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Free Malaysia Today
3 hours ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Missing British teen told family not to search for him, say police
David Balisong was reported missing by his family after boarding a flight from the UK to Kuala Lumpur in June without their knowledge. (PDRM pic) SHAH ALAM : Missing British teen David Balisong had apparently emailed his family asking them not to search for him, Selangor police chief Hussein Omar Khan said today. Hussein said Balisong told his family in the email, which was sent to his mother on July 9, that they should not worry about him. 'He also apologised to his family. He did not say when he would return,' he told a press conference here. Hussein confirmed that there is no record of Balisong leaving Malaysia since he arrived on June 7. 'So far, six individuals have had their statements recorded, and police are also reviewing CCTV footage at KL Sentral,' he said. Balisong, an A-level student from Cheadle, Greater Manchester, left home early on June 6, telling his brother he had school matters to deal with. Instead, he flew alone from Manchester to Kuala Lumpur. He has since switched off his phone and is not responding to emails. Born in the UK to Filipino parents, Balisong has no known ties to Malaysia. He left with £1,200 (RM6,900) in his bank account and was granted a 90-day visa upon arrival. Authorities believe that he took a bus to KL Sentral after arriving at KLIA on June 7.
TimesLIVE
2 days ago
- Business
- TimesLIVE
Sassa encourages honesty from grant beneficiaries during income reviews
The South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) continues its phased review of social grant recipients, urging beneficiaries to be honest and transparent during the income verification process. Multiple pensioners did not receive their July grants after the agency discovered what it called 'additional income' in their bank accounts. Brenton van Vrede, Sassa's executive manager for grants administration, told journalists on Monday that for normal social grants such as the older person's grant, disability grant and child support grant the focus is not just on how much money appears in a bank account. 'We are encouraging people to disclose. It's not about how much is in the account. It's about understanding the source of that income so we can test whether the person qualifies for the full grant amount, a partial amount or doesn't qualify. 'Maintenance is considered income in terms of the social assistance regulations, but each case is individually assessed.' He emphasised that honesty in the application, including providing three months of bank statements and explaining each source of income, is essential to ensure people are assessed fairly. Van Vrede noted most grant recipients will probably still qualify, even if they receive small amounts of financial support from family members. 'The qualifying income threshold for the older person's grant is quite high, more than R8,900 per month. So, if someone is receiving R2,000 from their children, it's unlikely to result in disqualification unless they have additional income, such as from a pension fund or rental income,' he said. Sassa CEO Themba Matlou addressed confusion about the social relief of distress (SRD) grant, maintenance income and the process by which reviews are triggered. He said no beneficiaries have been suspended but confirmed the agency is reviewing about 210,000 beneficiaries out of 19-million, a small fraction, after red flags were raised about possible ineligibility due to employment or other income sources. 'We have not experienced a situation where someone has been verified and not been paid. If the person no longer qualifies in terms of the legislation, we will suspend the grant but there hasn't [yet] been any suspension.' Matlou noted that means testing varies depending on the type of grant. For child support grants, it is the primary caregiver's income that is assessed, not the child's. In contrast, the SRD (Covid-19) grant involves more stringent, automated income checks via bank verification to determine eligibility. 'With SRD, we verify through the banks whether there's consistent money that comes through. But for normal grants, the means test usually applies to the primary caregiver only.' To reduce panic and long queues at Sassa offices, Matlou said the agency is developing a self-review online platform so grant recipients can review their own information without visiting offices. Hotspot offices with high volumes are being staffed with additional personnel to handle reviews more efficiently. 'We've only sent out the first rounds of notifications in June. We're still within the review time frame. Once we pass that, and if clients haven't come forward, then suspension will occur not necessarily because they don't qualify but because they failed to do the review.' The agency will publish data on the number of beneficiaries reviewed, the outcomes of those reviews and the number of grants continued or cancelled by the end of July.
