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Kudus gets 11 years,
fine for corruption
KUALA LUMPUR: Former Ampang Jaya
Municipal Council enforcement director
Capt (R) Abdul Kudus Ahmad (pix) was
sentenced to 11 years and 10 months jail
and fined RM370,000 by the Ampang ses-
sions court here yesterday on 24 counts of
corruptly soliciting and accepting bribes
totalling RM59,000.
Judge Noradi-
dah Ahmad found
him guilty after rul-
ing that the defence
had failed to cast a
reasonable doubt
on the prosecu-
tion’s case.
The trial
stretched nearly
six years, starting
on Aug 9, 2003,
and involved 12
prosecution and 12
defence witnesses,
including former
deputy housing and
local government
minister Datuk M.
Kayveas.
Kudus, 46, was
sentenced to five
months in jail on
two counts each
and six months for each of the rest but
the jail terms run consecutively.
He was also fined RM10,000 on 15
charges each, RM20,000 on eight charges,
and RM60,000 on one. He will spend an-
other 17 years behind bars if he fails to
pay the fine.
Developer
postpones
demolition
GEORGE TOWN: The developer of the land
occupied by the residents of Kampung
Buah Pala has agreed to put off demolition
work by one month.
Deputy Chief Minister (II) Prof Dr P.
Ramasamy said yesterday the decision
was reached following a marathon meet-
ing with the developer, which lasted until
late afternoon.
The month-long period would give the
state government some time to come up
with a more productive solution for the
villagers, comprising 41 families and other
residents.
It would also give time for the state
government special investigation com-
mittee into the land transaction to con-
duct its inquiry and to come up with its
findings.
Ramasamy also said that if the
developer had not concurred with the
last-minute agreement, he would have
made a “radical announcement” to the
villagers in his personal capacity.
He declined to say what he had been
planning to do.
Earlier, the residents in the village,
dubbed Penang’s High Chaparral, an-
nounced that they would be be filing a
suit against the state for alleged fraudu-
lent transfer of the land.
Their lawyer, Darshan Singh Khaira,
said the suit would name the state
government, Ramasamy, and Sri Delima
assemblyman R.S.N. Rayer.
“If the present state government can-
not stop the demolition (of their houses),
then it is adopting the (alleged) abuse of
power by the previous government and
is a party to it,” the residents said in a
statement issued through Darshan.
Noradidah allowed a stay of execution
pending appeal but raised the bail from
RM80,000 – already paid when Kudus
was first charged – to RM150,000.
In her judgment, Noradidah said
Kudus’s testimony, when called to enter
his defence, was a mere denial and there
was no evidence
to link Kayveas
with the case.
“Kayveas
was called as a
witness but it did
not help. He only
gave evidence
denying his in-
volvement with
restaurant owner
S. Steven. The ac-
cused also stated
that Kayveas had
taken part in a
conspiracy to
bring him down
but no police
report had been
lodged, so there
is a doubt,” she
said.
Kudus was
alleged to have
taken the bribes
from the owner of Sri Steven’s Corner
between May 2001 and May 2004. The
charges under sections 10(a)(bb) and
11(a) of the Anti-Corruption Act 1997
were punishable with a maximum jail
term of 20 years and fine of five times the
sum.
Sacking too harsh, say councillors
BUTTERWORTH: Several Seberang Perai mu-
nicipal councillors have described the Penang
government’s sacking of Johari Kassim as a
member of the council as too harsh.
Mohd Kamil Abu Bakar, of Parti Keadilan
Rakyat (PKR), said the state government could
have just suspended Johari as a warning for
having led eight PKR councillors in boycotting
the swearing-in of the new council president
on June 4.
“This is too harsh, he should have been
suspended first,” he told reporters after at-
tending the council meeting here yesterday.
He hoped the state government would
give Johari a second chance.
