theSun | WEDNESDAY APRIL 15 2009
news without borders
Police may check
homes for pirated CDs
IF you think it is harmless to keep a few
copies of pirated CDs or videos at home, be
warned. The police can knock on your door
anytime, China Press reported yesterday.
Penang police chief Deputy Comm Datuk
Wira Ayub Yaakob told the daily police
are discussing with copyright holders and
relevant units on steps to be taken to crack
down on music and film piracy.
He said police have been carrying out
raids on sellers of pirated discs but are un-
able to stem out the scourge.
He pointed out that where there is de-
mand there will be supply, regardless of the
number of raids.
“This is giving police a headache and
the only way to solve the problem is to deal
with the consumers (to stop them from buy-
ing pirated discs).
“Police are sometimes caught between
consumers who lament that the constant
anti-piracy raids are making it hard for
them to get cheap discs, and traders selling
genuine products who complain that piracy
is affecting their business,” said Ayub.
He said although police have not
‘Not fair to blame Chinese
voters for BN defeats’
THE Barisan Nasional’s defeats in two by-elec-
tions in the peninsula were due to a number of
factors, and to put the blame on Chinese voters
is not fair to them, said Hua Zong (Federation
of Chinese Associations of Malaysia) honorary
secretary Teh Eng Hin.
He said it is a long-term process for political
parties to serve the people first, to win their
hearts, and dishing out goodies on the eve of
elections is no longer the sure-fire way to win
votes, Oriental Daily reported yesterday.
He was commenting on Deputy Prime Min-
ister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s remark in an
interview with Mingguan Malaysia where the
finger was pointed at the Chinese for voting for
Pakatan Rakyat in two recent by-elections.
Teh said factors that determine the result of a
by-election include the calibre of the candidates,
their political views and track record.
The voters have the right to choose their
candidates based on various indicators, and it is
not incumbent upon them to give BN their votes
in return for the “benefits” farmed out in the
run-up to the election.
Political parties, he said, which want to
Sabri heads for Chow Kit on his first day as minister
by Kristene Silva Marie
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
KUALA LUMPUR: Domestic Trade and
Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Ismail
Sabri Yaakob kicked off his first day at
work by visiting the Chow Kit stalls.
After a walkabout, he told reporters
that he wanted enforcement officers
to make their rounds on the ground
more regularly, not only to check the
prices of goods but also to communi-
cate directly with the consumers.
“Apart from making sure there is
no wanton increase in the price of
goods and hoarding, the officers’ role
is to attend to the grievances and complaints of
consumers. I want to be consumer-friendly.
“We don’t want enforcement officers to be
seen as only out to catch people. They should
also be seen protecting the rights of consumers,”
Tenaganita proposes unit to fight human trafficking
KOTA KINABALU: Tenaganita, a non-govern-
mental organisation involved in protecting the
rights of women and migrants, has proposed
that Sabah police set up a unit to combat hu-
man trafficking in the state.
Its director, Irene Fernandez, said Sabah was
a potentially growing centre for human traffick-
ing, especially for prostitution and labour.
7
Press Digest
by Kong See Hoh
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
launched a full-scale operation against
piracy, the public should not drive the law
enforcers up the wall.
He reminded owners of pirated discs
that it is an offence to possess three or more
fakes and offenders can be fined or jailed
or both.
He said a few members of the public
have been booked for possession of fake
discs some time ago.
“If the police receive reports against
members of the public for possession of
pirated discs, we will take immediate ac-
tion. We will knock on their doors,” he
said.
Under the Copyright Act 1987, anyone
found guilty of possessing three or more
pirated discs can be fined up to RM20,000
and jailed up to five years or both for each
disc.
receive the public’s continued support should
take a serious view of the problems faced by
the people, work for the people and treat every
citizen fairly.
He felt that providing services and giving
out grants only when there is an election is an
outdated way of winning votes, as it no longer
works on voters who are well aware of their
democratic rights.
He urged the BN to seriously review the rea-
sons for its loss in the Bukit Gantang parliamen-
tary and Bukit Selambau state by-elections, and
to work towards endearing itself to the people
instead of looking for excuses for its defeats.
The two seats were under BN prior to the
March 8 general election last year, which showed
that the Chinese voters had once supported the
BN. The BN, he said, must do some soul-search-
ing to find out why the switch in support.
Teh hoped that at a time when the country is
facing the global economic slowdown, the prime
minister, his deputy and the rest of the country’s
leaders would try to unite all races so that they
will join forces to revitalise the national economy,
and not engage in finger-pointing.
Sabri checking
prices at the
Chow Kit market
yesterday.
he added.
Sabri said the 2,174 enforcement officers
nationwide and one consumer affairs assistant
in every state constituency would monitor prices
at sundry shops and also attend to consumer
complaints.
“We need trained enforcement officers to
combat people being trafficked into and out of
Sabah. Sabah has many entry points where for-
eigners can come into the state and our people
leave the state illegally,” she told reporters at
a workshop, on the role of the media in coun-
tering trafficking in persons, here yesterday.
– Bernama