He has spoken out once through his open letter to the Prime Minister and now he has issued another open letter, this time to the Inspector General of Police.
On his request, I am posting the open letter of his in full for your reading pleasure.
By posting the open letter, the moderator disclaims any responsibility for the comments or statements he made as the views expressed are solely his.
Jasni AJ
_____________________________________________________________________________________
(Om Jey Sakthi)
Ambrose Sabastian
( address deleted)
11950 Penang.
February 3, 2008.
Attention: Inspector-General of Police
C/o The Chief Police Officer, Penang.
Dear sir,
Re: Missing child Sharlinie.
Regarding the above subject, even fifty bomohs assistant were sought but still can’t find her What a pity? Even you Police guys are baffling to find her. Why not I help you to find her in few days? But my assistant comes with condition.
Before I was beginning to search the missing child, my last unlawful detention in Pulau Jerjak case must be investigated. Because I am innocent and the real criminal was outside after bribing the police. I was switched to the known criminal for the crimes he committed. If I work together with investigation officer within three days the investigation can be completed because I am the only one knows the truth. Recently I came to know two police special branch guys and I believe I can work with them. I am forwarding this letter through them.
Once the Police find out the truth should compensate for last twenty-five years of my suffering and public apology in press and media. All my black record should be deleted from police data. For my carrier I need two permits to continue my life peacefully. The corrupted policemen and the criminal should be charged in court.
Then I go for search the missing child Sharlinie case. I need two policemen to work with me. If she is nearby I can lead the police direct to the place. If she is far, I can’t travel. So I will direct the police to Sharlinie place with computer internet video / voice chat. The method I can inform in details to the police officer working with me.
Once the missing Child found and I need two more condition to be fulfilled. I need police permit to hold large gathering in Merdeka Square in KL. The gathering is for asking MIC Samy Velu to step down. As a gathering organizer, I can do more discipline manner without any trouble.
I need two lawyers have to be released unconditionally from ISA detention. I will give you the two names later. All the above condition accepted then I would help two other high profile murder cases – Nurin and Presheena.
Finally! I do no want any single / tiny publicity for solving the above-mentioned cases. Police and the policemen working with me alone should take all the publicity credit for solving the cases and not any politician or elected government but I am interested only in money. That’s all.
Looking forward your cooperation.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Ambrose Sabastian
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Saturday, February 23, 2008
STOP IT!
By MOHD YAAKOB YUSOF
THE sale of the book on Sharlinie Mohd Nashar, Di Mana Sharlinie? has incensed the missing five-year-old girl’s father.
Mohd Nashar Mat Hussain, who learnt about the book after reading The Malay Mail yesterday, was particularly angry with one of the book’s chapters suggesting that Sharlinie would suffer the same fate as Nurin Jazlin Jazimin.
Nurin, a Year Two pupil of Sekolah Rendah Kebangsaan Desa Setapak, was reported missing on Aug 20, and her ravaged body was found in a sports bag near a fl ight of stairs at a three-storey building in Petaling Jaya Utama on Sept 17.
“How could the publisher be so insensitive? What is his motive?” asked Mohd Nashar, at his house in Taman Medan yesterday.
He said he saw no other motive behind the book other than the publisher wanting to make a quick buck from the family’s misery.
“We believe our daughter is still alive and that she will come back to us one day. How could the publisher suggest that Sharlinie will suffer the same fate as Nurin?” he said.
Mohd Nashar was referring to the chapter, Adakah Jalan Mati? (Is it a dead end?), with a picture of a dead end road sign with a red palm-print on it next to Sharlinie’s poster and a picture of Jazimin Abdul Jalil during Nurin Jazlin’s burial.
He said no one had approached him for permission to publish any book on his daughter and added that whoever was behind the book should stop distributing it.
He said the only request he received was from individuals and companies to use his daughter’s picture for some campaigns.
“The publisher should empathise with us instead of taking advantage of us,” he said, adding that the book has further aggravated their pain.
“We miss her so much as it is and the book is not helping us either,” he said.
Mohd Nashar said he was shocked when told by his brother-in-law yesterday about The Malay Mail’s front-page report.
He said he would discuss with his family on whether they would take legal action against the publisher.
The 40-page book, written in Bahasa Malaysia, is a compilation of news reports on Sharlinie’s disappearance and is being sold at RM2.50 a copy.
The Malay Mail’s attempt to fi nd the publisher, listed as Penerbitan Karang Media, proved futile as no address or contact numbers were listed, and the only information available was a PO Box number and the name of the printing company on the back cover.
Sharlinie, who turned fi ve on Jan 30, was abducted in Taman Medan on Jan 9, while on her way home together with her sister.
A search was mounted and Interpol was notifi ed.
Two men were arrested by police but were later released due to lack of evidence.
It was reported that three days before Sharlinie’s abduction, a six-year-old girl was abducted by a man wearing a black helmet and riding a black motorcycle.
She was, however, found unharmed in Wangsa Maju two hours later.