Daily Express
2 days ago
- Daily Express
Missing British teen likely still in Malaysia, say cops
Published on: Monday, July 14, 2025 Published on: Mon, Jul 14, 2025 By: FMT Reporters Text Size: David Balisong was reported missing by his family after boarding a flight from the UK to Kuala Lumpur in June without their knowledge. (PDRM pic) PETALING JAYA: The 17-year-old British schoolboy who vanished after secretly boarding a one-way flight to Malaysia is likely still in the country, say the police. Selangor police chief Hussein Omar Khan said five people have had their statements recorded as part of a missing person investigation. 'The case is still under investigation, but he is believed to still be in Malaysia,' he was quoted as saying by Harian Metro. David Balisong, an A-level student from Cheadle, Greater Manchester, left home early on June 6, telling his brother he had school matters to deal with. Instead, he flew alone from Manchester to Kuala Lumpur. He has since switched off his phone and is not responding to emails. Born in the UK to Filipino parents, Balisong has no known ties to Malaysia. He left with 1,200 pounds (RM6,900) in his bank account and was granted a 90-day visa upon arrival. Immigration department director-general Zakaria Shaaban confirmed that Balisong entered Malaysia on June 7. Entry records show that the teen arrived at KLIA at 8.29am. He is believed to have taken a bus to KL Sentral after arriving. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Straits Times
4 days ago
- Straits Times
Foreign ‘tourists' turn handymen in Malaysia, fleece customers of thousands
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Foreigners entering Malaysia as 'tourists' have scammed unsuspecting customers out of thousands. PETALING JAYA - Renovation scams have taken a new turn, with foreigners who supposedly came to Malaysia as 'tourists' fleecing unsuspecting customers out of thousands of ringgit, some offering fly-by-night handyman and contractor services. What is worse is the shoddy workmanship that wears off within days. This also comes with a hefty price tag, where victims have been charged somewhere between RM6,000 (S$1,800) and RM11,000 for waterproofing and leakage repair works. Mr Kan Tuck Poh, a 48-year-old chef from Iskandar Puteri, Johor, said he came across a waterproofing and repairs advertisement on social media. Mr Kan, who works as a chef in Singapore, said he enlisted the so-called handymen based on the advertisement. 'They did not quote the price before beginning the work. They simply used an adhesive to plug the leakage,' he told The Star. 'After they were done, they quoted RM6,900 as the cost. The warranty supposedly lasted for six years,' he added. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Government looking at enhancing laws around vaping to tackle issue of drug-laced vapes in Singapore Singapore Why the vape scourge in Singapore concerns everyone Singapore I lost my daughter to Kpod addiction: Father of 19-year-old shares heartbreak and lessons Singapore Organised crime groups pushing drug-laced vapes in Asia including Singapore: UN Singapore Prison school to NUS: At 36, former drug abuser finds it's never too late to get a degree Singapore Driver arrested after 66-year-old woman dies in car crash at Geylang pasar malam Singapore Bland and boring? Some hospitals seek help from big names to enhance food menus for patients Asia Patriotism, peace and pain: The politics behind China's World War II narrative Mr Kan said the adhesive only lasted for five days and once it came off, he had trouble getting hold of the two men. They kept coming up with excuses. 'They drove a local car and spoke with a thick foreign accent. I asked them how long they had been here. They said they had only arrived two days earlier and they came here under a tourist visa,' he said. Suspecting it was a scam and after failing to get the duo to fix the leakage, he finally lodged a police report. 'When I asked them to come to the police station to settle the problem, they blocked me,' he said. Mr Kan believes that they were operating nationwide and not just in Johor. In his police report, Mr Kan said he had paid RM2,900 in cash. He had later transferred RM1,000 and S$912 to two Singaporean bank accounts belonging to two foreign nationals. He even said that the handyman had threatened to 'burn down his house' if he lodged a police report. The Star found the Facebook page of the service provider was still active with the last post being on May 25. They claim to offer professional waterproofing and leak repair services. Their promotional literature included short videos of two handymen fixing roofs, bathrooms and other areas, and also included purported customer testimonials. They also claimed to offer free on-site inspection and contact was solely through WhatsApp. Petaling Jaya Malaysian Chinese Association deputy chief Lim Han Boon said he personally visited a renovation site along Jalan Alor and found about 50 foreign nationals working on the project. He said a friend of his, who happened to be one of the workers for the project, had informed him about the situation. 'When I asked how long they had been working here, some of them tried to avoid answering my questions,' he said, noting that they spoke in foreign accents. According to Mr Lim, the site involved renovation work across three floors. Upon inspecting the materials being used, he noted that some appeared to have been sourced from a foreign country. He believes it is possible that the contractor procured the renovation materials directly from a foreign country and shipped them to Malaysia for use. 'Local construction companies have to pay taxes, EPF contributions for their workers and other overheads,' he said. EPF, or E mployees Provident Fund, refers to Malaysia's pension scheme. 'But even after factoring in airfares, accommodation and wages, these foreign workers still cost less than hiring locals.' Mr Lim added that he plans to gather more evidence before submitting the matter to the police and Immigration Department for further action. In 2024, Malaysia's Construction Industry Development Board unveiled a standard construction agreement template that outlines the responsibilities and contractual obligations that all involved parties should adhere to during a renovation project – in an effort to combat renovation scams. It urged homeowners to stay informed about the current prices of construction materials, labour costs and local council regulations affecting renovation work. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
The Star
4 days ago
- The Star
‘Tourists' fixing houses?
