I couldn’t make it during the daytime. But I managed to visit during the nightime. And the crowds are not many.

The weather was nice.

I had my breakfast at the warong nearby. Mee hoon goreng, karipap, kuih lapis and hot sweet tea.

Last Monday was the first day in school for my kids.

I sent aQi to SMK Bandar Seri Alam, like his brother and sister before him.

And I sent Yaasir to Chinese Kindergarden, just like his elder brothers and sisters before him too.

Last Saturday, I drove around Masai town just to take some pictures.

I found these kids (with another boy out of pic) asking me what I was doing taking photographs. Indeed, that’s what I was doing.

Next to Jaya Jusco Permas Jaya, I saw blue neons above so beautiful.

One of my favorite breakfasts in the morning is ‘lontong’ set in Zarahman Restaurant, located next to Esso petrol station.

Note: Lontong is an Asian dish made of compressed rice that is then cut into small cakes.

Last week someone was asking me the location of the Kampung Baru Masai. It is just located next to the police station (Balai Polis Masai), and infront of Al-Muhajirin mosque (Masjid Jamek Masai). It is located alongside the main road (Jalan Masai Lama).

Although the building was completed years ago, but it was recently opened to the public. I already use it many times for my family’s medical treatment.

It is believed that the arson attacks could have stemmed from business rivalry and targeted at Indian shops.

In all of these cases, flammable material, believed to be petrol, was used.

Dent to his business: Shah Alam showing the destroyed part of his shop in Jalan Pasar, Masai, recently

Kg Baru Masai village security and development head Liang Nyok Ying said there had been at least three cases of arson along Jalan Pasar since last month.

“The shops targeted were tailors or those selling clothes,” she said, adding that the most recent cases occurred two days in a row — on Wednesday and Thursday.

Other shops affected include a book store, a textile shop and a furniture retailer.

“The people are worried for their safety,” Liang said.

Garments store owner Shah Alam, 38, who has two shops along the street, said his family of seven would have been killed if they had not been alerted by neighbours about their burning home last month.

“I came to Malaysia from Bangladesh and in 2001, my shop was destroyed in a fire causing me RM200,000 in losses. I rebuilt my business, but last month another fire destroyed one of my shops causing RM400,000 in losses.

“In the last few days, the front portion of my second shop was torched when a petrol bomb was thrown at my neighbour’s premises.”

A furniture shop owner, who only wanted to be known as Tan, 33, said one of the shops torched a few days ago was a tailor’s who opened for business two weeks ago.

Sri Alam OCPD Supt Roslan Zainuddin assured the public that police would intensify patrols in the area.

“So far, we have only received two to three reports. There have been no arrests,” he said, urging those with information to call 07-2212 999.

Source: nelson@thestar.com.my

Mangsa, tiga berasal dari Manmarkudi, G Ganesan, 32, Pugalenthi, 38, dan S Sarathi, 26, manakala Malik Bacha, 29, (Kallakurichi) dipercayai terperangkap di bangunan dua tingkat dan tidak dapat menyelamatkan diri dalam kejadian yang turut memusnahkan empat lagi kedai berdekatan kira-kira jam 3 pagi.
Timbalan Pengarah Bomba dan Penyelamat Johor Bahru, Sukor Sani Hashim, berkata kebakaran dipercayai dilakukan pihak tertentu selepas penemuan botol minyak pelincir berisi sisa petrol tidak jauh dari kedai berkenaan dengan kebakaran dipercayai bermula di ba-hagian depan deretan kedai terbabit.
Katanya, pihaknya menerima panggilan telefon mengenai kejadian itu kira-kira jam 3 pagi dan 20 anggota bersama dua jentera dikejarkan ke tempat kejadian dari Balai Bomba Pasir Gudang dan Nusajaya dan berjaya mengawal kebakaran pada kira-kira jam 3.25 pagi.

“Kami menemui dua mayat rentung di bahagian bawah dan berdekatan tangga, selepas itu kami menemui dua lagi mayat di tingkat atas bangunan kedai itu,” katanya ketika ditemui di tempat kejadian.

Sukor berkata, kejadian dipercayai berlaku akibat petrol yang dicurah di kaki lima bangunan berkenaan sebelum membakar kedai kain dan api mula marak disebabkan kedai berkenaan menyimpan bahan mudah terbakar serta merebak ke kedai alat tulis dan pusat andaman terletak bersebelahan.

Katanya, api juga mudah marak kerana kedai berkenaan adalah jenis kedai lama yang menggunakan bahan binaan batu dan berlantai kayu serta tiada tangga keselamatan di luar.
“Penghuni kedai berhampiran sempat menyelamatkan diri ketika kejadian sebelum kami dapat mengawalnya daripada terus merebak dalam masa 20 minit,” katanya.

Sukor berkata, pihaknya juga mendapati kemungkinan kebakaran itu sengaja dilakukan pihak tertentu selepas pihaknya menemui sebotol bekas minyak pelincir 4 liter kira-kira 20 meter dari tempat kejadian yang dipercayai digunakan untuk menyiram petrol di kaki lima kedai berkenaan sebelum dibakar.

Sementara itu, pemilik kedai V Muthu, 40, berkata beliau hanya mengetahui mengenai kejadian selepas menerima panggilan isterinya kira-kira jam 4 pagi dan bergegas dari Kuala Lumpur ke Masai.

Katanya, dua daripada pekerja terbabit baru bertugas tiga hari lalu selepas dihantar ejen mereka dan dia sepatutnya menemu ramah mereka untuk bekerja di premis miliknya itu semalam.

“Dua lagi lelaki terbabit saya tidak tahu identitinya dan mereka mungkin rakan kepada dua pekerja itu yang diajak tinggal di sana,” katanya.

Muthu tidak menolak kemungkinan kejadian itu berunsurkan sabotaj sambil mengakui beliau memang banyak berhutang dengan pelbagai pihak dan kerugian dianggar RM380,000.