The description of her abductor was reported to be similar to that of the Kampung Baru molester, dubbed the ‘Catman’.
- The Malay Mail
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Dua fotofit baru kesan penculik
PETALING JAYA 19 Feb. - Polis kini berpandukan dua fotofit baru bagi meningkatkan lagi gerakan untuk mengesan Sharlinie Mohd. Nashar, 5, yang hilang lebih daripada sebulan lalu.
Sebelum ini polis pernah mengeluarkan fotofit gambar lelaki ketika kanak-kanak itu hilang pada 9 Januari.
Bagaimanapun Ketua Polis Daerah Petaling Jaya, Asisten Komisioner Arjunaidi Mohamed tidak menyatakan sama ada fotofit terbaru itu lelaki atau perempuan.
"Bagaimanapun, fotofit tersebut tidak akan dihebahkan seperti yang terdahulu bagi mengelakkan kekeliruan orang ramai.
"Ini kerana fotofit yang akan dikeluarkan ini tidak sama dengan fotofit terdahulu," katanya kepada pemberita di sini hari ini.
Sharlinie hilang ketika dalam perjalanan pulang bersama kakaknya, setelah bermain di taman permainan di Taman Medan, dekat sini pada pagi 9 Januari lalu.
Sementara itu, Arjunaidi menegaskan polis tidak menutup kes penculikan tersebut walaupun kekurangan anggota kerana kempen pilihan raya umum tidak lama lagi.
Sebaliknya, beliau berkata, kekurangan itu ditampung dengan mendapat kerjasama daripada agensi kerajaan yang lain.
"Misalnya operasi di rumah kongsi pekerja asing di Kota Damansara awal pagi ini kita mendapat bantuan 20 pegawai dan 34 anggota Majlis Bandaraya Petaling Jaya (MBPJ)," jelas beliau.
Operasi itu, katanya, dilakukan setelah polis menerima maklumat kanak-kanak malang itu mungkin berada di situ.
Mengenai seorang lelaki berusia 50-an dikatakan boleh mencari Sharlinie menggunakan teknik matematik, Arjunaidi berkata, maklumat tersebut gagal membantu polis dalam memburu penjenayah terlibat.
Menurutnya, maklumat berdasarkan kiraan nombor dan angka itu tidak dapat dikaitkan dengan kes kehilangan kanak-kanak itu.
- Utusan Malaysia
Sebelum ini polis pernah mengeluarkan fotofit gambar lelaki ketika kanak-kanak itu hilang pada 9 Januari.
Bagaimanapun Ketua Polis Daerah Petaling Jaya, Asisten Komisioner Arjunaidi Mohamed tidak menyatakan sama ada fotofit terbaru itu lelaki atau perempuan.
"Bagaimanapun, fotofit tersebut tidak akan dihebahkan seperti yang terdahulu bagi mengelakkan kekeliruan orang ramai.
"Ini kerana fotofit yang akan dikeluarkan ini tidak sama dengan fotofit terdahulu," katanya kepada pemberita di sini hari ini.
Sharlinie hilang ketika dalam perjalanan pulang bersama kakaknya, setelah bermain di taman permainan di Taman Medan, dekat sini pada pagi 9 Januari lalu.
Sementara itu, Arjunaidi menegaskan polis tidak menutup kes penculikan tersebut walaupun kekurangan anggota kerana kempen pilihan raya umum tidak lama lagi.
Sebaliknya, beliau berkata, kekurangan itu ditampung dengan mendapat kerjasama daripada agensi kerajaan yang lain.
"Misalnya operasi di rumah kongsi pekerja asing di Kota Damansara awal pagi ini kita mendapat bantuan 20 pegawai dan 34 anggota Majlis Bandaraya Petaling Jaya (MBPJ)," jelas beliau.
Operasi itu, katanya, dilakukan setelah polis menerima maklumat kanak-kanak malang itu mungkin berada di situ.
Mengenai seorang lelaki berusia 50-an dikatakan boleh mencari Sharlinie menggunakan teknik matematik, Arjunaidi berkata, maklumat tersebut gagal membantu polis dalam memburu penjenayah terlibat.
Menurutnya, maklumat berdasarkan kiraan nombor dan angka itu tidak dapat dikaitkan dengan kes kehilangan kanak-kanak itu.
- Utusan Malaysia
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Serbuan cari Sharlinie di flat gagal
KUALA LUMPUR 18 Feb. - Polis yang menerima maklumat dalam kes Sharlinie Mohd. Nashar, 5, hari ini menyerbu sebuah rumah di Flat Sri Sabah, Cheras di sini.
Namun, operasi disertai 20 pegawai dan anggota pasukan khas itu gagal menemui sebarang petunjuk mengenai Sharlinie.
Operasi tersebut dibuat berdasarkan maklumat daripada seorang lelaki berusia 50-an memberitahu bahawa kanak-kanak malang itu disembunyikan di situ.
