20-Points and Sabah Rights Arguably Non-Seditious – Dr. Jeffrey”

KOTA KINABALU -  “The federal government and leaders of Malaya should listen to the advice of the learned federal Attorney General that the 20/18-Points are historical facts, part and parcel and fundamental to the formation of Malaysia.  They represent the aspirations of the people of Sabah and Sarawak and, as rightly pointed out, they were constitutional safeguards for Sabah and Sarawak” said Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan, Chairman of STAR Sabah, responding to the Attorney General’s speech at the opening of the Sabah and Sarawak Legal Year 2015.

Father and son linked to 'Kiram family' arrested

KOTA KINABALU - A father and his son believed to be linked to a Sulu Sultan from the 'Kiram family' were arrested at a restaurant in Lahad Datu, the High Court here was told Thursday.

Lahad Datu Criminal Investigation Division (CID) officer, Inspector Abdul Mutalib Harun, said Habil Suhaili and his son Timhar were detained with eight other men at Restoran Rahmat at Bandar Wilayah in the town centre of Lahad Datu.

Malaysian terrorist finger cut off for DNA identification

MANILA -  When Malaysian terrorist Marwan was killed in an exchange of gunfire with police commandos early Sunday, the Philippine National Police-Special Action Force (SAF) cut off a finger on his right hand to make sure they got the DNA of the most wanted terrorist in Southeast Asia.

The shootout with Marwan, whose real name was Zulkifli Hir, occurred in Pidsandawan village in Mamasapano town, Maguindanao province.

Chinese MH370 relatives reject word that passengers are dead

BEIJING (AP) — Many Chinese families of passengers on the missing Malaysian airliner demanded Friday that Malaysian officials retract their statement that all aboard died, saying that without hard evidence they don't want to start compensation claims.

Malaysia's government formally declared still-missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 an accident on Thursday and said all those on board were presumed dead, paving the way for claims to begin. Many of the victims' families in China — where most of the passengers were from — still hold onto hope that their loved ones are alive.

Increase in car jacking cases by ramming from behind

There have been 44 cases of car robberies reported in Kuala Lumpur since June last year, using the modus operandi of knocking into the victim's car from behind.

Kuala Lumpur Contingent Police Headquarters CID Chief SAC Zainuddin Ahmad said among the cars that were targeted were Toyota Hilux, Toyota Camry and Honda CRV.

IGP orders probe into tweet ridiculing MH370 accident

KUALA LUMPUR - Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar has ordered a police investigation into a tweet that had allegedly ridiculed the Flight MH370 tragedy by claiming it was not an accident.

Khalid, in his Twitter account, instructed the police Cyber Investigation Response Centre (CIRC) to trace and probe the holder of the account who had responded to a Twitter post by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak expressing sympathy for the families of the passengers and crew of Flight MH370 following a special announcement by the Department of Civil Aviation yesterday.

Mysterious MH370 disappearance officially declared an accident

MALAYSIA’S government has formally declared still-missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 an accident on and said all those on board were presumed dead, paving the way for compensation claims but angering victims’ families still waiting for evidence of the plane’s fate.

Civil aviation chief Azharuddin Abdul Rahman said the search for the jet would continue and “remains a priority.”

SAPP: Education ministry has thrown the Malaysia Agreement into the dustbin

KOTA KINABALU - The revelation today by the education department that only 64 out of the 598 new teachers arriving at Sabah this month are Sabahans shows that the education ministry has thrown the Malaysia Agreement 1963 into the dustbin, says SAPP.

SAPP president Datuk Seri Yong Teck Lee reminded that the Malaysia Agreement is explicit that the Borneonisation of the civil service is a binding obligation on the Malaysian government. But, instead of gradually implementing Borneonisation of the civil service by replacing West Malaysian teachers with Sabah teachers, it seems that the government is speeding up the complete Malayanisation of the civil service in Sabah, especially in education and religion for whatever hidden agenda.

