Civil defence officer escapes python’s deathly grip

A KINTA district Civil Defence Department officer was almost strangled to death by a python in Ipoh recently, reported Harian Metro.

The incident happened when Rayner Saymon, 30, was called to capture the reptile, weighing more than 60kg, which made its way to a resident’s chicken coop.

“The experience was traumatising when the python coiled around my neck just when I grabbed his head. Fortunately, my colleague came to my aid and uncoiled it,” said Saymon.

According to him, the job was quite challenging as the department had been receiving many emergency calls from the area.

“Every time we are sent out on a job, we have to make sure that our heartbeat is in a stable state as snakes are able to sense our nervousness,” said Saymon who has been at the job for seven years.

> The tabloid also reported that a mechanic’s attempt to hide heroin in his underwear failed after police detained him in Jalan Rhu Renggeh, Terengganu, last Wed­nesday.

Terengganu Narcotics Division chief Superintendent Md Tahir Kasim said his officers found a bag containing various drugs underneath the passenger seat of the mechanic’s car.

“The suspect had also hidden a clear plastic bottle with drugs, believed to be heroin, in his underwear,” said Md Tahir, adding that the confiscated drugs were worth RM27,000.

Md Tahir said the mechanic, 34, was believed to be on his way to distribute drugs.

> Berita Harian reported that singer Mohd Hafiz Mohd Suip had been crowned as winner of the Best Male Vocal Performance during the Anugerah Industri Muzik 20 at Stadium Putra, Bukit Jalil, on Saturday.

“I have never given myself much hope that I would win whenever I was nominated. This is a big motivation for me to continue to give my best in this industry,” said the Bahagiamu Deritaku singer.

The 23-year-old singer also took home two other awards that night.

?  Found in Translation is compiled from the vernacular newspapers (Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil dailies). As such, stories are grouped according to the respective language/medium. Where a paragraph begins with this ' >'sign, it denotes a separate news item.