Ketua Polis Daerah Petaling Jaya, Asisten Komisioner Arjunaidi Mohamed berkata, polis menerima laporan tersebut petang ini daripada seorang lelaki yang mendakwa dirinya berstatus profesor madya bidang matematik.
"Polis tidak menolak semua maklumat yang diterima daripada mana-mana pihak kerana ia penting dalam usaha mencari Sharlinie.
"Bagaimanapun, semua maklumat yang diterima akan ditapis sebelum tindakan lanjut dilakukan," katanya ketika dihubungi Utusan Malaysia di sini hari ini.
Semalam, seorang lelaki yang mendakwa mempunyai kepandaian menilik termasuk mencari orang hilang melalui nombor dilaporkan menawarkan diri mengesan Sharlinie.
Lelaki berusia 50-an itu dikatakan mempunyai kepakaran ala drama bersiri Inggeris Numbers yang kononnya boleh mencari kanak-kanak itu dengan kiraan nombor atau angka.
Utusan Malaysia hari ini pula melaporkan rayuan kedua ibu bapa Sharlinie, Suraya Ahmad, 28, dan Mohd. Nashar Mat Hussain, 29, yang berharap usaha mengesan anak perempuan mereka itu terus diberi perhatian oleh semua pihak.
Menurut Mohd. Nashar, sekiranya pihak berkenaan tidak lagi menganggap kes kehilangan Sharlinie sebagai keutamaan, maka harapan mereka berjumpa semula Sharlinie tentunya menjadi tipis.
- Utusan Malaysia
Namun, operasi disertai 20 pegawai dan anggota pasukan khas itu gagal menemui sebarang petunjuk mengenai Sharlinie.
Operasi tersebut dibuat berdasarkan maklumat daripada seorang lelaki berusia 50-an memberitahu bahawa kanak-kanak malang itu disembunyikan di situ.
Ketua Polis Daerah Petaling Jaya, Asisten Komisioner Arjunaidi Mohamed berkata, polis menerima laporan tersebut petang ini daripada seorang lelaki yang mendakwa dirinya berstatus profesor madya bidang matematik.
"Polis tidak menolak semua maklumat yang diterima daripada mana-mana pihak kerana ia penting dalam usaha mencari Sharlinie.
"Bagaimanapun, semua maklumat yang diterima akan ditapis sebelum tindakan lanjut dilakukan," katanya ketika dihubungi Utusan Malaysia di sini hari ini.
Semalam, seorang lelaki yang mendakwa mempunyai kepandaian menilik termasuk mencari orang hilang melalui nombor dilaporkan menawarkan diri mengesan Sharlinie.
Lelaki berusia 50-an itu dikatakan mempunyai kepakaran ala drama bersiri Inggeris Numbers yang kononnya boleh mencari kanak-kanak itu dengan kiraan nombor atau angka.
Utusan Malaysia hari ini pula melaporkan rayuan kedua ibu bapa Sharlinie, Suraya Ahmad, 28, dan Mohd. Nashar Mat Hussain, 29, yang berharap usaha mengesan anak perempuan mereka itu terus diberi perhatian oleh semua pihak.
Menurut Mohd. Nashar, sekiranya pihak berkenaan tidak lagi menganggap kes kehilangan Sharlinie sebagai keutamaan, maka harapan mereka berjumpa semula Sharlinie tentunya menjadi tipis.
- Utusan Malaysia
Monday, February 18, 2008
Criminal Victims' Rights Under the Malaysian Legal System : "Is The Existing Law Adequate?"
I was at UKM yesterday for practically the whole day participating in a one day Seminar that focusses on Victims' Rights, organised by the Law Students Society of UKM's Law Faculty that goes by the acronym "Perundang".It was attended by about 100 or so law students from not only UKM but those from UM, UIAM as well as from Help University College. Among speakers presenting their respective papers were a legal practitioner, En. Mohd Najid Husain from Mohd Najid & Partners; a Criminalogy Lecturer from UiTM, Prof. Madya Datuk Abdul Halim Sidek; a representative from the Women's Aid Organisation, Pn. Nazlina; the Executive Director of All Women's Action Society (AWAM), Ms. Honey Tan and yours truly, Jasni Abdul Jalil, Nurin's Uncle. Yes, I was there as Nurin's Uncle and my task was to relay the experience of the victim's family in regards to the application of their rights since the abduction of their child till now.
As mentioned in my earlier post, I presented a brief paper that cited the various examples where the rights of Nurin's parents were either breached, invaded or ignored.
While most of the examples cited in the presentation are still yet to be addressed, the part on initial action (or inaction) in launching a search and rescue operations has already got a solution in the form of what that has been proposed and aggressively being promoted, the Nurin Alert mechanism.Our promotional activities on Nurin Alert is still at the beginning stage and not at the tail-end as eventhough the authorities have shown a very receptive response to the Nurin Alert initiative and had in fact implemented the various proposals in the search and rescue for poor Sharlinie, we in C4NA are determined to see that Nurin Alert is indeed incorporated into the Child Protection Policy and eventually turned into a law in order to ensure an effective and efficient execution of a serach and rescue operations for missing children.
