KUALA LUMPUR: Your office is swamped by phone calls from impatient customers, asking why they have yet to receive their free plane tickets as promised for having participated in a survey.
You find out later that they had completed the survey which was featured on a dubious website.
Or, when you come to work, you see a horde of unhappy customers waiting outside the building, demanding to know why they were not informed that they would have to pay a fee if they did not get their membership cards renewed by the month’s end.
Apparently, there had been a Facebook posting about the new fee ruling.
The above two incidents happened in Kuala Lumpur over the past year.
In the age of scams, fake news and “alternative facts”, such cases are getting more frequent.
A recent incident involved shoemaker Bata Primavera Sdn Bhd, which was accused of selling shoes with the Arabic word “Allah” formed in the pattern on the soles.
Bata ended up removing 70,000 pairs of the B-First school shoes from its 230 stores nationwide.
It was a step which cost them RM500,000 in losses.
The shoes were returned to the shelves only after Bata was cleared of the allegation by the Al-Quran Printing Control and Licensing Board of the Home Ministry on March 30.
In February, AirAsia came under unwanted attention when its brand name was used in a purported free ticket survey and fake ticket scam.
Back in 2014, the airline had also asked its customers to be wary of an online lottery scam which made use of its name to solicit personal information from them.
What is more astounding is that the e-mail highlighting the lottery had been circulating since 2011.
And in January last year, Public Bank saw a rush of customers crowding its branches to renew their debit cards.
A Facebook post that had gone viral claimed that they would be charged a RM12 fee if they did not renew it by Jan 31.
What are the dos and don’ts for companies under attack by fake news?
“A quick and concise response is the way to go,” said AirAsia’s head of communications Aziz Laikar.
“Be prepared. The more high profile the brand is, the quicker the response should be.”
The communications team have to be able to draw up a statement fast to deal with the issue head on before it grows to a full-blown crisis, Aziz said.
He listed out four steps that a company could take.
“Start by immediately responding with facts via a short statement to the media, as well as on social media platforms,” he said.
Aziz also advised companies to lodge police reports and to make use of the chance to educate the public that they should always refer to announcements made via official platforms.
“Also, disseminate the information internally to your colleagues. Every employee should be a brand messenger.
“They are a powerful force to spread the correct message.
“The best way to effectively manage an issue is to make sure the entire company is aware of the situation and able to communicate it correctly,” he said.
Ogilvy account director Clarissa Ng said that loyal clientele and employees were usually a company’s “first line of defence” and must be treated well.
Ng, who has handled the case of a client hit by rumours of exploding phones, preferred a “low profile” approach in dealing with such fake news.
She opted by focusing on promoting the phone’s safety features.
The campaign reassured consumers that the phone underwent rigorous testing in their laboratories in Shenzhen, China, and how its electrical current would be cut off automatically to prevent the gadget from exploding.
“Sometimes, the more you explain, the public will demand more answers. How we handled it was to remain low profile,” she said.
Source: By ADRIAN CHAN The Star
Related story:
Expert: Building trust with audience reduces impact of false news
Official story: Noor Rashid speaking to the media during the press conference at Bukit Aman.
KUALA LUMPUR: Four suspects being hunted by Bukit Aman in the assassination of North Korean exile Kim Jong-nam are believed to be back in Pyongyang after leaving the country for Jakarta immediately after the attack.
The four – Rhi Ji-hyon, 33, (arrived in Malaysia on Feb 4), Hong Song-hac, 34, (arrived Jan 31), O Jong-gil, 55, (arrived Feb 7) and Ri Jae-nam, 57, (arrived Feb 1) – left for Jakarta from KLIA2 immediately after the attack on Monday.
From Jakarta, sources say they flew to Dubai and Vladivostok before reaching Pyongyang.
“They may have taken the long route to shake off the authorities,” sources said.
Deputy Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Noor Rashid Ibrahim said Malaysian police are cooperating with Interpol and other relevant bodies overseas to track them.
Bukit Aman’s first priority is to collect all evidence on the suspects’ involvement in the case.
“Next plan is to get them. We will use all resources to pursue them,” Noor Rashid told a press conference, the first by the police since the killing.
On the possibility that the murder was politically motivated, Noor Rashid said the police were not interested in any political angle.
“What we are interested in is why they committed such a crime in our country.
“Any political angle can be put aside as it is not our job to worry about political matters.
“We want to get at the truth and bring the perpetrators to justice,” he said.
He said police were also looking for North Korean citizen Ri Ji-u, 30, also known as James, along with two others to help in investigations.
