TAWAU: A total of 227 illegal Indonesian immigrants who were held at the Immigration Detention Centres in Kota Kinabalu and Papar were deported via Tawau Port to Nunukan Port, Tunon Taka Terminal, Indonesia yesterday.

Sabah Immigration Department director, Datuk Sh Sitti Saleha Habib Yussof said that the deportation process involved detainees aged between two and 82, comprising 107 men, 71 women, and 49 children, who travelled on the Purnama Express and Labuan Express ferries.

“This is the 19th series of deportation programmes for unauthorised immigrants by sea for the year 2024. They were detained for various offences under the Immigration Act 1959/1963 and Immigration Regulations 1963,” she said in a statement today.

She added that the deportation programme was carried out in collaboration with the Consulate General of Indonesia in Kota Kinabalu and the Indonesian Consulate in Tawau.

KOTA BHARU: Police have confirmed that the whistleblower who sent an open letter to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong regarding allegations of corruption in Sabah has received death threats.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain said the case is being investigated by the Bukit Aman Classified Crime Investigation Unit under Section 507 of the Penal Code, which addresses criminal intimidation through anonymous communication.

The 36-year-old male informant received a threatening call via WhatsApp from an unknown number.

“During the call, the suspect, believed to be a local man, threatened the informant in Mandarin, claiming to be from a hitman group and demanding the informant stay silent.

“The suspect warned that if the informant did not comply, he would be killed within 24 hours and called it a final warning,” Razarudin told Bernama today.

Razarudin said the suspect also sent two images, one of a pistol with ammunition and another showing a person shot in the street.

The informant expressed deep fear for his own safety and that of his family, he said.

“After receiving the WhatsApp message, the informant reported the incident and blocked the number. Since then, no further threats have been made,” Razarudin said, adding that the informant initially suspected that the phone number might belong to a scammer or was dialed incorrectly.

He said further checks revealed that the phone number was no longer in service and had no registered owner.

Razarudin added no other reports had been filed regarding this number, and the investigation returned no relevant records.

KUALA LUMPUR: Sabah-based infrastructure construction player Azam Jaya Bhd (AJB) aims to bid for more projects by capitalising on the state’s substantial growth in the construction industry, especially in regions where infrastructure development is much needed.

Executive director Datuk Jessica Lo Vun Che said the company plans to enhance its construction capabilities, strengthening its capacity to take on larger projects as part of its long-term strategies.

“We are committed to raising construction standards in Sabah to meet the region’s growing infrastructure demands.

“We are particularly encouraged by the federal government’s commitment to advancing development in Sabah, notably through the Budget 2025 allocations, in which Sabah received the highest development funding among the states.

“Azam Jaya welcomes the recent allocation of RM10 billion under Budget 2025 to complete the Sabah portion of the Pan-Borneo Highway, alongside the additional RM6.7 billion for development in Sabah,“ she said at the company listing on the main market of Bursa Malaysia yesterday.

This robust debut follows an IPO oversubscription of 23.00 times, reflecting strong confidence in Azam Jaya’s business operations and growth potential.

At the opening bell, Azam Jaya’s share price debuted at RM1.00, representing a premium of 28.21% over the issue price of RM0.78, with an opening volume of 5,126,000 shares.

The rose as much as 48.72% to touch its intra-day high of RM1.16 and closed at RM1.09.

“With the proceeds from our IPO totalling RM61.5 million, we are poised to accelerate our growth strategies in exciting ways.

“We are committed to enhancing our construction capabilities by expanding our fleet of machinery and equipment, ensuring we have the tools necessary to meet the demands of our expanding projects,“ Lo said.

Azam Jaya specialises in constructing large-scale road infrastructure in Sabah, including roads, highways, bridges, flyovers, and tunnels.

With over 30 years of experience in the industry, the group has a proven track record, having completed over 50 construction projects in the region.

“The listing of Azam Jaya is a testament to over 30 years of industry expertise navigating the complexities of road construction in Sabah.

“With fresh capital, we are well-positioned to accelerate our growth and seize new opportunities,“ Lo said.

On the financial front, Azam Jaya’s revenue grew from RM231.5 million in the financial year ended December 31, 2021 (FY21) to RM280.8 million in FY23, representing a 2-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.1%.

Regarding dividend policy, Azam Jaya aims to distribute at least 30% of its net profit to shareholders.

From the proceeds raised, RM8.0 million (13.0%) will be allocated to boost construction capabilities and operational efficiencies by acquiring new machinery, equipment, and technological upgrades.

RM28.4 million (46.2%) has been set aside for working capital purposes, RM20.0 million (32.5%) is earmarked for repayment of bank borrowings, and RM5.1 million (8.2%) will be used to defray listing expenses.

Inter-Pacific Securities Sdn Bhd is the principal adviser, sole underwriter and sole placement agent for the IPO exercise.

This application under Section 389(1) Cr.P.C. has been filed seeking suspension of sentence of the applicant/accused in S.C.No.561 of 2023 on the file of the Court of Session, Manjeri. He has been found guilty of the offences punishable under Sections 341, 354 A (2) read with Section 354 A (1)(i), 363 of IPC, and Section 8 read with Section 7 of the PoCSO Act. He has been sentenced to varying terms of imprisonment for the aforesaid offences. The sentences have been directed to run concurrently. The maximum period of imprisonment he will have to undergo is 4 years.

Crl.M.Appl. No.1 of 2024

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2. The application is opposed by the learned public prosecutor.