If you have had noticed, there is this logo posted on top right of this blogsite (beneath the picture of Nurin's tombstone). This is the official logo that has been adopted by Citizens for Nurin Alert Society (C4NA) as the logo for Nurin Alert. Designed by Ampuan Yussof, a fellow Malaysian based in the USA and improvised by Intan Shafinaz of UiTM, the colour scheme is actually yellow - amber - red, but for some awkward reason it is appearing on this blogsite as the BN blue!
Perhaps it's trying to gain the BN's support to turn it into reality, but I'm trying to do something about it before everyone else starts thinking that the BN blue is indeed its actual colour.
While on the subject of C4NA, you might want to know that we are in the process of getting the entity registered as a Society to as to ensure the sustainance of the Nurin Alert movement so as to facilitate the grouping in executing projects requiring public and private funding.
I should be able to publicise the names of the Protem Committee Members very soon once we finalised the list or once it got it registered.
Till then, have a Good Night and productive day ahead.
Jasni AJ
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Protecting the victims' Legal Rights
I guess from now till the Election Day, we would be seeing more of Pak Lah's posters than Sharlinie's, hear more over radio & tv of the great deeds and promises of the BN and the "empty barreled" BA than news of Sharlinie's, and talk more about politics than concerns over our children's safety in the wake of Nurin's, Preeshena's and Sharlinie's mind boggling stories.
Well, this is only natural as the GE only come once every 4 or 5 years while child kidnaping/abuse/murder are now becoming much more frequent. One after the other making it as if part of the Malaysia's everyday stories.
Nurin's stories are now almost history, nothing much is happening. The murderer remained unidentified and the autopsy distributor, though identified, remained scot free.
While Malaysians in general will temporarily be focussing on matters pertaining to the future of the country by deciding whom they want to choose to form the government, there will be a group of Malaysians who will still be talking about the sad stories of the tragic cases.
This weekend, at the UKM Bangi Campus, the students of the University's Law Faculty would be organising a "People & Law" Seminar that would be focussing on the Rights of Victims.
I'm invited to deliver a talk, a short talk that is, on our experience on how the law and rights of the vitim was applied in Nurin's tragedy. Of course, I would have lots of things to say and I hope that I would be able to deliver them eloquently so that the public would understand the trauma, sufferings, shame, shock etc. etc. inflicted onto the family of the victim of which by the way would also be the victim itself.
I hope that with the dialog session with the law undergraduates and professors that follows, we (the family) would also be able to learn a thing or two on the rights of the family to correct any wrongs.
Talking about the wrongs in Nurin's case, there are at least 5 wrongs (that I could think of) that surely need to be corrected. They are :- 1. Initial inaction; 2. Speculative Statements and Press Reportings; 3. Leakage of DNA Results where parents being the last to know about it; 4. Distribution of Autopsy Pictures and 5. Commercial Dramatisation with slanderous messages.
All these matters are currently in the hands of our attorney. But since the Lingam's Royal Inquiry is taking precedence, ours will come in later. But don't get us wrong, all these wrongs are not our real priority, our priority is to get the murderer so that justice could be given to Nurin and most importantly, so that other children could be safer with the monster taken off our streets.
But the wrongs must still be highlighted so that no other victim would be experiencing the same wrongful treatment that Nurin's parents had to endure. Nurin Alert is a product to correct a wrong. Hopefully more other products could be introduced to safeguard the victim in relation to the other wrongs as mentioned earlier on.
Good Night & Happy Voting
Jasni AJ
Well, this is only natural as the GE only come once every 4 or 5 years while child kidnaping/abuse/murder are now becoming much more frequent. One after the other making it as if part of the Malaysia's everyday stories.
Nurin's stories are now almost history, nothing much is happening. The murderer remained unidentified and the autopsy distributor, though identified, remained scot free.
While Malaysians in general will temporarily be focussing on matters pertaining to the future of the country by deciding whom they want to choose to form the government, there will be a group of Malaysians who will still be talking about the sad stories of the tragic cases.
This weekend, at the UKM Bangi Campus, the students of the University's Law Faculty would be organising a "People & Law" Seminar that would be focussing on the Rights of Victims.
I'm invited to deliver a talk, a short talk that is, on our experience on how the law and rights of the vitim was applied in Nurin's tragedy. Of course, I would have lots of things to say and I hope that I would be able to deliver them eloquently so that the public would understand the trauma, sufferings, shame, shock etc. etc. inflicted onto the family of the victim of which by the way would also be the victim itself.
I hope that with the dialog session with the law undergraduates and professors that follows, we (the family) would also be able to learn a thing or two on the rights of the family to correct any wrongs.