Of those arrested, Vietnamese Doan Thi Huong, 28, arrived from Hanoi on Feb 4 while Indonesian Siti Aisyah, 25, a spa masseuse, entered the country via Batam on Feb 2.
North Korean Ri Jong-chol, 47, was arrested on Friday and entered Malaysia on Aug 6 last year.
“We are in the process of identifying the two others sought to assist in the investigations,” said Noor Rashid.
“We hope anyone with information can come forward,” he said.
On Jong-nam’s post-mortem, Noor Rashid said that it was conducted on Feb 15 at Hospital Kuala Lumpur.
“The cause of death is still unknown. We are waiting for the toxicology and pathological test results. I think in a few days, we will get the toxicology result.
“The case will be referred to the deputy public prosecutor for further instructions and investigation,” he said.
Priority is given to close family members or next of kin to claim the body and they have been given two weeks to do so, added Noor Rashid.
“It is very important for close family members of the deceased to come forward to assist us in the process of identification, which is based on our legal procedures and Malaysian law.
“However, as of today, we have not met the next of kin. We are trying very hard to get the next of kin to assist us,” he said.
In the event that the family does not show up, Noor Rashid said police will look at further options.
A divorcee who has been arrested as one of the suspects in the high-profile murder of North Korean exile Kim Jong-nam was able to speak Korean and had always wanted to go to North Korea.
Deadly ‘prank’: Siti Aisyah.
From the slums of Jakarta, the 25-year-old Siti Aisyah moved to the bright lights of Kuala Lumpur and has now become embroiled in a high-profile murder that gripped the world’s attention.
A man walks past a house (red color) where Indonesian woman Siti Aishah, a suspect in the murder of Kim Jong Nam, used to live in Tambora district in Jakarta, Indonesia. - AFP
She had told her friends and family in Indonesia that she had been invited to act in a movie.
“She said the shooting would take place in North Korea,” a friend of Siti Aisyah told Detik.com, an Indonesian portal.
However, she did not give family and friends the details.
“I don’t know the details, she just said it was for a DPR office (North Korea). We ordinary people just listened to what she was saying,” said the friend, identified only as AZ.
Siti Aisyah is one of the two women who allegedly attacked Jong-nam, the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, with a deadly chemical.
Siti Aisyah worked as a guest relations officer (GRO) at a spa in Ampang although she told folks in Indonesia that she had a job “selling tickets”.
Her nightlife job was hidden from her family in Indonesia, where she has a seven-year-old son named Rio. Rio lives with her former in-laws.
But one thing that Siti Aisyah’s mother Benah did know was that her daughter could speak English and Korean.
“I never knew she worked in Malaysia,” said Benah, 50, who thought her daughter was selling clothes at a market in Batam after divorcing her husband, Gunawan Hasyin alias Ajun.
She said that the last time Siti Aisyah went back to her village in Serang, near Jakarta, was on Jan 21. Aisyah had been sending money to Benah.
“Usually it’s 500,000 rupiah (RM170). But not every month,” Benah told the news portal.
Siti Aisyah’s mother-in-law Lian Kiong or Akiong, 56, told Indonesian Foreign Ministry officials yesterday that she and her family had no relationship with her since she divorced her husband Gunawan Hasyim.
A sealed handwritten letter of the divorce note dated Feb 1, 2012 was presented to the Foreign Ministry yesterday.
Signed by Siti Aisyah and Gunawan, with her then employer Lian Kiong as witness, the letter said the couple had opted for a divorce as they no longer “had the compatibility and harmony of husband and wife”.
Lian Kiong said that following the divorce, Siti Aisyah hardly visited her in-laws in Tambora in West Jakarta, and only came around once a year to meet Rio.
“After the divorce, she never came around. The last time she came was on Jan 28.
“She came and stayed for the night. She spent the night with my grandson and left the next day,” Lian Kiong was quoted as saying.
She added that Siti Aisyah’s son had previously even refused to meet his mother because he knew she would leave eventually.
According to another Indonesian news portal Kumparan, based on identification records held by her village of birth in Angke, west Jakarta, she had two separate entries, complete with different photos.
In the first one, her name is spelt as “Siti Aisyah” with information saying she was born in Serang, Indonesia, on Feb 11, 1992. In the accompanying picture, her hair is tied in a ponytail.
In the second entry, her name was written as “Siti Aisah” and her date of birth is listed as Nov 1, 1989. In this picture, her hair is worn loose.
The ID (identification) numbers as well as her occupation on both entries differed.
As “Siti Aisyah”, she listed her occupation as entrepreneur; as “Siti Aisah”, she listed her occupation as housewife.
Kumparan quoted Angke village head Dwi Ariyono as saying he did not know why Siti Aisyah had two separate IDs.
