Crime & Safety news in Kota Kinabalu Wetland Ramsar Site Kota Kinabalu Sabah
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Woman jailed 15 months for false MyKad application
A 40-year-old woman was sentenced to 15 months in jail by the Magistrate's Court in Kota Kinabalu after pleading guilty to giving false information as guarantor for a child's MyKad application. The court heard she used her own biological child's birth certificate for another child at the Tawau NRD in 2023, and had sold that birth certificate to another person.
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Filipino man jailed five months for threatening ex-wife in Kota Kinabalu
A 49-year-old Filipino man without valid documents was sentenced to five months in jail and fined RM2,500 by the Magistrate's Court in Kota Kinabalu for threatening to kill his former wife. The offence occurred on May 6 at a house in Kampung Suang Parai, Manggatal, where he had confined the woman for about a month after their child's wedding.
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Broker charged with cheating woman of RM81,500 over Tambunan land deal
A 44-year-old freelance broker, Herman Stephen, was charged in the Kota Kinabalu Sessions Court with seven counts of cheating a 66-year-old woman of RM81,500 over a land deal in Kampung Rompon, Tambunan. He pleaded not guilty, was released on RM14,500 bail with two local sureties, and the court fixed Oct 29 for mention. The payments were allegedly made between Nov 23 and Dec 5, 2025 at an apartment in Jalan Sulaman, Manggatal.
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Motorcyclist, 22, dies after skidding at Bundusan roundabout
A 22-year-old motorcyclist was killed in a crash at the 360 Roundabout along Jalan Bundusan in Penampang, Sabah, at about 4.10am on Saturday. Police said the motorcycle went out of control while negotiating the roundabout and skidded, and the rider was pronounced dead at the scene. The case is being investigated under Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987.
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Prof Charles acquitted of 21 false claim charges over UMS research funds
The Kota Kinabalu Sessions Court today acquitted and discharged Prof Dr Charles Santhanaraju Vairappan of 21 charges of making false claims involving Sabah marine life research funds. Judge Jason Juga ruled the prosecution failed to establish a prima facie case after calling 26 witnesses, so the accused did not have to enter his defence. His bail money was returned and his passport handed back.
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PM hands RM1,500 special aid to 111 families of Numbak fire victims
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim presented RM1,500 in special federal aid to each of the 111 households affected by the Numbak fire in Kota Kinabalu. The aid was delivered during his visit to the temporary relocation centre at Dewan Serbaguna Damai. The 30 August blaze destroyed 202 houses and killed three children.
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Myvi driver arrested after fleeing JPJ check in Kota Kinabalu
A Perodua Myvi driver was detained in Kota Kinabalu after trying to flee a JPJ inspection yesterday. The car was suspected of extreme modifications and the driver in his 20s was found to have committed four offences including expired licence and no insurance.
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Two China nationals fined RM1,800 each over fake boarding passes at KKIA
Two Chinese nationals were fined RM1,800 each, or seven months' jail in default, by the Magistrate's Court in Kota Kinabalu for using fake boarding passes to exit the domestic arrival hall at Kota Kinabalu International Airport. Wei Zhan and Nong Chunzhao pleaded guilty to using forged AirAsia and Batik Air Malaysia e-boarding passes for a Tawau-Kota Kinabalu route on Sept 2, with checks showing they were not recorded as passengers on those flights.
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Document examiner stands by findings on Zara Qairina's handwriting at Sabah inquest
At the Coroner's Court in Kota Kinabalu on Thursday, document examiner Nurul Atiqah Mohd Noh maintained that her conclusion the questioned writings belonged to the late Zara Qairina Mahathir is unchanged, even after hearing the testimony of another forensic handwriting expert, Dr Linthini Gannetion. She said minor scribbles, amendments and different writing instruments do not overturn the finding, and that another expert's inability to conclude does not mean someone else wrote them. The inquest into the 13-year-old student's death resumes in October.
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Labourer gets nine months for disposing of stolen Proton rims in Penampang
A 29-year-old labourer was jailed nine months by the Magistrate's Court in Kota Kinabalu after pleading guilty to helping dispose of three stolen Proton Saga rims worth RM300. The rims were taken from a roadside along the Pan Borneo Highway at Kampung Mansiang in Manggatal, and the man led police to a scrap metal shop in Penampang where they were sold. In a separate case, a woman was fined RM2,000 for failing to comply with a Consumer Claims Tribunal award.
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Ten Vietnamese women fined in Kota Kinabalu court for immigration offences
Ten Vietnamese women were fined by the Sessions Court in Kota Kinabalu for various immigration offences. Five were fined RM4,000 each for entering Malaysia without valid documents, while the others were fined for overstaying or having irregular passes. All were ordered to be referred to the Immigration Department after settling their fines or serving their jail terms.