Talking about the wrongs in Nurin's case, there are at least 5 wrongs (that I could think of) that surely need to be corrected. They are :- 1. Initial inaction; 2. Speculative Statements and Press Reportings; 3. Leakage of DNA Results where parents being the last to know about it; 4. Distribution of Autopsy Pictures and 5. Commercial Dramatisation with slanderous messages.
All these matters are currently in the hands of our attorney. But since the Lingam's Royal Inquiry is taking precedence, ours will come in later. But don't get us wrong, all these wrongs are not our real priority, our priority is to get the murderer so that justice could be given to Nurin and most importantly, so that other children could be safer with the monster taken off our streets.
But the wrongs must still be highlighted so that no other victim would be experiencing the same wrongful treatment that Nurin's parents had to endure. Nurin Alert is a product to correct a wrong. Hopefully more other products could be introduced to safeguard the victim in relation to the other wrongs as mentioned earlier on.
Good Night & Happy Voting
Jasni AJ
Monday, February 11, 2008
Solving crime with science
By HARIATI AZIZAN
The proposed DNA Identification Act will enable the police to establish a DNA databank that can help solve crime investigations. But how will it help fight crime?
"DNA can be extracted from any biological specimen. Just a strand of hair will do, but under the present law, we need consent" Hithaya Jeevan
DURING investigations on the rape and murder of a schoolgirl in 1999, Police hauled up a total of 22 suspects.
For each suspect, forensic scientists had to conduct individual tests to match the person’s DNA with the different DNA samples found at the crime scene manually. Then it took more than a week to analyse a DNA sample and a few more days to compare the analysed DNA data with the information in police files.
“The whole process was time consuming,” deputy director general (policy) of the Chemistry Department, N. Hithaya Jeevan, said, recalling his most unforgettable case.
“If we had had a DNA database then, it would have really helped speed up the investigation,” he added.
Think of what has become the standard scene on TV and in the movies: one test and a mere click is all that is needed to search for a match on the computer.
“With a national DNA databank, the profiles of criminals and suspects can be recorded. Special software can compare the DNA found at the crime scene, or the DNA stains, with the data in the computer system. If there is a link, police can bring the suspect in and investigate further,” Hithaya Jeevan continued.
Alas, after all the testing, none of the DNA of the 22 suspects matched any of the crime stains. With no other leads, the case remains unsolved.
And it is one among many still unsolved today.
According to Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Maximus Ongkili, in January last year, our police's solving rate was 50%, compared to the Interpol’s solving rate of 22%.
Having a national DNA databank will improve the police’s solving rate further, noted Deputy Internal Security Minister Datuk Fu Ah Kiow: “A DNA databank will help police use forensic science to solve crime. As DNA data is conclusive, it will also help strengthen the case in court.”
This is something his ministry is hoping to kick off with the proposed DNA Identification Bill.
According to Fu, the final draft has been submitted to the Attorney-General's office where it is being finalised. It is hoped to be tabled in Parliament at its next sitting.
Scientific clue
DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, is the chemical blueprint for a person’s biological make-up and is different from person to person. Only twins might share the same DNA. Used for identification, it is 99% accurate.
According to the Locard Exchange Principle theory, it is almost impossible to commit a crime without leaving behind some DNA stains such as blood, saliva, vomit, bone and tissue. Hence, forensic scientists use these DNA stains to identify a perpetrator. The process is called genetic fingerprinting or DNA profiling.
Currently, the Chemistry Department has compiled a database of crime stains from unsolved cases. However, there is no law to enforce suspects or convicted criminals to give their DNA to the police, what more to allow the authorities to keep their DNA data.
“DNA can be extracted from any biological specimen given by the suspect or convict. Just a strand of hair will do, but under the present law, we need their consent,” Hithaya Jeevan explained.
According to experts, repeat offenders commit 30% to 40% of crimes and there are many who migrate from minor crimes to more major crimes, he continued.
“However, each time there is a crime, we get new DNA stains from the scene and don't have anything to compare them with.”
Fu agreed that the possibility of solving past unsolved crimes would be higher with a national DNA database, especially if the criminal was a repeat offender.
This has proven successful in countries with national DNA databanks, he added, such as the landmark case in the United Kingdom, where a burglar raped an 11-year-old and indecently assaulted a nine-year-old in 1988. Semen was found at the scene but police could not identify the assailant. However, the case was solved 13 years later when a 59-year-old man was arrested for shoplifting in another town. When his DNA profile was run through the UK's DNA databank, it was found to match the DNA stains from the scene of the earlier crime. The shoplifter admitted to the crime and was charged.
Citing the Nurin Jazlin Jazimin sexual assault and murder case, DNA analyst at the Forensic Laboratory, Royal Malaysia Police (RMP) ACP Mohd Abdul Aziz said it would also allow the police to link a new case to other cases for leads.
“It would help in police investigation to see if it was committed by a serial criminal.
“Otherwise, it would be left to police's hunches and manual investigation by digging up old or other files.
“For example, with a National DNA database we could have made a more concrete link between the Nurin case and the Kampung Baru molester,” he said.