Siti Aisyah was arrested at a hotel in Ampang on Thursday after she was identified on CCTV footage from KL International Airport 2 (KLIA2).
Among the items seized by police in the room included three US$100 notes.
She was the second suspect detained for allegedly murdering Jong-nam. The first suspect was a woman who held a Vietnamese passport, identifying her as Doan Thi Huong, 28.
Siti Aisyah’s boyfriend, Muhammad Farid Jalaluddin, 26, was also arrested on Wednesday.
Indonesian deputy ambassador to Malaysia Andreano Erwin said that the embassy in Kuala Lumpur had been unable to meet Siti Aisyah as of yesterday afternoon.
“We are still waiting for permission from the Malaysian authorities to see her,” he said.
North Korea to reject Jong-nam’s autopsy report, says envoy
Killer women recruited by a man three months ago
Deadly ‘prank’: Siti Aisyah in this file picture. — Detik.com >>
The two women suspected to have murdered North Korean Kim Jong-nam were allegedly “recruited” by a man to carry out the deadly task as early as three months ago.
According to a report by China Press, both Siti Aisyah, 25, and Doan Thi Huong, 29, were not North Korean “special agents” but were possibly duped by a spy ring to commit the assassination.
China Press reported that the mystery man, believed to be a spy, got to know Thi Huong about three months ago in Malaysia, and she eventually became his escort.
The man took her on several overseas trips, including to Vietnam, where they visited her hometown and another trip to South Korea.
The man then introduced Thi Huong to the four men still wanted by police in connection with the killing.
The man got to know Siti Aisyah about a month ago, but only introduced the two women to each other recently when he told them about a “prank “ he wanted them to pull.
The two women have claimed that they had no idea that it would lead to trouble as they thought it was only supposed to be a filming of the prank.
They apparently rehearsed the “spoof” many times and were able to carry out the process proficiently.
The report also said that Siti Aisyah was tasked with using a handkerchief to cover Jong-nam’s face while Thi Huong administered an injection.
China Press reported that Siti Aisyah claimed she was paid US$100 (RM445) to pull off the “prank”.
Jong-nam, 45, was killed by two women who splashed his face with a chemical at the KLIA2 departure hall at about 9am on Monday as he was about to leave for Macau. - The Star
On the trail of a killer called Thi Huong
KUALA LUMPUR: The woman known as Doan Thi Huong stayed in cheap hotels, carried a wad of cash and cut her hair a day before the murder of North Korean exile Kim Jong-nam.
Doan Thi Huong
According to the receptionist at one of the hotels, the woman left early in the morning on Monday, the day of the assassination.
Thi Huong had told police she had been duped into what she thought was a harmless practical joke.
However, staff at two hotels near the airport gave details of Thi Huong’s movements before the killing that appeared both calm and deliberate.
On Saturday, Feb 11, she went first to Qlassic Hotel.
A staff member said she stayed in the cheapest room, which had no windows.
“I remember she wanted to extend her stay here, and was ready to pay with a stack of money in her hand,” said another member of the Qlassic’s staff, a front-desk employee identified only as Sia.
On Sunday, Thi Huong checked into the CityView Hotel, arriving with a suitcase, a backpack and a large teddy bear, the receptionist said, adding that Thi Huong spoke understandable English.
She borrowed a pair of scissors from the front desk the evening before the attack, and a member of housekeeping staff found hair on the floor and in the waste basket the next day.
“She found the scissors on the room desk. There was hair strewn on the floor in the room, (Thi Huong) had thrown some in the bin but there was still a mess,” the receptionist said.
She said the next day, Thi Huong had on the shirt she was seen wearing in an airport CCTV grab that has earned her the nickname “LOL Girl” in Malaysian media.
Thi Huong was out for much of Monday morning and, on her return, she seemed “relaxed” and “didn’t look angry or worried”.
She complained about the Wi-Fi in her room and when she was told it could not be fixed until the afternoon, she checked out and left.
She then checked into the nearby SkyStar Hotel and left after one night, an employee said.
She was arrested on Wednesday morning, about 48 hours after the murder, in the same terminal where Jong-nam was attacked.
“Do her movements indicate she was an intelligence operative, then I would say yes,” said a private investigator in Kuala Lumpur.
“That is how they operate. Change of appearance, cash transactions, no paper trail and constantly on the move.” — Reuters
In this file photo taken on 30 June 2016, Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and business woman Phang Li Khoon was seen in Penang Sessions Court. Lim was charged with two counts of corruption. The High Court here today fixed March 7 to unveil its decision on a motion filed by two accused parties in the corruption case of Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, who are seeking a declaration that Section 62 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Act is unconstitutional. Pix by Danial Saad
Men of law: DPP Masri (right) leading the prosecution team out of the courtroom after the day’s proceedings.