Mohd Kamil was one of the councillors
who boycotted the swearing-in to protest
against the state government’s decision to
theSun | WEDNESDAY JULY 1 2009
Overlap
revealed
at meeting
by Llew-Ann Phang
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
Kudus looked SHAH ALAM: A meeting meant to dis-
calm in the dock cuss the fight against dengue which was
throughout the also thought to address the issue of local
proceedings. authorities hiring pesticide operators
In mitiga- not licensed by the Pesticides Board,
tion, his lawyer, revealed a new problem – the overlap-
M. Manoha- ping responsibilities between the local
ran, appealed authorities and the health department,
for leniency both of which conduct fogging activities.
saying that While many expected the meeting to
Kudus had put to rest the issue of over 60 “illegal”
to support 10 pest control companies in Selangor, of-
children and ficials were told by state executive coun-
two wives and cillor for local government research and
this was his first offence. development Ronnie Liu, who chaired the
Kudus was now jobless and during the meeting yesterday, that fogging activities
six years of his trial, his mother passed were conducted by local councils and
away after receiving numerous threats, the health department.
he said.
“Other people (were) involved (in) big-
ger sums but they escaped punishment.
Kudus is a small fry and not a shark. It
is unfair if sharks got off and lessons are
only given to small fries by ordering
them to serve heavy penalties,” he said.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Datuk
Nordin Hassan recommended heavy
penalties, saying that Kudus should
have thought of what would happen
before committing the crime.
He was a director, the prosecutor
said. How-
Nordin objected to Manoharan’s use of ever, the state agreed
“small fry” and “shark” in the defence’s that the issue of unli-
submission. censed operators must
“I feel, let us forget this fish business. also be addressed.
Charges were laid regardless of whether “We must do something about it,” said
you are a shark, scomber or small fry. It is Liu at the meeting attended by the Pest
in the law,” he said. – Bernama Control Association of Malaysia (PCAM),
state officials and the heads and repre-
sentatives of all 12 local councils.
PCAM president Ang Tan Loong said
he had evidence of illegal pest control
companies hired by local authorities after
being questioned by Kampung Tunku as-
semblyman Lau Weng San, who referred
to theSun’s front page report yesterday.
Ang said the issue was raised numer-
ous times under the previous government
but had not received any attention.
Liu told theSun the state government
will act if there was hard evidence.
“We cannot act based on rumours and
hearsay,” he said.
At the meeting, Subang Jaya Municipal
Council (MPSJ) president Datuk Adnan
Ikhsan said the contractors hired by the
local councils were approved by the
Health Ministry.
Ang told the meeting the “spiral
fogging” method would better battle
the fight against dengue, instead of the
present fogging method which causes
mosquitoes to flee from one place to
another and not rid of them completely.
“We also think fogging activities are
targeting the wrong areas as residential
areas only represent 2% for breeding
sites of the mosquitoes,” he said.
“Selangor’s major breeding grounds
are construction sites (80.6%), places of
worship (39.1%) and factories (30.3%).”
He proposed the use of mosquito
traps like ovitraps, and a Search and
Destroy (SAD) Week for Aedes.
Liu expressed concern over the use
appoint civil servant Mokhtar
of chemicals which Ang pointed out may
Mohd Jait as the new council
not be as effective, given the mosquitoes’
president without discussing it
resistance to chemicals coupled with
with PKR. Johari’s expulsion took
global warming effects and evolution.
effect on Friday.
He said the local authorities should
Mohd Kamil’s view was shared by another
Johari’s seat is launch fogging activities at neglected
councillor, Mohd Fadzil Kemi, of PAS, who said
empty during construction sites in their areas.
Johari deserved a second chance, especially “We should also start activities with
a meeting
after his good performance as the council’s schools to carry out projects to fight the
of the
chief whip. disease,” he said.
Seberang Perai
“Johari should have been given a warning Liu also asked the Shah Alam City
Municipal
first. All this while, he had done a good job. The Council to organise a workshop, roping
Council
move to boycott the swearing-in ceremony in PCAM’s expertise on the type of pesti-
yesterday.
was a result of a misunderstanding, not be- cides and method of fogging.
cause of his obstinacy,” he said. Ang said the meeting had failed to ad-
Mokhtar said the candidate to replace dress the problem of illegal contractors,
Johari in the council would be decided by the and added that he would arrange another
state government soon. – Bernama meeting with Liu.