DNA tracking is now compulsory for all violent crimes. However, even with a DNA match, further police investigation is needed before the suspect can be convicted, Hithaya Jeevan highlighted.
“After the suspect is taken in, you will first need to repeat the test – take the sample again and analyse the data. The DNA database is only a tool for investigation. It does not establish innocence or guilt.”
ACP Mohd concurred.
“DNA evidence can only prove who was there at the crime scene. Other corroborative evidence is needed to implicate the suspect of the crime,” he said.
A problem may arise, he highlighted, if no DNA stains are found at the crime scene.
For cases like car theft or snatch theft where the likelihood of evidence being left at the crime scene is low, DNA cannot be used to solve them.
“We look for shoeprints and things dropped but most of the time the evidence is driven away. Currently, car theft and snatch theft are the highest number of crimes committed and the lowest number to be solved,” he added.
Outwitting the police
Another growing problem he highlighted is how criminals are learning to outwit the police with technology. They are learning things from TV and films, he said, adding that it is becoming common for criminals to leave behind DNA of other people such as used cigarette butts or hair follicles to mislead the police.
They are also becoming more sophisticated in covering their tracks, he said, citing burning of victims such as in the high-profile Canny Ong case or the blowing up of the victim, such as the Altantuya murder case.
“What they don’t realise is that the forensic lab now has the technology and equipment to handle contaminated samples like this,” said Hithaya Jeevan.
For example, if the body is totally burnt, making it difficult to obtain skin, hair or blood samples, the marrow from the femur bone can be taken for analysis. If the teeth are still intact, they will be compared with the victim's dental records.
Analysis can be done even with microscopic samples, said ACP Mohd.
He added the police work hard to stay one step ahead of criminals.
“There is a lot of information circulating about DNA and new technology but we also do a lot of research at the lab to detect criminal trends and developments,” he said.
While having a national DNA database will not guarantee a lower crime rate, he said, it might deter repeat offenders, as well as first-time offenders, from committing a crime.
But Fu stressed that to effectively fight crime, everyone needs to get involved.
We all need to work together to raise public awareness and prevent crime. It is everyone’s responsibility, he reminded.
- The Star
The proposed DNA Identification Act will enable the police to establish a DNA databank that can help solve crime investigations. But how will it help fight crime?
"DNA can be extracted from any biological specimen. Just a strand of hair will do, but under the present law, we need consent" Hithaya Jeevan
DURING investigations on the rape and murder of a schoolgirl in 1999, Police hauled up a total of 22 suspects.
For each suspect, forensic scientists had to conduct individual tests to match the person’s DNA with the different DNA samples found at the crime scene manually. Then it took more than a week to analyse a DNA sample and a few more days to compare the analysed DNA data with the information in police files.
“The whole process was time consuming,” deputy director general (policy) of the Chemistry Department, N. Hithaya Jeevan, said, recalling his most unforgettable case.
“If we had had a DNA database then, it would have really helped speed up the investigation,” he added.
Think of what has become the standard scene on TV and in the movies: one test and a mere click is all that is needed to search for a match on the computer.
“With a national DNA databank, the profiles of criminals and suspects can be recorded. Special software can compare the DNA found at the crime scene, or the DNA stains, with the data in the computer system. If there is a link, police can bring the suspect in and investigate further,” Hithaya Jeevan continued.
Alas, after all the testing, none of the DNA of the 22 suspects matched any of the crime stains. With no other leads, the case remains unsolved.
And it is one among many still unsolved today.
According to Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Maximus Ongkili, in January last year, our police's solving rate was 50%, compared to the Interpol’s solving rate of 22%.
Having a national DNA databank will improve the police’s solving rate further, noted Deputy Internal Security Minister Datuk Fu Ah Kiow: “A DNA databank will help police use forensic science to solve crime. As DNA data is conclusive, it will also help strengthen the case in court.”
This is something his ministry is hoping to kick off with the proposed DNA Identification Bill.
According to Fu, the final draft has been submitted to the Attorney-General's office where it is being finalised. It is hoped to be tabled in Parliament at its next sitting.
Scientific clue
DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, is the chemical blueprint for a person’s biological make-up and is different from person to person. Only twins might share the same DNA. Used for identification, it is 99% accurate.
According to the Locard Exchange Principle theory, it is almost impossible to commit a crime without leaving behind some DNA stains such as blood, saliva, vomit, bone and tissue. Hence, forensic scientists use these DNA stains to identify a perpetrator. The process is called genetic fingerprinting or DNA profiling.
Currently, the Chemistry Department has compiled a database of crime stains from unsolved cases. However, there is no law to enforce suspects or convicted criminals to give their DNA to the police, what more to allow the authorities to keep their DNA data.
“DNA can be extracted from any biological specimen given by the suspect or convict. Just a strand of hair will do, but under the present law, we need their consent,” Hithaya Jeevan explained.