BHF Launches UBF Academy to Empower People

KOTA KINABALU - “It is a timely opportunity to establish the UBF Academy to institutionalize its political, economy consciousness and educational programs that will enlighten and empower the people with the correct history and rights of Sabah and Sarawak in the formation of Malaysia in view of the growing support and calls for Sabah and Sarawak to be restored as equal partners to Malaya in the Federation of Malaya and the restoration of rights and constitutional safeguards that were promised to the Borneo States,” said Datuk Dr. Jeffrey Kitingan, Chairman of the Borneo Heritage Foundation (BHF) and founding mentor of the United Borneo Front (UBF) at the launch of “Akademi UBF” in Kota Kinabalu on Thursday.

AirAsia crash: 'Co-pilot was flying plane'

The co-pilot of AirAsia Flight QZ8501, French national Remi Plesel, was controlling the plane before it crashed, say Indonesian investigators.

Authorities said this information came from the flight data recorder, which was retrieved along with the cockpit voice recorder earlier this month.

PAS-DAP row hits a new low

KUALA LUMPUR - The public squabble between PAS and DAP over the local council elections in Penang has reached boiling point.

Yesterday, PAS secretary-general Datuk Mustafa Ali challenged Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng to a debate, while accusing him of spewing “half-truths”.

Police waiver on urine test for lion, dragon and unicorn troupes but..

KOTA KINABALU - City police have agreed to waive the urine test requirement before approving permits for the lion, dragon and unicorn dance troupes to perform during the upcoming Chinese New Year festival.

IS terrorists makes fresh threat to kill Jordanian pilot

An audio message purportedly from Kenji Goto has been released by Islamic State militants who are holding the Japanese journalist hostage.

Interim report on MH370 in March

(Reuters) - Malaysia's Department of Civil Aviation will release an interim report on the investigation into the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 on March 7, a day before the one-year anniversary of the disappearance, deputy transport minister Aziz Kaprawi said on Wednesday.

"It will have details on the technical investigation," Aziz told Reuters.

Lizard Squad hacking to find the 'truth' about MH370?

The mysterious hacking group is clearly highly-skilled, but what is their goal? Are they trying to uncover a global conspiracy or are they simply out to cause chaos?

The hackers who crippled the PlayStation and Xbox networks over Christmas, briefly severed North Korea’s internet connection and on Monday hacked the Malaysia Airlines website have threatened to reveal private customer data.

Don’t declare MH370 lost without evidence, say families

As the one year mark of the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 draws near, families of those on board said they will not accept any declaration that the plane is lost without proof.

Families and representatives of those on the aircraft that went missing on March 8 last year, said they were concerned about recent rumours that Malaysia was set to make a major announcement on the plane's disappearance tomorrow.

Banned Sarawak NGO seeks justice through the courts

KUCHING - The Sarawak Association for Peoples’ Aspiration (Sapa), which has since been banned by the Home Minister, is seeking a judicial review to reinstate its status.

Sapa president Lina Soo, deputy president Hugh Lawrence Zehnder and assistant secretary Tambi Pilang named Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, the Registrar of Societies (ROS), and the Malaysian government as respondents.

Unanwered questions on Altantuya's murder

The Federal Court has ruled that Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri and Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar are guilty of murdering Altantuya Shaariibuu. Sentencing them to the gallows offers some measure of justice to Altantuya and her family, but despite the highest court’s ruling the wound that this case has afflicted on this country’s soul has not been healed.

Compulsory urine tests for Lion Dance troupe causing uproar

KOTA KINABALU - In a surprise move, the Kota Kinabalu police have set a new regulation to all Lion troupes applying for permit for the coming Chinese New Year that every member of the troupe must undergo a urine test for drugs in the local hospitals.

Lion Dance Organisation confirmed that they have received a formal notification from the police, which has caused an uproar among the Chinese community.

Ottawa cautions Najib against Sedition Act's selective prosecution

Ottawa has reminded Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak that the enforcement of a country's laws should not run contrary to democratic principles.

In a statement today, Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird said the government should not use the Sedition Act to suppress criticisms against it.

"Following the recent announcement that the Sedition Act will be strengthened rather than repealed, Canada urges the government of Malaysia to ensure that enforcement of its laws does not run contrary to its democratic principles by selectively prosecuting individuals for expressing views critical of the government or its policies," he added.

Baird pointed out that "freedom of expression is essential to any democracy" and expected the Malaysian government to "progress on this issue".

