KOTA KINABALU, Feb 4: The Sabah Kadazandusun Murut Welfare and Education Association (Pekadin) wants Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) to carry out an indepth study on the population of the Pala’u (Sea Bajau) community in Sabah’s east coast, particularly in the waters of Semporna. Its vice-president Luis Lidong said although some research had been conducted on the Pala’u community living on certain islands li ...

KOTA KINABALU, Feb 4: The Sabah Women’s Action Resource Group (SAWO), a coalition of concerned NGOs, has praised the conviction and 12-year jail sentence of a restaurant manger here for raping a 12-year-old girl. “Statutory rape is an abhorrent crime particularly in cases that can be categorised as pedophilia as in this case,” they said in a statement yesterday. “SAWO is relieved and thankful that Riduan Ma ...

KUCHING, Feb 2: As far as freedom of expression on the Internet goes, it is best to be highly mindful on what is being posted and spread across blogs and other social media platforms. Deputy Home Affairs Minister Datuk Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar stressed that while such expression could be practised in Malaysia, the people should never cross the line when it came to online postings, which if done without ...

BELURAN, Feb 3: Two men were killed and two women seriously injured when the car they were travelling in, collided head-on with a 10-tonne lorry at the 45km Jalan Beluran-Telupid last night. Abdil Muhammad, 29, who was driving the car, and his front passenger, Mohd Farid Mohd Inal, 23, died on the spot. Rosmah Rosli, 27, and Siti Atikah Arsyid, 21, who were seated at the rear of the vehicle sustained head a ...

TAWAU, Feb 2: The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) confiscated 2,125 litres of subsidised petrol which was to be smuggled into a neighbouring country through the coast of Semporna, near here, on Friday. Tawau Maritime Enforcement chief Capt Anor Jaafar said the confiscation was made in an operation at 3.40pm near Kampung Simunul, Semporna. "During the operation we met a suspicious looking boat. ...

TAWAU, Feb 3: The Tawau Marine Operations Force (MOF) foiled an attempt to smuggle out 780 mangrove trees worth RM72,000, believed to have been cut illegally, in an operation at a mangrove forest area in Sungai Sionosolan, here, on Sunday. Sabah Region 4 MOF commander, ACP Mohamad Madun said in a statement in Tawau, Monday that all the mangrove trees were seized in three different areas in mangrove forest w ...

MIRI, Feb 3: Five people who dug into a deep underground tunnel on top of a hill in Sarawak's northernmost district of Lawas on Monday, ended up suffocated by poisonous gas. Two of them died inside the tunnel. Three others were rescued by personnel of the Lawas Fire and Rescue Department, and are in stable condition at the Lawas hospital. The tragedy happened at about 11am on Sunday on a steep hill overlook ...

LABUAN, Feb 4: Hundreds of visitors to Labuan were left stranded here on the second and third day of Chinese New Year and were forced to extend their stay following insufficient ferry services. Disgruntled holidaymakers and celebrants told FMT that they were forced to stay back in Labuan after even private speedboats refused to ferry passengers across to Menumbuk in Kuala Penyu on mainland Sabah because the ...

Feb 4: Amid rising religious tension in Malaysia, Christian interest groups in Sabah are meeting today to find ways to reverse the conversion of 64 natives who claimed they were tricked into converting to Islam last month. The Malaysian Insider learnt that a lunch meeting in Kota Kinabalu on the matter will be chaired by United Pasokmomogun Kadazan Dusun Murut Organisation (Upko) president Tan Sri Bernard D ...

KOTA KINABALU, Feb 3: A family here is hoping that a restaurant manager’s conviction and sentencing for raping the 13-year-old girl who he later married will enable the victim to move on with her life. An aunt who had been caring for the girl said they were now hoping for her to return to school after a year’s absence following the incident on Feb 18 last year. "She is academically bright and her ambition i ...