According to experts, repeat offenders commit 30% to 40% of crimes and there are many who migrate from minor crimes to more major crimes, he continued.
“However, each time there is a crime, we get new DNA stains from the scene and don't have anything to compare them with.”
Fu agreed that the possibility of solving past unsolved crimes would be higher with a national DNA database, especially if the criminal was a repeat offender.
This has proven successful in countries with national DNA databanks, he added, such as the landmark case in the United Kingdom, where a burglar raped an 11-year-old and indecently assaulted a nine-year-old in 1988. Semen was found at the scene but police could not identify the assailant. However, the case was solved 13 years later when a 59-year-old man was arrested for shoplifting in another town. When his DNA profile was run through the UK's DNA databank, it was found to match the DNA stains from the scene of the earlier crime. The shoplifter admitted to the crime and was charged.
Citing the Nurin Jazlin Jazimin sexual assault and murder case, DNA analyst at the Forensic Laboratory, Royal Malaysia Police (RMP) ACP Mohd Abdul Aziz said it would also allow the police to link a new case to other cases for leads.
“It would help in police investigation to see if it was committed by a serial criminal.
“Otherwise, it would be left to police's hunches and manual investigation by digging up old or other files.
“For example, with a National DNA database we could have made a more concrete link between the Nurin case and the Kampung Baru molester,” he said.
DNA tracking is now compulsory for all violent crimes. However, even with a DNA match, further police investigation is needed before the suspect can be convicted, Hithaya Jeevan highlighted.
“After the suspect is taken in, you will first need to repeat the test – take the sample again and analyse the data. The DNA database is only a tool for investigation. It does not establish innocence or guilt.”
ACP Mohd concurred.
“DNA evidence can only prove who was there at the crime scene. Other corroborative evidence is needed to implicate the suspect of the crime,” he said.
A problem may arise, he highlighted, if no DNA stains are found at the crime scene.
For cases like car theft or snatch theft where the likelihood of evidence being left at the crime scene is low, DNA cannot be used to solve them.
“We look for shoeprints and things dropped but most of the time the evidence is driven away. Currently, car theft and snatch theft are the highest number of crimes committed and the lowest number to be solved,” he added.
Outwitting the police
Another growing problem he highlighted is how criminals are learning to outwit the police with technology. They are learning things from TV and films, he said, adding that it is becoming common for criminals to leave behind DNA of other people such as used cigarette butts or hair follicles to mislead the police.
They are also becoming more sophisticated in covering their tracks, he said, citing burning of victims such as in the high-profile Canny Ong case or the blowing up of the victim, such as the Altantuya murder case.
“What they don’t realise is that the forensic lab now has the technology and equipment to handle contaminated samples like this,” said Hithaya Jeevan.
For example, if the body is totally burnt, making it difficult to obtain skin, hair or blood samples, the marrow from the femur bone can be taken for analysis. If the teeth are still intact, they will be compared with the victim's dental records.
Analysis can be done even with microscopic samples, said ACP Mohd.
He added the police work hard to stay one step ahead of criminals.
“There is a lot of information circulating about DNA and new technology but we also do a lot of research at the lab to detect criminal trends and developments,” he said.
While having a national DNA database will not guarantee a lower crime rate, he said, it might deter repeat offenders, as well as first-time offenders, from committing a crime.
But Fu stressed that to effectively fight crime, everyone needs to get involved.
We all need to work together to raise public awareness and prevent crime. It is everyone’s responsibility, he reminded.
- The Star
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Groups decry inaction on violence
By : Ili Liyana Mokhtar and Evangeline Majawat
KUALA LUMPUR: Nurul Huda Ghani. Nurin Jazlin Jazimin. Preeshena Varshiny. These girls made the headlines for all the wrong reasons.
Abducted, brutally raped and murdered, their cases catapulted a flurry of campaigns from various quarters in a bid to create a more secure and safer environment for children.
There was a campaign to equip children with whistles. Certain quarters called for an alert they dubbed the Nurin alert, modelled on an American system called the Amber alert.
There were suggestions for single-session schools, introduction of safety as a subject in schools, establishment of a public registry for sex offenders and placing CCTVs in public areas.
Yet, it was clear that not enough had been done as incidences of violence against children are still occurring. Five-year-old Sharlinie Mohd Nashar has been missing since Jan 9, after being snatched while on her way home from a playground near her home in Taman Medan.
Protect and Save The Children director Madeleine Yong admitted it was easy to come up with suggestions.
"It is typical to get a knee-jerk reaction, judging from the trend in the past 10 years. It's a lot of talk but no action.
"Campaigns are only good if there is a sound strategy or immediate implementation. Without which, a campaign is just an idea."
She also feels that some of the ideas and suggestions given are by people who were not familiar with the issue. Therefore, the suggestions do not address the core of the problem.
In order for these problems to be dealt with effectively, Yong strongly advocates an overall systematic change from the top down.
"This issue will only be addressed effectively when the government creates a sound strategy or improves on current flawed strategies."