Lizard Squad ‘claims responsibility’ for Facebook, Instagram outages and MAS hacking

Lizard Squad, the hacker group which claimed responsibility for hacking into Malaysia Airlines’ (MAS) website, has indicated that it was also responsible for Tuesday’s worldwide Facebook and Instagram outages.

“Facebook, Instagram, Tinder, AIM, Hipchat #offline #LizardSquad,” tweeted the group at 2.36pm (Malaysian time) Tuesday.

On Tuesday afternoon, many Internet users took to Twitter to complain about glitches on Facebook and Instagram resulting after they were were unable to access both sites.

'Sulu Sultan' names Phugdal to be Raja Muda

(Seated from left) Rajah Muda Agbimuddin Kiram,
Sultan Jalul Kiram III, Sultan Bantilan Esmail Kiram II.
(Standing from left) Datu Alianapia Kiram, Datu Phugdal Kiram
and Datu Baduruddin Kiram.

PETALING JAYA - The self-styled Sulu Sultan Esmail Kiram II has proclaimed that his younger brother Datu Phugdal Kiram will be the next Raja Muda (crown prince) of the so-called Sulu Sultanate.

Esmail told the Star Online on Tuesday that Phugdal, 68, was chosen because of the Sultanate's law of succession and that to be a candidate one had to be a direct descendant of Sultan Sharif ul-Hashim, the first Sulu Sultan.

Dengue outbreak in KK areas

KOTA KINABALU - A dengue outbreak has been detected in several areas in the city. However, the situation is under control, according to State Health Department Director Dr Christina Rundi.

She said so far, three cases were reported in Kg Sembulan Baru, Kg Sembulan Tengah and Taman Sempelang, respectively.

ASEAN Should Take Cognizance of Sabahans' Plight – Dr. Jeffrey

KOTA KINABALU - “In the modern era of democratic nations, good governance and human rights, the ASEAN grouping should move with the times. It should not just be confined to trade, economy and common market as it appears to be moving towards but to do more similar to the European Union,” said Datuk Dr. Jeffrey Kitingan, STAR Sabah Chief cum State Assemblyman for Bingkor, commenting on the sidelines of the forthcoming ASEAN Foreign Ministers Retreat to be held in Kota Kinabalu on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Divers preparing for third attempt on Flight QZ8501 fuselage

JAKARTA, Indonesia (CNN) — Divers prepared Monday for yet another effort to raise the fragile fuselage of AirAsia Flight QZ8501 from the bottom of the Java Sea after two unsuccessful attempts over the weekend, Indonesia’s search and rescue agency said.

The previous bids to bring the roughly 13-meter-long (43 foot) piece of wreckage out of the water failed after lines being used to lift it broke, according to officials.

Selangor, the most developed state but the most dengue cases

BALIK PULAU - The number of dengue cases in Malaysia is on the rise, with nearly 3,000 new cases recorded in the past week.

With more than 1,000 cases, Selangor grabbed the lion’s share of the attention of the Government.

“The Health Ministry has urged Selangor and its local councils to pay close attention to the rise in dengue cases,” said Deputy Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Hilmi Yahaya, who added that dengue in Petaling Jaya had worsened.

Malaysian terrorist Marwan suspected killed

Reports are emerging that Southeast Asia’s most-wanted terrorist, Zulkifli Hir, also known as Marwan, may have been cornered and killed in a gun battle in southern Philippines.

The Philippines Daily Inquirer, quoting Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) commanders, reported that Marwan and another terrorist Basit Usman may have been killed in a clash with troops near Cotabota on Sunday evening.

Closest asteroid passing the Earth to occur on Monday

A giant rock hurtling through space will pass by the Earth within 745,000 miles on Monday night, the closest something so big will come until 2027. The asteroid, named 2004 BL86, will be nearest to the Earth at about 11:19 am ET, according to NASA. It will pass over European and North American skies.

AirAsia QZ8501: 4 more bodies recovered total 69

Divers enter main section of the plane for the first time since it crashed in the Java Sea

Four more bodies were recovered from the wreckage of AirAsia flight 8501 on Saturday but Indonesian salvage teams failed to raise the fuselage of the crashed passenger jet from the sea bed.

Rescuers workers managed to lift the fuselage of the jet nearly to the water’s surface before it sank to the ocean floor again when the lifting balloons deflated, in a setback in the effort to recover more of the victims’ remains.