Court to rule on ‘violation’ motion ahead of CM corruption trial
GEORGE TOWN: The High Court here will rule on March 7 whether Section 62 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009 is in violation of the Federal Constitution.
Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and businesswoman Phang Li Khoon want Section 62 to be declared unconstitutional as they claim it is against the tenet of “considered innocent unless proven guilty.”
Penang High Court judge Datuk Hadhariah Syed Ismail set the date after the defence and prosecution made their arguments.
Lim and Phang are facing charges under the MACC Act in relation to the sale and purchase of a bungalow in 2014 and separately filed the motion to declare Section 62 a violation of the Federal Constitution in early January.
Phang’s counsel Datuk V. Sithambaram said Section 62 must be struck down as “it is contrary to a right to fair trial and is in violation of the fundamental rights of the accused.”
He argued that the section infringes the accused’s constitutional right under Article 5(1) and Article 8(1) of the Federal Constitution.
“Section 62 of the MACC Act requires the defence’s statement and documents, which would be tendered as evidence, to be delivered to the prosecution before the start of trial.
“However, the right of an accused to be presumed innocent and right to silence are encapsulated in the Federal Constitution.
“Article 5(1) declares that no person shall be deprived of life or liberty save in accordance with law and Article 8(1) dictates that all persons are equal before the law and entitled to the equal protection of the law.
“The court has not called for defence and yet the prosecution is asking for the statement of defence, even before the court decides. This is against the presumption of innocence,” he told the court yesterday.
Gobind Singh, acting for Lim, said the provision favours the prosecution and discriminates against the rights of the accused.
He argued that Section 62 restricted the defence of the accused person by excluding the right of an accused to expand his defence further and produce further documents at the trial.
“It is against the provisions of equality under Article 8 of the Federal Constitution.
He also said the accused could be subjected to criminal consequences under Section 68 of the MACC Act for failing to comply with the Act’s provisions and be penalised under Section 69 of the MACC Act.
DPP Masri Mohd Daud said Section 62 of the MACC Act is not discriminatory and is procedural and a general provision.
“The Act does not stop the defence from making further submissions other than those which had been submitted,” said Masry.
“The arguments that Section 62 contradicts Article 5 of the Con-stitution is far-fetched! Article 5 refers to, among others, the rights to consult a lawyer and the rights to be informed of the grounds for an arrest.”
On June 30, last year, Lim was charged with obtaining gratification for himself and his wife Betty Chew by approving the conversion of two lots of agricultural land belonging to Magnificent Emblem into residential development while chairing a state Planning Committee meeting on July 18, 2014.
The offence under Section 23 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act, carries a jail term of up to 20 years and a fine of at least five times the value of gratification or RM10,000, whichever is higher.
He faces another charge under Section 165 of the Penal Code for using his position to obtain gratification by purchasing his bungalow in Pinhorn Road from Phang at RM2.8mil, below the market value of RM4.27mil, on July 28, 2015. The offence is punishable by a maximum of two years in jail or a fine, or both.
Phang, who is charged with abetment, faces up to two years in jail or a fine, or both.
Both Lim and Phang have pleaded not guilty. Their cases will be jointly heard between March and July.
Phang is respresented by Sithambaram, Hisyam Teh Poh Teik and A. Ruebankumar, while Lim by Gobind, Ramkarpal Singh Deo, R.S.N Rayer and Terence Naidu.
The ACT 694 under the Law of Malaysia, which is also the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009, received the Royal Assent, gazetted and enforced ...
Jul 3, 2016 ... Critical time for DAP leader, Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng. Fall from
grace: Lim, who is facing two charges of corruption alongside ...
Sitting in the lap of luxury: A Mercedes Benz belonging to one of the suspects
Five people, including two former senior officers of Felda, are in
remand for seven days from today for investigations into alleged
misappropriation in connection with a sturgeon fish rearing project
worth RM47.6 million. — Bernama
https://youtu.be/LYHqhmC5oek
Five Felda officials linked to Felda, one of them a 'Datuk' have been arrested in a sting operation dubbed 'Ops Caviar' , as the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission zeroes in on a RM47.6 million sturgeon farming project which failed to take off in Pahang.
PETALING JAYA: Felda is the latest government-linked company (GLC) to be investigated by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), which saw three current and two former officers, one of them a Datuk, being arrested for alleged corruption over a project worth RM47.6mil.
Three of them were former senior executives, who held positions of power when they were still with the GLC.