All Women's Action Society (AWAM) president Judith Loh Koh concurs with Yong. She said drastic change must be made by all sectors of society to stop violence and to create safer spaces for children. The implementation process of ideas and suggestions must be speeded up and followed through.
"At present, our reaction to safety issues is ad hoc, where we only take action whenever a particular threat or problem arises."
Former Social Welfare Department assistant director Vijayakumari Pillai feels that there is a need to understand that violence happens everywhere.
"It has implications for everyone. Everyone is involved.
"Since 1991 the Child Protection Act has a provision which states that it is an offence to leave a child without adult supervision, and that the parents or guardian can be charged in court."
National Council of Women's Organisation Malaysia deputy president Datuk Ramani Gurusamy said everyone was guilty of not making a concerted effort to follow through the suggestions post-Nurin.
"It's time for us to take responsibility to tackle this issue urgently."
- New Straits Times
KUALA LUMPUR: Nurul Huda Ghani. Nurin Jazlin Jazimin. Preeshena Varshiny. These girls made the headlines for all the wrong reasons.
Abducted, brutally raped and murdered, their cases catapulted a flurry of campaigns from various quarters in a bid to create a more secure and safer environment for children.
There was a campaign to equip children with whistles. Certain quarters called for an alert they dubbed the Nurin alert, modelled on an American system called the Amber alert.
There were suggestions for single-session schools, introduction of safety as a subject in schools, establishment of a public registry for sex offenders and placing CCTVs in public areas.
Yet, it was clear that not enough had been done as incidences of violence against children are still occurring. Five-year-old Sharlinie Mohd Nashar has been missing since Jan 9, after being snatched while on her way home from a playground near her home in Taman Medan.
Protect and Save The Children director Madeleine Yong admitted it was easy to come up with suggestions.
"It is typical to get a knee-jerk reaction, judging from the trend in the past 10 years. It's a lot of talk but no action.
"Campaigns are only good if there is a sound strategy or immediate implementation. Without which, a campaign is just an idea."
She also feels that some of the ideas and suggestions given are by people who were not familiar with the issue. Therefore, the suggestions do not address the core of the problem.
In order for these problems to be dealt with effectively, Yong strongly advocates an overall systematic change from the top down.
"This issue will only be addressed effectively when the government creates a sound strategy or improves on current flawed strategies."
All Women's Action Society (AWAM) president Judith Loh Koh concurs with Yong. She said drastic change must be made by all sectors of society to stop violence and to create safer spaces for children. The implementation process of ideas and suggestions must be speeded up and followed through.
"At present, our reaction to safety issues is ad hoc, where we only take action whenever a particular threat or problem arises."
Former Social Welfare Department assistant director Vijayakumari Pillai feels that there is a need to understand that violence happens everywhere.
"It has implications for everyone. Everyone is involved.
"Since 1991 the Child Protection Act has a provision which states that it is an offence to leave a child without adult supervision, and that the parents or guardian can be charged in court."
National Council of Women's Organisation Malaysia deputy president Datuk Ramani Gurusamy said everyone was guilty of not making a concerted effort to follow through the suggestions post-Nurin.
"It's time for us to take responsibility to tackle this issue urgently."
- New Straits Times
Monday, February 4, 2008
Forward with Nurin Alert
After being given an extensive coverage by Tell Magazine last December, followed by a fair share of coverages by almost all the nation's mainstream print media, Nurin Alert had again caught the attention of another News Magazine, Forward, which is touted to be "Malaysia's Leading News Magazine".Though its coverpage did not give the slightest hint of its coverage on Nurin Alert, articles on Nurin Alert plus updates on the Nurin's, Preeshena's and Sharinie's cases actually took 7 solid pages of the magazine's February edition that had hit the newstands a couple of days ago.
On Nurin Alert, an article titling "Nurin Alert - Stop another Nurin tragedy" invited readers to understand the significance of the proposed Nurin Alert, how the idea came through, its proposed modus operandi, the implementation of its sisters' mechanisms in the US and in Korea, the roles played by bloggers in pushing and implementing the idea through, the whatever little achivements of the CFNA as well as its future planning.There is also a little write-up on Amber Alert, just to give the readers an idea on the origins of the mechanism that had inspired Nurin Alert.
On the Nurin tragedy itself, an article "A nation won't forget Nurin and other lost little girls" had not only revisited the tragedy but had also made references to the current search for missing Sharlinie.Retailing at only RM5.00 in Malaysia and being distributed to other parts of the world as well, this latest reading material is yet another must get document for those interested to learn more about Nurin Alert as well as for those who want to get themselves abreast with the latest twists and turns of the Nurin tragedy.
Other interesting articles that you can find in the magazine includes stories on Tun Dr. Siti Hasmah, Migrant workers, Hindraf and a lot more on the upcoming General Elections, Sami Yusof the entertainer etc.
Get a copy of Forward today and enjoy reading.
Jasni AJ
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