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Sabah man jailed for not carrying IC; another fined for stolen goods
A 51-year-old man was sentenced to six months in jail by the Kota Kinabalu Magistrate's Court for failing to produce his identity card during a police raid in Penampang. In a separate case, a 28-year-old driver was fined RM3,000 for retaining stolen welding equipment in Putatan.
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Psychiatrist defends diary assessment in Zara Qairina inquest
At the Coroner's Court in Kota Kinabalu, forensic psychiatrist Dr Chua Sze Hung testified that he also considered positive aspects in the diary of the late Zara Qairina Mahathir. He explained that numerical scoring is not helpful in psychological assessment and stressed the importance of understanding contextual details. Dr Chua also acknowledged that it is impossible to eliminate 100 percent of bias in witness testimony.
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Kota Kinabalu residents seek dialogue with developer over parking lot relocation
Residents of a residential complex in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, are appealing to the developer, Asian Pac Holdings Berhad, for a dialogue over the relocation of their parking lots to the 5th floor of an adjacent shopping mall, effective 1 June. The residents claim the decision was made without prior discussion. The group chairman has said he will review the complaint letter.
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Sabah land department postpones demolition of Kinabatangan farmers' land after appeal
Farmers from Kampung Sungai Pahu-Lokan in Kinabatangan, Sabah, have received a reprieve after the Sabah Lands and Surveys Department agreed to postpone a planned demolition of their land. The postponement follows an appeal by land claimants and a gathering outside the department's office in Kota Kinabalu. A dialogue between the farmers, MHO, and the department is scheduled for next week.
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Three sentenced in Kota Kinabalu court for cable theft, gambling, entering vehicle
A 47-year-old man was fined and jailed by the Magistrate's Court in Kota Kinabalu for possessing stolen copper cables. In separate cases, a woman was fined for online gambling and a man was fined for entering a vehicle without a satisfactory reason.
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Stolen Proton Saga found after UMS student house break-in
A Proton Saga stolen during a break-in at a house occupied by female Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) students in Kota Kinabalu was recovered hours later at a waste disposal area in Kingfisher. Two laptops and keys were also stolen. Police confirmed the students were safe and no arrests have been made.
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Two bus workers brawl at Inanam Terminal over passengers
Two bus company workers brawled at the Inanam Bus Terminal in Kota Kinabalu last Friday. The fight was believed to have been caused by a dispute over getting passengers. Both men, aged 38 and 37, have been detained by police to assist in the investigation.
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Father tells coroner's court daughter would have been in permanent coma had she survived
The father of Zara Qairina Mahathir testified at the Kota Kinabalu coroner's court that doctors told him his daughter would have remained in a permanent coma had she survived. He described her critical injuries and his experience at Queen Elizabeth Hospital before she died on July 17 last year. The inquest into the 13-year-old's death continues.
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Zara Qairina's father testifies police told him of death threat report against him
At the Coroner's Court in Kota Kinabalu, the father of the late Zara Qairina Mahathir testified that police informed him his ex-wife had allegedly lodged a report against him over a death threat. Mahathir Mohd Hashim, the 80th deponent, said he was questioned about how he allegedly hit and tortured Zara. The inquest into Zara's death, who was found under her dormitory building in July 2025, resumes on Sept 9.
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Inquest: Zara Qairina's father says he was never asked for autopsy consent
The father of Zara Qairina Mahathir testified at the coroner's inquest in Kota Kinabalu that he was never asked for consent to perform an autopsy on his daughter. He described being at Queen Elizabeth Hospital when her death was confirmed and his observations of her injuries. The 13-year-old was found unconscious at her school's hostel before being pronounced dead at the hospital.
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Kota Kinabalu resident lodges police report over Sunday renovation noise
A resident of a luxury serviced residence in Kota Kinabalu has lodged a police report over renovation work being carried out on a Sunday. The resident, Tony Koh, said the noise from the work, which he believes is coming from a nearby shopping mall's parking lot, disturbed his rest and that of other residents. He hopes the developer and mall management will stop such work on Sundays.
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Sabah education official urges bullying victims to report incidents, seek help
At an anti-bullying programme in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah State Education Department deputy director Muddin Beting urged students facing bullying to report incidents to teachers, parents and authorities. He stressed that victims must stand firm on truth and justice to prevent others from suffering the same fate. The event was organised by the National Consumer Action Council (MTPN) Sabah.
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Kota Kinabalu condo owners protest developer fencing off parking lots
Owners of 631 units at The Loft Residences KK Times Square in Kota Kinabalu are protesting the developer's decision to fence off parking lots on levels 1 to 3, which they have used for over a decade. They claim the lots will become premium parking for Imago Mall and that they still have not received their strata titles.