Jaya Supermarket collapsed

PETALING JAYA: 1:15am: One of the six construction workers trapped in the rubble of once popular Jaya shopping centre in Section 14, Petaling Jaya that collapsed yesterday evening somehow survived, and even managed to call his employer, pleading to be rescued. The worker was lucky as the disaster killed three fellow workers and badly injured two others. The unidentified worker is also trapped with four others whose fate is yet unknown. Rescuers ascertained a second body under the rubble after repeated calls to his handphone was chillingly unanswered.The building, which was about to be demolished at 6pm, crumbled suddenly just as nine workers were loading scaffolding at the site in the 4.45pm incident. Workers involved in the mishap are all Indonesians.

The dead has been identified only as Maskor, 28, while the two injured are Sale, 48, and Suryano, 32. It is learnt that Maskor was Suryano’s younger brother. The injured were despatched to the Universiti Malaya Medical Centre.

A Petaling Jaya City Hall official said the incident was unfortunate for the nine workers as the demolishing of the building was only going to take place after 6pm.

A spokesman from the demolition company said the structure of that part of the four-storey building which collapsed was unbonded, while the undamaged part was bonded.

Petaling Jaya police chief Assistant Commissioner Arjunaidi Mohamed said search and rescue operation would continue until the six workers are found.

Fifty workers were at the site in different sections when the incident occurred. Apart from the one dead, two injured and six trapped, the others were unharmed.

About 100 personnel from police, fire and rescue department were at the scene yesterday. Police had cordoned off the site and traffic had been diverted.

Firemen were studying the building plans at 8pm to find out how they could get to the six workers who were still trapped.

The SMART team was also deployed to the scene. At 9pm, firemen and the team entered the site again to search for the bodies after it was deemed safe.

Three excavators were seen on the top of the debris after the building collapsed.

Police said the rescue operation might take a day or more. (NST)

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DNA way to check halal claims

KUALA LUMPUR: Are food and cosmetic products which claim to be halal really so? A Malaysian company may just have the solution for a quick answer.

Olipro Biotechnology's por-cine gene chip is said to be the first of its kind in the world that detects pork DNA or pork contamination in processed food and cosmetic products
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Biotechnology’s porcine gene chip can detect porcine elements in four to six hours.

Olipro chief executive director Diong Sing Peng said the device could detect porcine elements in four to six hours.

"This is useful to manufacturers of halal products. Many are unaware that processed food and cosmetics could contain elements of porcine."

Diong said this may not be the manufacturer's fault as the ingredients to make products came from all over the world.
"The factory that does meat packing could be packing several types of meat as well, so chicken or beef could get contaminated."

He said the test kit could detect up to one billionth of a gm of porcine elements in any material.

He said the product, which was a result of 21/2 years of research, could raise the standards of halal certification.

It was recently launched at the Halal Industry's Development Corporation's World Halal Research Summit by the prime minister's wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor.

Diong said: "Malaysia is the hub of halal food.

"It would be great if we could integrate a logo that says porcine-free or lab-tested to increase consumers' trust in products."

He said the company's next device could help detect what type of animal DNA was used in the production of a particular food, pharmaceutical or cosmetic product. (NST)

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Beijing Olympiad/Wushu - Another silver for Malaysia

Woman exponent Chai Fong Ying added a silver in a third medal for Malaysia at the Wushu tournament Beijing 2008 this morning.

She pipped Japanese Ai Miyoka by four-hundreth of a point for second place behind China’s Cui Wenjuan in the taijiquan and taijijian combined event at the Olympics Sports Centre gymnasium.

Fong Ying scored a 9.70 in the taijijian this morning to add to her overnight 9.64 in the taijiquan for a total of 19.34, while the Chinese gold medallist was ahead with 19.69 points.

For the tournament here, the taijiquan, a soft and slow fluent movement martial art, is combined with the taijijian, which involves taijiquan and swordplay, as one event.

Yesterday, Malaysia gained two bronzes from Pui Fook Chien and Diana Bong.
The three-day wushu tournament is held in conjunction with the Olympic Games.

The medals are not counted in the Olympic tally.

A total of 10 gold medals are at stake in the tournament which is split into floor disciplines called “taolu” and combat fighting known as “sanshou”. China has won five golds, so far.

Malaysia’s seven competitors here are Ang Eng Chong (men’s changquan), Lee Yang (men’s taijiquan and taijijian combined), Lim Yew Fai (men’s jianshu and qiangshu combined), Pui Fook Chien (men’s nanquan and nangun combined), Diana Bong (women’s nanquan and nandao combined), Chai Fong Wei (women’s daoshu and gunshu combined) and Chai Fong Ying (women’s taijiquan and taijijuan combined).

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