NGO: Sabah among 3 human trafficking hotspots

Kota Kinabalu: Sabah has earned the dubious distinction of being a hotbed for human trafficking in the country, the victims being women and children forced into prostitution.

The situation, according to the NGO Tenaganita, has become quite serious in Sabah because the problem is being monitored more closely in the peninsula.

Because of that the culprits are moving their modus operandi to Sabah and Sarawak, claimed its Director Dr Irene Fernandez.

She said of the 119 cases of human trafficking in the country, thus far 80 per cent of the victims were rescued in Sabah.

A worrying trend is that among those rescued were children below 16 some as young as 14 and 13, she said.

"This means that children are being brought in for forced prostitution," she said at the opening of a two-day workshop on "Role of the Media in Countering Trafficking in Persons" at Likas Square, Tuesday.

She identified Labuan, Sandakan and Limbang as the latest "hotspots" for human trafficking and prostitution in the country based on the victims they rescued who had been forced into prostitution.

She said most of the women and girls rescued were from neighbouring countries like the Philippines and Indonesia as well as from Vietnam and India.

According to her, prostitution is bound to increase whenever there are huge development projects such as the Bakun dam in Sarawak.

In this respect, it is very important to train municipal councils and town councils since they are the authorities with power to approve and revoke trading licences of entertainment outlets.

But at the same time, Fernandez said many Sabahan girls had also fallen victims to trafficking after they were duped by employment agencies who then forced them into prostitution once they reached Singapore.

"Our partner in Singapore said there's been an increasing number of Sabahans forced into prostitution," she said.

However, she said they are facing challenges in this aspect in the Lion City because Singapore has legalised prostitution.

Fernandez said Singapore does not believe that anyone could be forced into prostitution but that Tenaganita is challenging it since there are syndicates operating and forcing foreign women into prostitution. She said there is still much more to do in countering human trafficking.

"Although the police now have a special (human trafficking) unit established in Bukit Aman, we would also need a unit in Sabah," she said.

This is so that the police here would be trained and be knowledgeable in the law effectively and to enforce it in Sabah.

The migration of humans is now so fluid that there must be effort to address it especially in terms of human trafficking, she said.

President of Sabah Journalist Association (SJA), Datuk Joniston Bangkuai, said the media must play its role toward combating human trafficking in the country.

He said that everyone including the Government, private sector and the public must cooperate with the media to overcome the problem.

Local man to enter defence for murdering schoolgirl

Kota Kinabalu: The High Court here Tuesday ordered a 30-year-old local to enter his defence against a charge of murdering a nine-year-old schoolgirl five years ago.

Judge Datuk Clement Skinner made the order on Jamaludin Saripudin at the close of the prosecution case after calling 23 witnesses to testify in the 16-day hearing which began on March 23, this year.

The prosecution offered 30 witnesses to the defence.

After the prosecution closed its case, Jamaludin Saripudin's assigned counsel Saban Sawayan informed the court that the defence would not submit a no case to answer.

The prosecution was conducted by Senior Federal Counsel (SFC) Salim Soib and (DPP) Deputy Public Prosecutor Jamil Aripin.

In calling for Jamaludin's defence, Skinner said: "Even though the defence decided not to submit a no case to answer, in accordance with Section 180 of the Criminal Procedure Code and having considered all evidence adduced in the prosecution case against you, I find the prosecution adduced credible evidence to prove each ingredient of murder for which you stand charged.

"This court finds a prima facie case has been made out against you which, if unrebutted or unexplained, would warrant your conviction. I call on you to enter your defence to the charge under Section 302 of the Penal Code".

Section 302 of the Penal Code carries the mandatory death sentence on conviction. Skinner set Wednesday (today) for Jamaludin to make his defence.

In making his defence, Jamaludin will have three options, giving evidence under oath from the witness box, unsworn statement from the dock or choose to remain silent.

The judge explained that by giving evidence under oath the accused would be subjected to be cross-examined by the prosecution, while the prosecution would not be able to cross-examine Jamaludin if he chose to make his defence from the dock. The court will deliver its judgement should Jamaludin choose to remain silent.

Jamaludin, 30, is charged with murdering Haserawati Sarioi @ Saridi, 9, between 7am and 8pm on Jan 8, 2004 at a bush area on a hill slope near a road in Kampung Ratau, Tebobon, Menggatal.

