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The Sun
3 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
Online fraud in Melaka costs victims RM30.85m in five months
MELAKA: A total of 934 online scam cases with losses amounting to RM30.85 million were recorded in Melaka from January 1 to June 2 this year. State Science, Technology, Innovation and Digital Communications Committee deputy chairman Datuk Mohd Noor Helmy Abdul Halem said all the cases were reported through the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) and the police. During the same period, authorities arrested 531 individuals linked to online scam syndicates, with 312 of them charged in court. 'This year's largest individual loss involved a victim who lost RM2.9 million. Alarmingly, more professionals—including doctors, bank officers and corporate managers—are falling victim to these scams, not just ordinary citizens or civil servants,' he told reporters here today. He noted that while total losses were slightly lower than the same period last year, online scams remain a serious concern and ongoing awareness efforts are crucial. The most common scams reported involved fake investments on Telegram and Facebook, bogus job offers, and non-existent house-cleaning services. 'Despite being aware of the risks, many victims were lured in due to greed and impulsive decisions,' he added. Mohd Noor Helmy was speaking after launching the Content Creator Enhancement Workshop under the Anti-Scam Awareness Campaign, which saw the participation of around 50 individuals, including MADANI community leaders. The programme, held in collaboration with the Melaka Information Department, Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), and the police, also trained participants to create digital content and serve as information agents to raise public awareness of online scams.
The Sun
27-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Al-Salām Reit reports 7.5% revenue growth in Q1 FY25, long-term outlook positive
KUALA LUMPUR: JLG Reit Managers Sdn Bhd, the manager of Al-Salām Real Estate Investment Trust (Al-Salām Reit), achieved a strong year-on-year growth in revenue of 7.5%, recording RM21.4 million in the first quarter (Q1) ended March 31, 2025 (FY25), compared to RM19.9 million in the same period last year. Net property income (NPI) stood at RM14.9 million in Q1 FY25 compared with RM13.7 million a year ago, representing an increase of 8.8%. Growth in revenue and NPI was primarily driven by the higher rentals from Komtar JBCC, reflecting Al-Salām Reit's strategic focus on optimising asset performance. Komtar JBCC recorded an occupancy rate of 64% for Q1 2025, marking a return to pre-Covid levels. Al-Salām Reit declared a distribution per unit (DPU) of 0.51 sen in Q1 FY25, translating into a payout of 90.2%. Al-Salām Reit's DPU of 0.51 sen in Q1 FY25 is 70% higher than the declared DPU of 0.30 sen in Q1 FY24. The retail mall segment for Al-Salām Reit contributed strongly to revenue growth, delivering a revenue of RM12.4 million in Q1 FY25, representing a year-on-year increase of 13.8%, from RM10.9 million in Q1 FY24. NPI from the retail segment also grew 21.7% year-on-year, from RM6.0 million in Q1 FY24 to RM7.3 million in Q1 FY25. The strong performance was primarily attributed to Komtar JBCC's improvements in rental income and promotional income, following the reconfiguration of the al-fresco dining zone on the ground floor with several F&B tenant openings. Other assets in the retail portfolio, such as @Mart Kempas and Mydin Hypermart Gong Badak continue to demonstrate resilience as community-focused hypermarkets, providing essential daily provisions. Under a triple net lease arrangement, Mydin Hypermart Gong Badak continues to deliver steady contributions to Al-Salām Reit's core income. The food and beverage (F&B) segment, consisting of 42 KFC and Pizza Hut outlets, contributed a stable revenue of RM4.4 million in Q1 FY25, in line with Q1 FY24 revenue of RM4.4 million, demonstrating stability in rental income despite headwinds. Due to the triple net lease arrangement for the F&B segment, revenue translated into full NPI at RM4.4 million. Occupancy for the F&B segment remains at 100%. The industrial segment consisting of strategic assets of QSR Brands also posted stable results, with a revenue of RM2.9 million in Q1 FY25 compared to RM2.8 million in Q1 FY24, representing a modest 3.6% year-on-year increase. Under arrangements for triple net leases, the industrial segment's revenue also translated to an NPI of RM2.9 million for Q1 2025. Occupancy for the F&B segment remains at 100%. The office segment of Al-Salām Reit, consisting of Menara Komtar, posted a revenue of RM1.7 million in Q1 FY25 compared to RM1.9 million in Q1 FY24. NPI stood at RM0.5 million in Q1 FY25 compared to RM0.7 million in Q1 FY24. There were some tenant movements throughout the year, which resulted in a slight decline in occupancy from 93% in Q1 FY24 to 85% in Q1 FY25. Despite a lower revenue and NPI in the office segment, this has minimal impact on the portfolio as the office segment represents 6% of Al-Salām Reit's total portfolio value. Tenant take-up at Menara Komtar is expected to improve by the end of 2025, supplemented by ongoing asset enhancement initiatives (AEIs) at Komtar JBCC, increasing Menara Komtar's appeal as a preferred office space within JBCC. Furthermore, the expected economic spillover from nearby developments is anticipated to positively impact Menara Komtar's performance. Al-Salām Reit CEO Zulhilmy Kamaruddin said the Q1 results showed overall improvement, especially in the retail segment, underpinned by Komtar JBCC's stronger performance. '2025 will see a strategic focus on reconfiguring Komtar JBCC's layout and tenant mix, reflecting our vision for Komtar JBCC's position primarily as a transit-oriented mall. 