They are the GLC’s former director-general, ex-deputy director-general (strategic resources), and the former operations officer in charge of the sturgeon project.
Two others detained were its head of London Properties and an assistant administration officer.
All five were picked up in a sting operation, dubbed Ops Caviar, by officers from the anti-graft body between 11.30am and 6pm in several locations around Klang Valley yesterday.
Many valuable items were seized during the raids, including a luxury car and jewellery, estimated to be worth millions of ringgit.
More items are expected to be seized as anti-graft officers visit their homes and obtain details of their assets and personal accounts of their immediate family members to be frozen as part of investigations.
They are being investigated for alleged corruption, abuse of positions and using the GLC for personal gain.
It is learnt that the investigation was zeroing in on the implementation of technology transfer in relation to the sturgeon fish rearing project with a Korean firm.
“We believe all the five suspects are directly involved in the project worth US$10mil (RM47.6mil) since 2014.
Penchant for bling bling: Some of the jewellery seized from the suspects.
Major haul: Some of the items sized by MACC
“Checks showed that in early 2013, a meeting was held to discuss the project.
“But the Felda board of directors told the 53-year-old suspect to first come up with a detailed report and a proposal on the amount of investments for the project before making a decision,” said a source.
But unknown to the Felda directors, financial and legal divisions, a company – Felda Carviative Sdn Bhd (FCSB) – was set up in January 2014.
An agreement, worth US$45mil (RM146.25mil), was then signed between the company and a Korean firm, in relation to sturgeon rearing deal.
Checks by the MACC showed the project did not receive accreditation from the Pahang Department of Environment as per the SOP.
“We found payment made to the Korean firm about one week after the FCSB was set up.
“This was despite no approval being obtained from the Felda directors,” added the source.
So far, funds amounting to RM47.6mil from Felda have been disbursed by the suspects.
It is learnt the deal with the foreign firm involved technology transfer, service agreement and design and construction agreement.
The agreement was said to have been inked by the Datuk and the 53-year-old suspect, both of whom were former directors of FCSB.
Then, the financial division was also under the purview of both suspects.
MACC director of investigations Datuk Simi Abd Ghani confirmed the arrests of the five.
Simi said stacks of documents relating to the project had been seized to assist in the probe.
“The investigation is still in the initial stage. We will need time to sift through the documents and call in more witnesses to gather evidence. Give us some time to work on the case,” he said.
All the five suspects, held overnight at the MACC Putrajaya headquarters, will be remanded today.
Source: The Star/ANN
Related:
Auditor General Ambrin: Losses in publicly funded projects due to graft
Tan Sri Ambrin Buang
KUALA LUMPUR: Mismanagement and corruption in publicly funded construction projects have caused potential losses of up to 30% of a project’s investment value, according to the Auditor-General (pic).
Tan Sri Ambrin Buang said a study by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the World Bank showed how corruption in the infrastructure and extractive sectors had led to misallocation of public funds and services that were substandard and insufficient.
“It is difficult to measure the exact cost, but it has been estimated that between 10% and 30% of the investment in publicly funded construction projects may be lost through mismanagement, and about 20% to 30% of project value is lost through corruption,” he said at the Combating Procurement Fraud in the Public and Private Sectors Forum 2017 yesterday.
The forum highlighted the issues in public procurements in Malaysia – a process where the government obtains works, goods or services from companies and one that Ambrin said is most vulnerable to corruption.
Ambrin’s speech was read out by the National Audit Department’s research, corporate and international relations division director Roslan Abu Bakar.
Ambrin also observed that procurement fraud in the public sector is a complex issue, covering a wide range of illegal activities from bid-rigging during the pre-contract award phase through to false invoicing in the post-contract award phase.
He noted that last year, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission had opened up a series of investigations involving government procurements.
“One of these involved senior government officials making false claims and fraud amounting to RM20mil last year, and this was followed by a case involving a senior Youth and Sports Ministry official amounting to RM107mil.
“Another case involved a Sabah Water Department official for fraud amounting to RM153mil, and the latest arrest involved a federal ministry secretary-general,” he said.
The Auditor-General added that based on experience, he could not entirely dismiss the existence of bid-rigging in Malaysia’s public procurement.
“One of the signs is when an equipment price is quoted higher than market value.
“If procurement officers do not research market prices, they will believe that the given price is reasonable.
“For example, in the Audit Report, we highlighted significant differences in prices of certain equipment, ranging from RM1,000 to RM7,200 additional cost for the same types and specifications,” he said.
Post-contract fraud is also a common problem, and Ambrin said the department had identified cases where payment control systems were bypassed to allow for fraud to occur.