He had pleaded not guilty to the charge on April 29, 2004.

Jamaludin is currently serving a 20-year jail sentence plus 24 strokes of the cane for raping the same girl at the same place and time.

Earlier, during cross-examination by Saban, the prosecution's 23rd witness, Deputy Superintendent of Police Awang Anak Suanda, who was the investigation officer in the murder case, told the court that when he first received Jamaludin, who was arrested as the main suspect in Haserawati murder case, at 9pm on Jan 8, 2004, he (Jamaludin) appeared untidy and looked aggressive, panicky and nervous.

Awang said Jamaludin's urine test was taken by the Anti-Narcotics Unit at the Police Headquarters in Karamunsing and was sent for analysis to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. Awang told the court that he was transferred from the Karamunsing police headquarters in June 2004 and that until then he was not informed of the urine test result.

He said he was never informed of the finding of the test within the six months period before he was transferred. He had asked the Anti-Narcotics Unit about the result several times while the accused was remanded but was informed that the finding was not ready.

Awang also told the court that just before Haserawati's murder trial commenced, he was informed by the Anti-Narcotics Unit that Jamaludin was found Syabu positive when a "test strip" test was conducted on him on Jan 9, 2004. Asked whether he knew any previous conviction of the accused prior to the Haserawati's murder, Awang said Jamaludin was once jailed on another offence.

However, Jamaludin said he could not remember whether Jamaludin was ever convicted in any drug-related offence.

Meanwhile, during re-examination by DPP Jamil, Awang told the court that he was not involved in conducting the "test strip" test on Jamaludin. He said one Sergeant Awang Hat Salleh was the officer-in-charge of taking the urine sample from the accused.

Plea to reduce Japlin's suspension

Kota Belud: Many Umno branch leaders here are appealing to the party Disciplinary Board to reduce the three-year suspension imposed against Datuk Japlin Akim.

Sentlin Sabas, 51, who claimed to represent them, urged the Sabah Umno liaison body as well as party central committee to give due consideration to their appeal since Japlin's leadership is much needed at the grassroots level.

"We have no intention of going against the board decision but most of us feel his suspension is too long," he said when met at Kampung Abai Seberang.

A gathering was held at the village to show support for Japlin.

Sentlin said since becoming their assemblyman there had been many improvements such as in the infrastructure development and education.

Suhaili claims trial to another charge

Kota Kinabalu: Former Umno Labuan Member of Parliament Datuk Suhaili Abdul Rahman, who on Monday pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court to cheating a bank 13 years ago, was charged in the Magistrate's Court again Tuesday with making a false statement in a statutory declaration 14 years ago.

Suhaili, 48, is accused of committing the offence before Justice of Peace (JP) Haji Mohd Naser Mohd Noor at the JP's office here on Aug. 3, 1995, for the purpose of registering Saraequity Sdn Bhd.

The ex-MP allegedly made the false statement in a Statutory Declaration under the name of Ahmad Suhaili Abd Rahman with Identity Card No: H0552181, which he knew to be false, touching a material point for which the declaration was made for registering the said company.

The offence under Section 199 of the Penal Code is punishable under Section 193 of the Penal Code which carries a jail term of up to three years and liable to a fine on conviction.

Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission's Deputy Public Prosecutor Kevin Morais who conducted the prosecution together with DPP Joyce Blasius, applied for the case to be transferred to the Sessions Court and to be heard jointly before the same judge who heard Suhaili's cheating case on Monday.

Counsel Rakhbir Singh informed the court that the defence supported the application for transfer on the basis that the documents used in both cases were virtually identical.

Magistrate Noor Hafizah Mohd Salim allowed the prosecution's application to transfer the case to the Sessions Court.

Hafizah, however, said that it was a matter for the Sessions Court to decide on whether the case would be heard before the same judge.

No bail was given.

On Monday, Suhaili, pleaded not guilty before Sessions Court Judge Caroline Bee Manajil to cheating a bank by using someone else's identity to act as a guarantor for a RM160,000 housing loan 13 years ago.

Majanil released Suhaili on RM20,000 bail with RM3,000 deposited in one surety pending trial fixed from Feb 8 to 12, next year.