DTN News: Malaysia TODAY April 19, 2010 ~ Deals Worth RM10.4 Billion To Be Signed At DSA 2010

DTN News: Malaysia TODAY April 19, 2010 ~ Deals Worth RM10.4 Billion To Be Signed At DSA 2010 Source: DTN News / Bernama (NSI News Source Info) KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - April 19, 2010: The government will be signing contracts worth more than RM10.4 billion with local and foreign companies at the Defence Services Asia 2010 (DSA) exhibition and conference which begins tomorrow. Defence Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the ministry was currently exploring the possibility of procuring armoured vehicles, multi-role support ships and combat aircraft, new generation patrol vessels, frigates and network-centric operations. "These are some of the equipment systems that we have in mind and will be announced over the next few days (during the DSA)," he said when officiating at a DSA 2010 function, here, on Sunday night. He said the contracts would also involve some agencies and ministries which were aware of all the latest cutting-edge technology. Over 200 high-profile visitors including defence ministers, top military brass, planners and procurement specialists are expected to attend the 12th DSA at the Putra World Trade Centre here. The exhibition has attracted the participation of 22 countries including Australia, Turkey, Germany, the United Kingdom, U.S., Italy, France, South Africa, Poland, Switzerland, Korea, China and Singapore. The four-day event will showcase the most comprehensive range of cutting-edge technology for the army, navy, air force as well as the security and homeland enforcement agencies. Among the major participating international and local defence and security companies are Glock, Samsung Techwin, Nadi Defence, SME Ordnance, System Consultancy Services (SCS), MFDM Group, AMP Corporation, DEFTECH, Composite Technology Research Malaysia, Tri Level Miltech and Bry Air Industries. The DSA is Asia's largest defence and security exhibition and among the five of the most prestigious defence exhibitions in the world.

DTN News: Malaysia TODAY March 6, 2010 ~ Maiden Flight For Micro Aircraft

DTN News: Malaysia TODAY March 6, 2010 ~ Maiden Flight For Micro Aircraft Source: DTN News / malacca@thestar.com.my By Martin Carvalho Photos By A. Malex Yahaya (NSI News Source Info) JASIN, Malaysia - March 6, 2010: The Sungai Rambai Microlight Park here capped a milestone recently when it hosted the maiden test flight of the Fulmar SR08, Malaysia’s latest multi-role unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The RM1.5mil UAV, designed and built by Unmanned Systems Technology Sdn Bhd (UST), was launched from a specially built two-man launch catapult. It spent almost an hour flying some500m above ground.UST general manager Mohd Khalizi Mohd Razak said the Fulmar SR08 was part of the company’s ongoing effort to tap the growing international UAV market. He said the composite-body Fulmar SR08 had a 2m wing span, a range of 50km and eight-hour flight capability. “It can easily be fitted with sensors including night vision cameras to allow use for commercial and security surveillance purposes.“When one mentions UAV, most think it is used only by the military, like the model known as Predator. “We hope to create awareness that UAVs are not used solely by the military but can be used by the commercial sector,” he said at the airstrip here. The UAVs could be used by the agriculture sector to monitor tracts of plantation and farm land, he said, adding that it could be fitted with sensors to gauge the moisture content of an area. “It can even be used by highway operators such as PLUS to monitor traffic flow along highways instead of relying on helicopters which are expensive,” said Mohd Khalizi. UAVs could also be used by enforcement agencies in surveillance on smuggling or illegal logging, he said. Besides testing the Fulmar SR08, UST showed off its smaller 3kg single-camera Aludra UAV that can cover a 15km radius on a maximum 90-minute flight duration. Mohd Khalizi said the Fulmar SR08 and the single-camera Aludra together with their computer and ground-control systems could be deployed at a cost of RM1.3mil. UST, a subsidiary of Composite Technology Research Malaysia, spent several years and RM10mil on research and development to produce the first fleet of UAVs in Malaysia and the Asean region, he added. The company, in collaboration with the Defence Ministry, deployed its Aludra MKI to carry out aerial surveillance in Semporna, Sabah, under Ops Pasir. Meanwhile, Sungai Rambai assemblyman Datuk Hasan Abd Rahman, also the deputy chairman of the Malacca Youth and Sports Committee, said he was proud that UST had chosen to use the microlight aircraft park for the Fulmar SR08’s maiden flight. The airstrip has come a long way since its operations began in 1999. “With the state’s support, we have been able to upgrade it to include a hangar, fencing and a watchtower,” he said. He said he would lobby to the secretariat overseeing Sukma XIII in Malacca this June to use the UAVs to monitor sports events such as sailing and long-distance cycling and running. He would also apply to the Youth and Sports Ministry for a RM200,000 allocation for upgrading works on the airstrip to allow light aircraft to use it during emergencies, he added.

DTN News: Malaysia TODAY February 19, 2010 ~ First Malaysian Women To Be Caned Make Statements

DTN News: Malaysia TODAY February 19, 2010 ~ First Malaysian Women To Be Caned Make Statements *Source: DTN News / Int'l Media (NSI News Source Info) KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - February 19, 2010: The first Malaysian women to be caned under Islamic law for having illicit sex have reportedly said they regretted their actions and welcomed the punishment. The three women, whose identities were not revealed, gave the first account of the caning which took place earlier this month, drawing condemnation from human rights activists and applause from some Muslim groups. "On the day I was caned, I was scared but, at the same time, I knew I deserved it and was willing to take the punishment," said one of the women, a 25-year-old who went by the name of "Ayu". She told the New Straits Times that the punishment -- administered while they were fully clothed and by a female prison officer wielding a thin rattan cane -- did not hurt. "Those out there who are having sex before marriage should really consider the consequences and not only think about momentary pleasure," she told the daily. The three women said they turned themselves in to religious authorities after being wracked by guilt over having pre-marital sex. "Ayu" has a one-year-old daughter with her boyfriend, who she plans to marry, and the other two women also gave birth out of wedlock. Human rights campaigners, who were stunned by the caning of the three women which had not been foreshadowed by authorities, were sceptical over the comments published in several Malaysian newspapers. "These three women are just normal people who have been surrounded by all kinds of legal mumbo jumbo and pressured into agreeing to be caned," one activist told AFP, declining to be named because of the sensitivity of the issue. Islamic authorities triggered uproar last year when they sentenced mother-of-two Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno to six strokes of the cane after she was caught drinking beer in a hotel nightclub. Her case, which was to have been the first time a woman was caned under Islamic law in Malaysia, is still under review after she was given a last-minute reprieve amid intense media coverage. Malaysia's Bar Council has said it was "shocking" that the caning of the three women went ahead while the Kartika case was unresolved. Legal commentators have said that the Islamic courts -- which operate in parallel to the civil system in Malaysia -- are becoming increasingly confident, threatening Malaysia's status as a secular nation. The Sharia courts have been clamping down on rarely enforced religious laws that apply to Muslim Malays who dominate the population -- including a ban alcohol and sex between unmarried couples.