Compiled by C.ARUNO AND JUNAID IBRAHIM

       A HOUSING project in Ampang, abandoned since 2015, has become an illegal farm where chickens and ducks are being raised.

       According to Utusan Malaysia, based on its check at the site, the area has been cordoned off with zinc sheets to avoid being detected by outsiders.

       The daily cited a source as saying that the “project” has been going on for over two years, and that people were seen entering the farm regularly to feed the animals.

       “From the outside, we don’t really notice what’s happening within the area due to the bushes and overgrown plants that are blocking outsiders from looking inside.

       “I’m not sure if the project has received any permission from the developer,” the source added.

       Asked if locals were aware of the illegal farm, the source said the people living nearby had to keep their lips tight about it as the project is allegedly guarded by a “certain individual”.

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       “They (locals) don’t want to say anything about this project.

       “Some of them even said that if you don’t have good ‘cable’ (connections), don’t pick a fight,” the source said.

       Checks showed that the site was licensed under the Ampang Municipal Council and that the housing project should have been completed by Dec 18, 2018.

       > Celebrity Shamsul Ghau Ghau said he has not been making much money since becoming a preacher.

       He said he receives only RM50 for delivering a religious ceramah and has to sell snacks at an event just to cover his expenses, Harian Metro reported.

       “The amount (RM50) is obviously not enough to cover my cost of travelling.

       “Imagine if I brought along my private driver. How would I compensate him?

       “Within the da’wah field, I need to set a certain fee because some people just don’t understand. They think I don’t need to eat?

       “The money that is supposed to be handed to me is not theirs, anyway.

       “The money should come from the congregation or mosque management, so they should pay according to the service they receive,” he said.

       Shamsul said he needed to make it clear to the people who wanted him to share his knowledge as a preacher that he, too, requires money to support his daily expenses.

       It was reported that the artiste had spent over RM300,000 within 10 years to study the Quran and get accredited to give religious sermons in Selangor.

       The above articles are 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 a >, it denotes a separate news item.