Fire wipes out decades-old traditional medicine shop
Lukman Mamad, 67, said the blaze destroyed all the medicines and treatment equipment in his rented premises.
"Yesterday, I closed the shop at 6pm and went home to Losong in Kuala Terengganu.
"At 11pm, while attending a meeting with friends, my son called to inform me that the shop was on fire.
"I rushed to Batu Enam and saw the flames raging. There were also loud explosions because the premises next to my shop were a self-service laundromat with many gas cylinders," he told reporters at the scene.
Lukman said the laundromat operator, who owns the shop building, lives in Kuala Lumpur.
Meanwhile, Kuala Nerus Fire and Rescue Station chief Azmi Omar said the station received an emergency call about the incident at 11.37pm yesterday.
He said 28 officers and personnel from the Kuala Nerus, Kuala Terengganu and Jalan Kota fire and rescue stations, as well as the Sri Nerus Volunteer Fire Station, were immediately dispatched to the scene.
"The fire involved three rows of semi-permanent shop lots.
"A food shop was 50 per cent destroyed, while a self-service laundromat and a traditional medicine store were 70 per cent destroyed.
"The incident also affected a house located behind the shop building, which suffered 50 per cent damage. As the shop and house structures were semi-permanent with old wooden upper floors, the fire spread rapidly," he said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
6 hours ago
- The Star
Ex-commando walks 10km daily to clean T'ganu beach
A FORMER commando in the special forces walks more than 10km a day to collect rubbish along a beach in Terengganu, Utusan Malaysia reported. Embong Ngah, also known as Che Yak, spends three to four hours daily as part of his routine, adding that it has become meaningful and a source of satisfaction. 'Ever since I had knee joint problems about five years ago, I can't walk much. But with exercise, I can now walk 10km. I take this chance to pick rubbish like containers and plastic bottles as I want to see a clean beach,' said Che Yak, 77, from Marang 'There are some who think I'm crazy as I do this alone, wearing worn out clothes and carrying a stick while walking. But I don't take it personally and continue my routine as usual,' he added. > A remote-control (RC) vehicle enthusiast has spent thousands of ringgit over the past 10 years collecting and producing replica RC lorries as part of his hobby, Harian Metro reported. Technician Mohammad Ridzuan Mohd Tahir, 36, said when he started his hobby, he only had one item, an RC lorry which costs RM4,500. 'Due to my deep interest, I was willing to spend money to expand my collection. 'Among them are an oil tanker, a tow truck, a double-decker Rapid Bus, a tractor and a Road Transport Department car, which are inspired by real models,' he said. Ridzuan also said he has a special track area at his home in Seri Kembangan, Selangor. 'I invested around RM20,000 to build this track. The satisfaction is hard to describe; the look, movement and sounds are realistic. It makes me feel like I'm actually driving the vehicle,' he said. > The daily also reported that a man's three decades of hard work went up in flames after a fire destroyed his homeopathy centre in Kuala Terengganu. Lukman Mamat, 68, said he was attending a gathering when his son called him and related the devastating news on Saturday. 'I rushed back and found the centre that had been operating since 1994 had burnt down. 'I sold various religious books, including books related to homeopathic treatment, at the centre. But nothing could be saved,' he added. Kuala Nerus fire station chief Azmi Omar said the fire was brought under control after 45 minutes, and the cause is still under investigation. The above articles are compiled from the vernacular newspapers (Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil dailies). As such, stories are grouped according to the respective language/medium. Where a paragraph begins with a >, it denotes a separate news item.
New Straits Times
6 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Loopholes in traffic laws leave accident victim in limbo
KUALA LUMPUR: A routine ride to work ended in agony for motorcyclist Jebat when he crashed into a car parked by the roadside without any warning cones or signage. He ended up breaking four bones in his leg, but the then 19-year-old's ordeal didn't end there — the car had neither insurance nor road tax, making it impossible for him to seek compensation from the owner. Jebat's mother, Kak Aby, 39, said she had to fork out thousands of ringgit for her son's recovery following the accident at the end of last year. "His hospital bill came up to almost RM400. Thankfully, it was a government hospital, but I had to pay for his supplements and milk. I also had to spend on travel expenses from our home in Sunway to Sungai Buloh. "It wasn't just him who suffered. I too had to sacrifice, taking leave from work to send him for physiotherapy," she told the New Straits Times. To rub salt in their wound, the car owner got away with just a slap on the wrist — a RM300 fine. "He didn't say or do anything for my son. He knew he could get away with just a summons, so why bother paying us for our troubles?" she said. Kak Aby said some lawyers tried to take advantage of her son's predicament, claiming that his case was winnable with at least RM40,000 in compensation. "But later, they said nothing could be done because the car had no insurance," she added. Kak Aby also had to pay around RM300 to repair Jebat's motorbike, as his insurance covered only about 60 per cent of the cost. Since then, Kak Aby wants the government to crack down on vehicle owners who failed to renew their road tax and insurance. "We need stricter penalties so road users will be more responsible. At least seize their vehicles until they renew their documents. "Otherwise, pity those who get into accidents with them. Imagine if it involves a death — a father leaving behind a wife and children. What would happen to them?" she said. Dev, 74, also fell victim when his new car was hit by a man he believed to be drink-driving. "I just had the car for three months when the incident happened early last year. "After hitting my car, the man tried to conceal his road tax, and when he came over, I could smell alcohol. "I told him my car was brand new and I wanted to lodge a police report so I could claim from his insurance to repair the damage. "He said 'Yes, you can go ahead', but he never turned up at the police station," he said. Dev later found out that the man had no insurance. "After knowing that, I felt demotivated. I knew nothing could be done, and I had to use my own insurance instead. "So, I lost my no-claim bonus," he said, referring to the discount offered on premiums with no history of claims. The repair cost almost RM20,000, but for Dev, what frustrated him more was the man getting away scot-free despite his actions that could have ended a life. "When I went to the police station to request the investigation report, the police said they can't investigate because the other party didn't lodge a report. "So it just ended there," he said, adding that the driver was not even issued a summons. Now he believes that law enforcement procedures need a review and frequent operations must be conducted to weed out such drivers.
The Star
6 hours ago
- The Star
Big win off pitch as Teong Kim lands RM1.04mil payout
PETALING JAYA: Former Perak coach Datuk Lim Teong Kim has won his unfair dismissal case against Perak FC Sdn Bhd, with the club ordered to pay him RM1.04mil in compensation. Industrial Court chairman D. Paramalingam said the award was based on the remaining 16 months of Teong Kim's two-year contract, which was terminated on May 24, 2023 — just eight months into his tenure. The 61-year-old, who was earning RM65,000 a month, was sacked mid-season over poor results, but the court ruled the decision 'premature and unjustified.' Paramalingam noted that the club's finances were already under strain due to its 'dwindling fortunes' even before Teong Kim took charge, and that the allegations of misconduct against him were not serious enough to warrant termination. A former Malaysia international with 60 caps from 1982 to 1996, Teong Kim boasts more than two decades of coaching experience. He spent 12 years with Bayern Munich's youth set-up from 2000 to 2012, and later served as head of Malaysia's National Football Development Programme and coach of the national Under-16 squad.
