Malaysian student recalls ordeal on Singapore Airlines flight, says those without seatbelts flung to the ceiling

BANGKOK, Thailand (Reuters): There was little warning of the chaos that was about to be unleashed onboard Singapore Airlines flight SQ321. With around three hours left on the journey from London to Singapore, Malaysian student Dzafran Azmir got the uneasy feeling the Boeing 777-300R plane was tilting upwards and beginning to shake. The 28-year-old braced himself and...

Major immigration raid nets over 80 illegal immigrants in Johor

JOHOR BARU: More than 80 illegal immigrants, including a six-month-old baby, were arrested in a three-day operation involving three districts in Johor. State immigration department acting director Mohd Faizal Shamsudin said they were arrested between Monday (May 20) and Wednesday (May 22) in a series of raids in Johor Baru, Batu Pahat and Segamat. "Based on public...

Causeway jams as Singapore tightens security

JOHOR BARU: Singapore’s decision to tighten security at the border crossings with Malaysia has resulted in massive traffic jams across the Causeway and Second Link. To make matters worse, many motorists travelling to the island republic were caught in two- to three-hour congestion, especially during rush hour at 4pm. They said the checks started soon after the...

KTMB fine-tunes charter train guidelines

KUALA LUMPUR: Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) announced on Monday (May 20) that it intends to enhance and improve the guidelines for its charter train services for the benefit of the public and the company. "KTMB's role is that of a service provider where we provide the entire train and coaches according to customer demand. As...

Bursa ekes out slight gain as rally slows

KUALA LUMPUR: Bursa Malaysia is poised to enter a consolidation phase after riding high on strong economic growth and optimism on an interest rate cut in the US. The FBM KLCI opened 0.89 points higher at 1,628.38 after Wall Street posted a mixed performance overnight, indicating the current rally may be taking a breather. "After hitting three-year...

Ringgit falls, comments by Fed officials dampen rate cut hopes

KUALA LUMPUR: The ringgit retreated against the US dollar to open lower on Tuesday as the risk mood was dampened by cautious US Federal Reserve official's comments. At 9 am, the ringgit fell to 4.6910/6950 versus the greenback from Monday’s close of 4.6850/6875. Bank Muamalat Malaysia Bhd chief economist Dr Mohd Afzanizam Abdul Rashid said as expected,...

65 Sungai Petani primary school pupils suffer food poisoning

SUNGAI PETANI: Sixty-five pupils of SK Bandar Puteri Jaya near here are believed to have suffered from food poisoning after eating at the school canteen on Monday (May 20) morning. The school’s Parent-Teacher Association (PIBG) head Zubir Othman said the affected pupils, from Years Four, Five and Six, were from the morning session and suffered symptoms...

Man burns to death in fire at Damansara Damai flats

KUALA LUMPUR: A local man was burnt to death in a fire at the fourth floor of Block C, Lestari Apartment in Damansara Damai, Selangor on Monday (May 20) night. Selangor Fire and Rescue Department assistant operations director Ahmad Mukhlis Mokhtar said his team received a distress call regarding the fire at the residence of the...

China ready to collaborate, expand cooperation with M’sia in various fields, says envoy

KUALA LUMPUR: China is ready to collaborate with Malaysia in expanding cooperation in various fields including economy, trade, culture, tourism, education, and science and technology, says Ouyang Yujing. The China ambassador to Malaysia said a deepened connection would enhance friendship between the peoples of the two countires, introducing new dimensions and energy into their relations as...

S’porean comedian’s permit cancellation took into account police reports, says Fahmi

KUALA LUMPUR: The cancellation of the permit for popular comedian Sharul Channa to perform in Malaysia by the Central Agency for Application for Filming and Performance by Foreign Artistes (Puspal) was made after taking into account police reports lodged over an old video of hers that allegedly touched on race, religion, and royalty (3R) issues,...