ventured” into a new way of making a fast buck. In three cases in Shah Alam and Puchong, they used explosives made from fireworks to blow up automated teller machines (ATM).

Although the explosions damaged the ATMs, the thieves failed to remove any cash except in one case where they escaped with about RM30,000. On the whole, police scored successes when they busted several criminal gangs, gunning down at least two dozen hardcore criminals and arresting tens of others. » Among the criminals who perished was a 20-year-old female car thief, who had a string of criminal records mainly for theft and firearms possession. Described as a hardcore criminal, she and her 40-year-old male accomplice were shot dead after they opened fire at police during a raid at a condominium unit in Sungai Long, Kajang on Nov 7. A police inspector was also injured in the shootout. » The year also saw dozens of street protests and rallies from both the ruling and opposition parties, mostly after the March general election. This led to dozens of supporters and politicians being detained for defying police orders. Among the non-political protests which drew attention was that by residents of Bandar Mahkota, Kajang who objected to the closure of an access road into their housing estate by a highway concessionaire. The year-long “revolt” which peaked in May led to many protesters getting injured but the persistent residents eventually triumphed when the highway concessionaire gave in to their demands. » On June 28, the country saw an uproar when Pakatan Rakyat leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was accused of sodomy by his former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan. Anwar was arrested by police on July 16 and charged in court weeks later. » Controversial blogger and webmaster of Malaysia-today. com, Raja Petra Kamarudin, was detained under the Internal Security Act on Sept 12 and was held at the Kamunting detention centre for almost two month before being freed. » The wet weather wreaked havoc towards the end of the year. The worst case was when a massive landslide took place at the affluent hillside residential estate of Bukit Antarabangsa on Dec 6. Four people were killed after 14 bungalows were buried or badly damaged. » On Nov 30, two sisters were killed in another landslide which destroyed their house in Ulu Yam. Next: Battle against graft