'We expect Komtar JBCC to benefit from strong traffic flows once the JB-Singapore RTS Link is completed. 'We are committed to revitalising Komtar JBCC through AEIs, which include reconfiguration of existing spaces to improve tenant take-up rate and occupancy. This has garnered strong interest from mini-anchors, which we expect to translate into sign-ups by the end of 2025,' he said in a statement. In 1Q FY25, Komtar JBCC saw the opening of an F&B zone on the second floor with several grab-and-go-type F&B and some fast food chains, in line with its transit-oriented proposition. Reconfiguration of a new lifestyle dining concept zone with al-fresco dining on the ground floor has also been completed, with new tenant openings in May 2025 by Dim Sum Place and The Ramen Stall, both familiar halal brands from Singapore. 'We are focused on our goal to improve the performance of Al-Salām Reit. It is an exciting year ahead for us, where we will see Komtar JBCC undergo sectional refurbishments with a curated tenant mix. 'We are also actively streamlining our portfolio theme to provide our investors and stakeholders with more clarity and focus moving forward, focusing on our JB-based assets, aligning with the flurry of economic activities arising from the JS-SEZ and JB-Singapore RTS Link. 'Moving forward, Al-Salām Reit remains focused on delivering sustainable, long-term returns to its unitholders. We are actively managing our capital to address our gearing levels and conducting active portfolio review and optimisation. 'This demonstrates our commitment to enhancing shareholder value. With ongoing efforts to drive rental growth and occupancy, we are well-positioned to capitalise on emerging opportunities in the retail and commercial sectors in Johor Bahru. Our strategy continues to prioritise value creation for unitholders, supported by a disciplined approach to growth and yield enhancement,' Zulhilmy said. Al-Salām Reit expect Komtar JBCC to benefit from strong traffic flows once the JB-Singapore RTS Link is completed.
New Straits Times
27-05-2025
- New Straits Times
Chinese student fined RM17,000 for faking kidnap to dupe friend's mum of RM2.9mil
KUALA LUMPUR: A Chinese national was fined RM17,000 after pleading guilty to a charge of cheating by falsely claiming his friend had been kidnapped in order to demand a ransom of RM2.9 million. Sessions Court judge Azrul Darus handed down the sentence to Zhang Runbao, 23, a university student in Singapore, after he pleaded guilty to the charge today. The court ordered that Zhang be jailed for six months if he fails to pay the fine. According to the charge, Zhang deceived Cheng Zhiwen, 40, the mother of his 18-year-old friend Ye Yingxi, by calling her and showing a video that appeared to depict Ye being kidnapped. The video allegedly showed Ye half-naked, his hands tied, mouth covered with black duct tape, neck being strangled, body stomped on, and water poured on his face. Zhang then issued threats and demanded a ransom of 5 million yuan (RM2.9 million) to be transferred into a bank account in China. However, the entire act was staged to deceive Cheng into handing over the money, something she would not have done had she known it was a hoax. The offence was committed at a hotel along Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman between 11.44am and 9.15pm on May 2 this year. Zhang was charged under Section 417 of the Penal Code, read together with Section 34, which carries a maximum sentence of five years' jail, or a fine, or both upon conviction. Deputy public prosecutor Noor Syafina Radzuan urged the court to impose a deterrent sentence. "The accused's deceit caused inconvenience to many parties and wasted time and court resources, including police efforts to track him down. "The prosecution also requested that the second accused, Ye, be discharged not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) since Zhang has pleaded guilty," she said. Meanwhile, Ernie Sulastri Ahmad, who represented Zhang, appealed for a lenient sentence, noting that her client intends to continue his studies, which are expected to conclude in June next year. Ye's lawyer, Ramesh Sivakumar, also urged the court to fully release and acquit his client, pointing out that the mother had withdrawn her police report and no longer wished to pursue the case against her son. Azrul granted the application and ordered that Ye be discharged not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) from the charge.