IS terrorists demands release of woman in exchange for Japanese hostage

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) has reportedly demanded the release of an Iraqi woman detained in Jordan in exchange for a Japanese-national they have held captive.

In a video recording posted online on Saturday, Kenji Goto, a freelance Japanese journalist abducted while reporting on Syria's civil war last year, spoke of ISIL's demand for a prisoner exchange to guarantee his release.

IS terrorists pounded by Coalition air strikes as video surfaces of executed Japanese

THE online video claiming one Japanese prisoner had been killed was quickly deleted and militants disagreed over whether the message was authentic.

ISLAMIC STATE fighters were pounded by Coalition jets yesterday as fears grew for the Japanese men they have taken hostage.

The air strikes blitzed jihadi targets in Mosul, northern Iraq, destroying dozens of vehicles, buildings, fighting positions and insurgent units.

Curfew Order In ESSZone Extended Until Feb 10 for the 12th time

KOTA KINABALU - The curfew order in the coastal waters of the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (ESSZone) which is to end tomorrow, has been extended from Jan 26 until Feb 10, from 7pm to 5am.

Sabah Police Commissioner, Datuk Jalaluddin Abdul Rahman said the decision to extend the curfew order covering six districts in eastern Sabah's coastal area was made in consideration of the security situation there and requests from many quarters.

Japan outrage at ISIL claims it has executed hostage Haruna Yukawa

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has expressed anger after ISIL claimed it had executed hostage Haruna Yukawa.

The militant group issued a video containing an audio message for the first time, instead of footage of the killing.

Abe insisted Tokyo would not bow to terrorism.

He reiterated the government’s view that the video, which appeared to show a still image of the executed Haruna Yukawa with the voice of captive Kenji Goto, was “an outrageous and unacceptable act of violence”.

New Ebola cases falling in West Africa

LIBERIA said tonight it had just five remaining cases of Ebola, confirming it was close to eradicating an epidemic which has left thousands dead.

Liberia had a peak of more than 300 new cases a week in August and September.

Cops who force singer to sing in lockup suspended

PETALING JAYA - The two police officers who forced a popular 90's band vocalist to sing while in handcuffs and lockup, have been suspended.

Bukit Aman’s Integrity and Standard Compliance Department (JIPS) director Senior Deputy Comm Datuk Zubaidah Md Ismail said Saturday that the department has launched an investigation on those involved, after a video singer Zamani Ibrahim being forced to sing in handcuffs went viral on social media.

Mongolian model murderer transferred to Sydney detention centre, says ABC report

Former police commando Sirul Azhar Umar has reportedly been transferred to prison in Sydney although several earlier reports stated that he had been released.

Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported Friday night that Sirul, 43, has been transferred to the maximum security section of the Villawood Immigration Detention Centre in Sydney.

Allah ruling reveals Malay weakness

The protection of the word is only a guise for the protection of political power.

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak is playing with fire. There are extremists in all religions, but his government panders to the Malay and Muslim extremists, who are busy fanning the fires of false victimhood. Najib claims to be learned and well-travelled., but he allows bigots in his party and its associated groups to proclaim that Islam needs protecting in Malaysia. The extremists’ battle cry is that Malays are victims in their own land.

SAPP to pact with Sabah local parties next elections

KOTA KINABALU - Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) President Datuk Yong Teck Lee compared that the party dissolution of 149 branches to the planting of padi - reverse is actually progress.

Yong said that the Supreme Council decision on January 21 to close down 149 mostly inactive branches is to "re-allocate resources, manpower, time and energy" to constituencies where SAPP has better chances of contesting and winning in the next general elections.

French court still probing Razak's role in Scorpene deal

Suaram’s case filed in France against French naval company DCNS in 2011, on kickbacks allegedly paid out in Malaysia’s RM7.3 billion Scorpene submarine deal, is still “alive” according to a former director of the NGO, Cynthia Gabriel (far left).

As the case was filed during her tenure, she still maintains an interest in it.

Gabriel said to the best of her knowledge, the NGO, which filed the case in Paris in 2011, had not abandoned the case.

Ringgit hits six-year low

PETALING JAYA - The ringgit weakened for a third day in a row, falling to a fresh six-year low against the US dollar amid fresh worries about possible rating downgrades of the country’s debts after the Government revised its fiscal deficit forecast higher.