Dodgy repairs: There's a new twist to renovation scams, with foreigners supposedly entering Malaysia with a tourist visa and defrauding customers who want their houses renovated. — RAJA FAISAL HISHAN/The Star Homeowners at risk of being scammed PETALING JAYA: Renovation scams have taken a new turn, with foreigners who supposedly came to Malaysia as 'tourists' fleecing unsuspecting customers out of thousands of ringgit, some offering fly-by-night handyman and contractor services. What is worse is the shoddy workmanship that wears off merely within days. This also comes with a hefty price tag, where victims have been charged somewhere between RM6,000 and RM11,000 for waterproofing and leakage repair works. Kan Tuck Poh, a 48-year-old chef from Iskandar Puteri, Johor, said he came across a waterproofing and repairs advertisement on social media. Kan, who works as a chef in Singapore, said he enlisted the so-called handymen based on the advertisement. 'They did not quote the price before beginning the work. They simply used an adhesive to plug the leakage,' he told The Star. 'After they were done, they quoted RM6,900 as the cost. The warranty supposedly lasted for six years,' he added. Kan said the adhesive only lasted for five days and once it came off, he had trouble getting hold of the two men. They kept coming up with excuses. 'They drove a local car and spoke with a thick foreign accent. I asked them how long they had been here. They said they had only arrived two days earlier and they came here under a tourist visa,' he said. Suspecting it was a scam and after failing to get the duo to fix the leakage, he finally lodged a police report. 'When I asked them to come to the police station to settle the problem, they blocked me,' he said. Kan believes that they were operating nationwide and not just in Johor. In his police report, Kan said he had paid RM2,900 in cash. He had later transferred RM1,000 and S$912 (RM3,029.73) to two Singaporean bank accounts belonging to two foreign nationals. He even said that the handyman had threatened to 'burn down his house' if he lodged a police report. The Star found the Facebook page of the service provider was still active with the last post being on May 25. They claim to offer professional waterproofing and leak repair services. Their promotional literature included short videos of two handymen fixing roofs, bathrooms and other areas, and also included purported customer testimonials. They also claimed to offer free on-site inspection and contact was solely through WhatsApp. Petaling Jaya MCA deputy chief Lim Han Boon said he personally visited a renovation site along Jalan Alor and found about 50 foreign nationals working on the project. He said a friend of his, who happened to be one of the workers for the project, had informed him about the situation. 'When I asked how long they had been working here, some of them tried to avoid answering my questions,' he said, noting that they spoke in foreign accents. According to Lim, the site involved renovation work across three floors. Upon inspecting the materials being used, he noted that some appeared to have been sourced from a foreign country. He believes it is possible that the contractor procured the renovation materials directly from a foreign country and shipped them to Malaysia for use. 'Local construction companies have to pay taxes, EPF contributions for their workers and other overheads. 'But even after factoring in airfares, accommodation and wages, these foreign workers still cost less than hiring locals,' he said. He added that he plans to gather more evidence before submitting the matter to the police and Immigration Department for further action. Last year, Malaysia's Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) unveiled a standard construction agreement template that outlines the responsibilities and contractual obligations that all involved parties should adhere to during a renovation project – in an effort to combat renovation scams. It urged homeowners to stay informed about the current prices of construction materials, labour costs and local council regulations affecting renovation work.
