KOTA BARU - A 55-year-old man had been detained by police for cheating his victims of a total of RM346,500 by claiming to have close ties with influential people who could give lucrative contracts.

The man claimed to know people who could obtain logging concessions and purchase vehicles auctioned off by the Road Transport Department.

Head of the Kelantan Commercial Crime Investigations Department, Supt Hamzah Alias said the suspect was involved in five cheating cases, of which three were in Pasir Puteh, and one case each in Kota Baharu and Rantau Panjang.

Jan 14 to set damages for Kelantan prince

KUALA LUMPUR - The High Court has set Jan 14 to assess damages for Kelantan prince Tengku Muhammad Fakhry Sultan Ismail Petra in a judgment in default entered against his estranged wife, Manohara Odelia Pinot, and her mother in his RM105mil defamation suit.

The prince's lawyer, Mohd Haaziq Pillay, when contacted today, said the prince would appear before senior assistant registrar (SAR) Noordura Mohamed Din on that day to give evidence on his losses.

The hearing was previously scheduled for tomorrow.

No decision to make work-from-home a policy

PUTRAJAYA - The government has not decided whether or not to make the work-from-home programme a policy, Najib Abdul Razak said today.

The prime minister said he had first to see whether the pilot project involving the Works Ministry yielded better performance from the staff than working in the office and the benefits to them in terms of saving commuting costs and fostering family well-being.

Works Minister Shaziman Mansor announced last month that the three-month trial programme would involve 35 draughtsman and selected individuals working from home.

National Archives acquires microfilms, cigarette cards aged over 100 years

KUALA LUMPUR - The National Archives has acquired a collection of 51 cigarette cards with photographs of historical buildings during the British colonial era in the Straits Settlements.

Its director-general, Datuk Sidek Jamil, said today the cards, aged over 100 years and worth RM100 each, were acquired from a collector in Penang last year.

He said the cards were available for viewing at the archives' website.

Three friends to enter defence on drug trafficking charge

KUALA LUMPUR - The High Court here today ordered three friends to enter their defence on a charge of trafficking about 100kg drug five years ago.

In handing down his decision, judge Ghazali Cha held that the prosecution had succeeded in proving a prima facie case against Mazlani Mansor, 46, Mohd Sharif Mohd Sahoji, 35, and Hamdan Mohd Kafiah, 29.

They are charged with trafficking 108,796gm of cannabis at a house in Kampung Baru here on Aug 17, 2003, and the court has fixed Feb 11 for them to enter their
defence.

Four siblings feared drowned

KUCHING: Four young siblings were feared to have drowned after they fell into the Rejang River in Sungai Labaan near Sibu.

The four are brothers Wong Sie Kong, 12, and Sie Hou, eight, and sisters Sie Sang, 10, and Sie See, six.

The siblings, together with their parents, were looking for molluscs when the incident happened at about 3pm on Sunday. Their parents are safe. - Bernama