KUALA LUMPUR: Touch 'n Go reload lanes will be closed on Feb 12, 13, 16, 20 and 21 to facilitate toll plaza operations in conjunction with the Chinese New Year holidays.

PLUS Expressways Berhad chief operating officer Nik Airina Nik Jaffar said the closure would not involve the Tanjung Kupang, Bangunan Sultan Iskandar and Bukit Kayu Hitam toll plazas.

This festive season, PLUS and Touch 'n Go Sdn Bhd will provide reload facilities at several main rest and service (R&R) areas along the North-South Expressway during the aforementioned dates.

SIPITANG (Sabah): The restructuring of the sugar distribution system is expected to be completed next month, said Domestic Trade, Cooperative and Consumerism Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

He said the process would entail reviewing the licences of problematic and unsuitable wholesalers.

Among factors considered include ensuring the smooth supply of sugar to consumers by wholesalers, he told reporters after the launch of a campaign to reduce sugar intake here today.

KUALA LUMPUR: Three secondary school students were detained by the police after allegedly robbing a foreigner in Selayang yesterday.

Gombak district police chief ACP Abdul Rahim Abdullah said the victim, a 31-year-old Pakistani, was walking in the area at about 10.35am when the four boys, who were in school uniform, approached him.

The students then assaulted the foreigner and robbed him of his handphone, a photostat copy of his passport and RM130 before fleeing.

RAWANG: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) will discuss tomorrow the rational for the purchase of 1,294 units of used buses at the price of RM93 million by the Syarikat Prasarana Negara Berhad (Prasarana) in 2003, PAC chairman Datuk Seri Azmi Khalid said.

He said the discussion was part of the committee's investigation into the company's asset management.He said the PAC would call the company to give its explanation.

KUALA LUMPUR: Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, the main witness in the ongoing sodomy trial of Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, lodged a police report this afternoon, claiming that he received a death threat.

KUALA LUMPUR: Besieged with problems, the opposition pact of PKR-DAP-PAS, or better known as Pakatan Rakyat, will hold a series of retreats next month to brainstorm strategies to counter "attacks" from the Barisan Nasional.

Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) vice-president Azmin Ali said the first retreat would be for the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) partners in Selangor on March 7, followed by the national-level retreat on March 10 or 16 in Penang.

KUALA LUMPUR: Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s second sodomy trial this morning was postponed again to tomorrow.

This is because the defence's lead counsel, Karpal Singh, wanted time to respond to the prosecution’s affidavit against disqualifying presiding High Court judge Datuk Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah.

PUTRAJAYA: Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir (pic) has been declared the rightful Menteri Besar of Perak.

The five-man Federal Court bench this morning retained the Court of Appeal's decision pronouncing Zambry, 47, as the lawful MB, ending any hope of his predecessor, Datuk Seri  Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin, 52, of the Pakatan pact of DAP-PKR-PAS, reclaiming the post.

KUALA LUMPUR: This festive season, city dwellers might notice the lack of Chinese New Year decorations on the streets, particularly the absence of red beaming lanterns.

Even though the much-celebrated festival is just four days away, some of the prominent and well-known streets in the city like those in the Bukit Bintang (Golden Triangle) area are without any festive decorations.

It also seems that the number of lanterns in the city has fallen when compared with previous years.

PETALING JAYA: The proposal to set up a baby hatch by an organisation called OrphanCARE at its premises here — for people to drop off their unwanted babies — is a step towards addressing the social stigma attached to poor mothers.

Tenaganita director Irene Fernandez said the baby hatch would support and protect young women in trouble.

"Those with unwanted pregnancies usually fear punishment and disapproval of people around them. That's why they resort to abandoning their babies. With this place, unwanted babies will be well taken care of."

PETALING JAYA: Many yearn for extra hours in their daily life to do all the things they enjoy without getting tired.

But Nurul Asyikin Ishak, a public relations executive for an engineering consultant firm, believes you can find time for your favourite activities if you put your mind to it.

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Cooperative Commission (CCM) will close cooperatives that are fronts for moneylenders and financial institutions.

CCM head of corporate affairs Zainal Abidin Abdul Manap said it had come to their attention that cooperatives were “selling” their members to loan sharks, moneylenders and financial institutions.

KUALA LUMPUR: With an increasing number of people from Iran arrested in Malaysia as drug traffickers or drug mules, the police and Customs Department want the government to revoke the visa-onarrival policy for Iranians.

Sources told The Malay Mail this proposal was submitted to the Home Ministry recently, but at Press time, it could not be ascertained whether the government had decided on the matter.

KUALA LUMPUR: Former finance minister Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah (pic) today defended his 'controversial' stance on the Kelantan oil royalties issue, stating that he was just pointing out the relevant provision in the Petroleum Development Act 1974.

KUALA LUMPUR: The commanding officer of the former KD Sri Inderapura have been discharged from the navy after he pleaded guilty to two charges made against him at a court martial on Jan 25.

With the sentence, Captain Zainuddin Hitam, 41, will stand to lose any benefits from his service in the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN). Zainuddin of Sitiawan, Perak is appealing the dismissal, RMN chief Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Jaaafar told The Malay Mail today.

The court martial was held at the RMN base in Lumut and the proceedings were not open to the public.

ALOR SETAR: The Safety, Health and Environment (SHE) code of practice that was announced by the Commercial Vehicles Licensing Board (CVLB) last month to discipline bus operators will be enforced next month.

Board chairman, Datuk Halimah Mohamed Sadique, said the code would be enforced two weeks after all 224 bus operators were briefed and went through a two-day course in Kuala Lumpur on Feb 23.

She said the briefing and course would stress on bus operations, making records of bus travel, drivers' health and internal audit.

SEMPORNA (Sabah): Out of the eight defence radar units designated for the east coast of Sabah, four are already operational, said Deputy Defence Minister Datuk Dr Abdul Latiff Ahmad.

He said the remaining four were expected come onstream by year end.

"The command and control centre for the radar network is also ready. As such, we have the capability to monitor and supervise security in Sabah round-the-clock," he told reporters after visiting the Sri Wangsa military camp near here today.

KOTA BAHARU: Malaysia's aim of not having to import rice by 2015 may be realised when two major rice-growing areas of the Muda Agriculture Development Authority (Mada) and Kemubu Agriculture Development Authority (Kada) can raise production by between five per cent and 10 per cent.

Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Deputy Minister Datuk Wira Mohd Johari Baharum said currently, Malaysia was importing 30 per cent of its needs for rice or 700,000 tonnes from other countries annually.

MELBOURNE: Malaysians will be among thousands of would-be migrants to Australia who will have their applications cancelled as part of an Australian Government overhaul of the skilled migration programme.

Australia's Immigration Minister Senator Chris Evans Monday announced that Canberra was reforming the permanent skilled migration programme to make it demand rather than supply driven.