The Sun
27-05-2025
- The Sun
Chinese student fined RM17,000 for staging fake kidnapping to extort ransom
KUALA LUMPUR: A university student from China was today fined RM17,000 by the Sessions Court here for deceiving his friend's mother by staging a fake kidnapping to extort RM2.9 million in ransom. Judge Azrul Darus imposed the sentence on Zhang Runbao, 23, who is studying in Singapore, after he changed his plea to guilty when the alternative charge was read during the case mention. The court also ordered a six-month jail term in default of payment. According to the alternative charge, Zhang deceived Cheng Zhiwen, the mother of his friend Ye Yingxi, by making a phone call and showing a video of Ye appearing to be abducted. The video showed Ye with a drenched face, hands bound, partially unclothed and mouth taped. The kidnapper also claimed he had been choked and stomped on. The accused then issued threats and demanded that Cheng transfer five million yuan (RM2.9 million) into a bank account in China. The offence was committed at a hotel along Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman between 11.44 am and 9.15 pm on May 2. Zhang was charged under Section 417 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum sentence of five years' imprisonment, a fine, or both. Earlier, deputy public prosecutor Noor Syafina Radzuan urged the court to impose a deterrent sentence, noting that the accused had caused significant inconvenience to multiple parties, incurring unnecessary time and resources for the court and police. 'In respect of the second accused (Ye), the prosecution seeks a discharge not amounting to an acquittal, as Zhang has pleaded guilty,' she submitted. Zhang's lawyer, Ernie Sulastri Ahmad, pleaded for a lenient sentence on the basis that he was a first-time offender and had saved judicial time and expense by pleading guilty. 'He intends to resume his studies, which are expected to conclude in June 2026,' she added. Meanwhile, Ye's lawyer Ramesh Sivakumar sought a full discharge and acquittal, informing the court that Cheng no longer wished to pursue the matter and had withdrawn her police report against her son. However, Judge Azrul allowed the prosecution's application and ordered that Ye be discharged, not amounting to an acquittal.
The Sun
27-05-2025
- The Sun
Chinese student fined RM17,000 for staging fake kidnapping
KUALA LUMPUR: A university student from China was today fined RM17,000 by the Sessions Court here for deceiving his friend's mother by staging a fake kidnapping to extort RM2.9 million in ransom. Judge Azrul Darus imposed the sentence on Zhang Runbao, 23, who is studying in Singapore, after he changed his plea to guilty when the alternative charge was read during the case mention. The court also ordered a six-month jail term in default of payment. According to the alternative charge, Zhang deceived Cheng Zhiwen, the mother of his friend Ye Yingxi, by making a phone call and showing a video of Ye appearing to be abducted. The video showed Ye with a drenched face, hands bound, partially unclothed and mouth taped. The kidnapper also claimed he had been choked and stomped on. The accused then issued threats and demanded that Cheng transfer five million yuan (RM2.9 million) into a bank account in China. The offence was committed at a hotel along Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman between 11.44 am and 9.15 pm on May 2. Zhang was charged under Section 417 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum sentence of five years' imprisonment, a fine, or both. Earlier, deputy public prosecutor Noor Syafina Radzuan urged the court to impose a deterrent sentence, noting that the accused had caused significant inconvenience to multiple parties, incurring unnecessary time and resources for the court and police. 'In respect of the second accused (Ye), the prosecution seeks a discharge not amounting to an acquittal, as Zhang has pleaded guilty,' she submitted. Zhang's lawyer, Ernie Sulastri Ahmad, pleaded for a lenient sentence on the basis that he was a first-time offender and had saved judicial time and expense by pleading guilty. 'He intends to resume his studies, which are expected to conclude in June 2026,' she added. Meanwhile, Ye's lawyer Ramesh Sivakumar sought a full discharge and acquittal, informing the court that Cheng no longer wished to pursue the matter and had withdrawn her police report against her son. However, Judge Azrul allowed the prosecution's application and ordered that Ye be discharged, not amounting to an acquittal.