Fitch Ratings warned that it is “more likely than not” to downgrade Malaysia’s sovereign rating at its upcoming review in the first half of the year.

Sabah flood evacuees increase to 1,854 people

BEAUFORT - More than 500 families are currently seeking shelter at seven relief centres here, after flood situation in the district worsened.

The figure has increased from 706 people yesterday to 1,854 evacuees as of 11am today.

More villagers are also expected to turn up if heavy rain continues.

Five bodies found belted in seats near QZ8501 fuselage

PANGKALAN BUN - Indonesian divers today found five bodies still belted into their seats near the main section of an AirAsia plane that crashed into the Java Sea last month with 162 people on board, and are hopeful of reaching the fuselage.

A total of 58 bodies have now been found following the crash of flight QZ8501 which went down on December 28 in stormy weather as it flew from the Indonesian city of Surabaya to Singapore.

10 Huge Hoaxes That Fooled Facebook

Whether they're started on purpose or by whisper-down-the-lane happenstance, rumors can spread like a virus through a population. And they're almost always malignant in nature—a negative bit of gossip spread about one's perceived foes or bits of false hope used to prey upon the desperate.

QZ8501: Jet alarms 'screaming' before crash, says investigator

JAKARTA - Warning alarms on Indonesia AirAsia flight QZ8501 were "screaming" as the pilots desperately tried to stabilise the plane just before it plunged into the Java Sea last month, a crash investigator said Wednesday.

The noise of several alarms - including one that indicated the plane was stalling - could be heard going off in recordings from the black box in the Airbus A320-200's cockpit, the investigator told AFP, requesting anonymity.

GST will further slow down the “people’s economy”

KUALA LUMPUR - Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak speaks rhetorically about the “people’s economy” and “Buy Malaysia”, but there is one major “miss” which is indeed disappointing: GST will only further hold back the economy.

“The 2015 Budget revision should prioritize ordinary Malaysians, the 99 per cent,” said Bukit Mertajam MP Steven Sim in a statement. “How can the government cushion Malaysians from the slow down? At this point, Najib has no choice but to defer the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST).”

Sirul detained in Australia

SYDNEY - A Malaysian police officer sentenced to hang over the killing of a Mongolian model in a sensational scandal linked to corruption allegations has been detained in Australia, a report said Wednesday (Jan 21).

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation said Sirul Azhar Umar, convicted of the 2006 killing of 28-year-old Altantuya Shaariibuu, had been picked up by immigration officials in the state of Queensland. The Immigration Department would not confirm that Sirul was in detention, but said it was holding a person of interest to Malaysian authorities.

AG accountable for Altantuya killer fleeing, should resign

KUALA LUMPUR - The process of administration of justice has been made a mockery by the manner in which the Attorney- General has conducted the matter of Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar, one of the two accused in the Altantuya killing.

”There must be a full inquiry by the Cabinet into how the Attorney-General permitted this to happen,” said Subang MP Sivarasa Rasiah in a statement.

”In any other country where a culture of accountability is practiced, the Attorney-General would tender his resignation immediately.”

$200M ransom demand a sign of ISIS' financial desperation

The Islamic State's staggering $200 million demand for two Japanese hostages may reveal the terrorist group's desperation to maintain control of its sprawling caliphate, especially amid falling black market oil revenues from seized wells and pipelines, terrorism experts said.

AirAsia unusual fast climb could be factor of disaster

JAKARTA - The AirAsia plane that crashed into the Java Sea last month had climbed at excessive speeds to an unusually high altitude before plunging and disappearing from radar, Indonesia’s top transportation official said Tuesday.

Radar data showed that the Airbus A320-200 was climbing at about 6,000 feet a minute before it crashed last month, killing all 162 people aboard, Ignasius Jonan, the minister of transportation, told a parliamentary commission.

Blogger jailed as a warning to others on postings

KOTA KINABALU - A 30-year-old blogger from Malacca will have to spend the maximum two years in jail for publishing on the Internet a statement intended to cause fear among the public.

Yusuf Al-Siddique Suratman was found guilty by Magistrate Ryan Sagirann Rayner Jr under Section 505 of the Penal Code which provides for two years' jail or fine or both, on conviction.