Thesun 2009-04-14 Page06 Crackdown On Motorists With Pirated Cds Videos

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theSun

| TUESDAY APRIL 14 2009

news without borders Singapore’s immigrants told to master English SINGAPORE: Singapore’s former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew told the republic’s new citizens to master English if they want to succeed in the city state. “If you want to succeed in Singapore, you need to have a good grasp of English, our common language,” he was quoted as saying by the local media yesterday. “When you communicate with the world or among races, there is no advantage whether you are Malay, Indian or Chinese. Thus, the competition is very fair,’ Lee said in Mandarin. The minister mentor was launching a new feature section, “Crossroads”, which will report on immigrants living in Singapore, in the Chinese-language newspaper Lianhe Zaobao, here yesterday. The media quoted him as saying

that Singapore practised meritocracy and those who excelled would be rewarded and that “connections” was not a factor in one’s success in the city-state. Lee said Singapore treated all its citizens equally, the most important principle of meritocracy. “There is no difference between races, religions, new or old citizens,” he said, adding that the country needed the best people to grow the economy and succeed in the global competition. When asked whether the immigrants were using Singapore as a stepping stone to other countries, he said the problem was difficult to resolve. The minister also urged Singaporeans to reach out to new immigrants and help them integrate into Singapore society. – Bernama

Crackdown on motorists with pirated CDs, videos Deep divisions fuel Thailand’s crisis pg 8

POLICE in Penang have set up roadblocks to check for pirated discs – catching off-guard veby Kong See Hoh hicle owners who thought they [email protected] could breathe a sigh of relief after an SMS claim of a crackdown by the Domestic Trade The SMS that was making and Consumer Affairs Ministry on its rounds lately has it that the motorists in possession of fakes ministry would set up roadblocks turned out to be a false alarm. at major roads and highways to It is not uncommon for motor- crack down on motorists in posists to be in possession of a few session of pirated discs. pirated CDs or even VCDs or It also reminded motorists DVDs in their vehicles. that offenders can be fined a maximum of RM10,000 for each pirated disc seized, or jailed. However, the ministry has dismissed the SMS as baseless. But barely a week after the ministry’s clarification, police set up roadblocks along Jalan Sungai Pinang at 9am on Saturday to search vehicles for pirated discs. Northeast District police chief Asst Comm Azam Abdul Hamid confirmed to Nanyang Siang Pau that police had indeed set up roadblocks to check for pirated discs on vehicles. He said apart from checking the validity of motorists’ road tax discs and driving licences, it is also within the jurisdiction of the police to set up roadblocks to crack down on pirated discs in vehicles. Azam said these were routine roadblocks and not set up under any special directive. He declined to give the

Press Digest

number of motorists booked for having pirated discs. A motorist had earlier tipped off the daily about the roadblock. The motorist, who was not named in the report, said he was stopped at a Jalan Sungai Pinang roadblock where police searched his glove compartment and boot for fake discs. He said he saw police issuing summonses to several motorists but was not sure whether they were booked for having fakes. On April 4, Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry secretary-general Datuk Mohd Zain Mohd Dom told the media that the ministry had no plans to set up roadblocks to search vehicles for pirated discs. Penang domestic trade and consumer affairs department chief enforcement officer M. Gunaselan also confirmed over the weekend that the department had not set up any roadblock last Saturday. He, however, declined to comment on the SMS being circulated, saying he had not seen it. Meanwhile, an aide to Deputy Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Tan Lian Hoe told Nanyang that the SMS was not true. “It was probably started by someone out to create fear among the public,” he said.

Woman,23, nabbed for alleged cyber fraud A YOUNG woman who has been cheating customers online selling non-existent merchandise was arrested after a cheque she wrote out for the purchase of a laptop bounced. The shopowner lodged a report when he found out that the cheque was from a closed bank account. Police picked up the 23year-old woman at a cybercafe in Jalan Pedada, Sibu. Their investigations showed that the woman is wanted for a number of cheating cases involving online sale of handphones and laptops. Her victims were said to be from all over the country but police declined to give the total amount of money

involved. In all the cases, the woman did not deliver the goods her clients paid for. Sibu OCPD Asst Comm Shafie Ismail confirmed that police had detained a female suspect said to be a computer expert. He said the suspect likes to frequent cybercafes and has set up a website to do online business. It was also reported that she had been tested positive for drugs. Police yesterday obtained a court order to further remand her for investigation. It is learnt that she will be taken to Miri and Peninsular Malaysia to help police there in their investigations into cases of cyber fraud.

Strive for greater unity, says Koh PUTRAJAYA: All Malaysians must continue to strive for greater unity and harmony under the One Malaysia agenda of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (National Unity and Performance Management) Senator Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon said yesterday. In a message to Indians on the occasion of the Indian New Year, Koh said the past year has been trying given the global economic crisis. “The New Year brings with it a new hope and new aspirations. I hope this New Year will be prosperous and rewarding and I wish them the very best in the upcoming year,” he said, acknowledging that the Indian community in Malaysia, which is the largest Indian community outside India, has made significant progress in an independent Malaysia. “But I understand there are many issues that need to be addressed including poverty, education and economic opportunities. These issues must be addressed and I will do my level best as minister in charge of unity and performance,” he said.