PETALING JAYA: A music teacher has been charged in the magistrates court here with murdering her 46-year-old British boyfriend in his rented house at SS2 last Friday.

A handcuffed Karen Khaw Phaik Ean, 36, listened calmly as the charge was read out to her before magistrate Ho Kwong Chin yesterday.

No plea was recorded. She was also not offered any bail.

Ho fixed April 13 for mention and consent from the prosecution to transfer the case to the High Court.

Lawyer Chan Weng Keng, who represented Khaw, told the court that he was denied access to see his client on Tuesday at the Petaling Jaya police station where she was detained.

He then requested to be given half an hour to see Khaw to discuss matters with her, to which the magistrate consented.

Chan later told reporters that Khaw informed him some RM700 was missing from her wallet while she was in police custody.

œI have advised her family to lodge a police report on the matter, he said.

Deputy public prosecutor Zhafran Rahim Hamzah appeared for the prosecution.

Khaw was charged with causing the death of Andrew Michael Murchie between 8am and 9am on March 5.

She was charged with murder under Section 302 of the Penal Code, which carries the death sentence.

It was reported that Murchie, believed to be a former army personnel, was found dead with stab and slash wounds on his neck.

Khaw found his body sprawled naked on the floor of a room in the double-storey house.

The cost of the annual BBC colour TV licence fee will increase by 2% to £145.50 per household from 1 April.

Next month’s licence fee increase was brought into effect by an order laid before the House of Commons today, which will also see the cost of a black and white TV licence increase by £1 to £49.

This is the fourth year of a six-year licence fee deal between the BBC and the government, which runs to the end of March 2013.

The future of the annual licence fee increase is more uncertain than at any time in the BBC’s almost 90-year history, with both Labour and the Conservatives talking about the corporation potentially having to get by with less money.

Last year the Tories took the unusual step of forcing a Commons vote on the annual licence fee increase, arguing that it should be frozen at £139.50.

However, this move was defeated by 334 votes to 156 with the backing of Labour and Lib Dem MPs.

The current six-year licence fee deal, negotiated in 2006, allowed for a 3% annual increase for the first three years, then two years with a 2% boost. The level of the licence fee for the final year, up to the end of March 2013, has yet to be set.

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Every Malaysian can give input on NEM

KUALA LUMPUR: Every Malaysian will be given the opportunity to look at what is being proposed for the New Economic Model (NEM) and provide their input.

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said no race should worry about their interest being sidelined.

He added that whatever decisions made by the Government would be within the spirit of the Federal Constitution.

Muhyiddin also gave an assurance that the interests of all the races would be taken care of while non-governmental groups representing the respective races as well as economic and social organisations would be consulted.

I want to assure you that every Malaysian will have vested interest in the New Economic Model (NEM). The Prime Minister is very aware of that. We are aware of that.

Every Malaysian, not just the Malays, want to have a say. I think they will be given the opportunity to look at whats being proposed in the NEM, he told reporters after the launch of the 1 Komuniti 1 Koperasi project at Paya Jaras Hilir near here yesterday.

He was asked to comment on a statement by the Malay Consultative Council, which expressed its concern and urged the Government to ensure the proposed NEM be within the framework of Article 153 of the Constitution to preserve the rights of the Malays and natives of Sabah and Sarawak.

Asked whether the launch of the proposed NEM would be held by the end of the month or postponed to June when the 10th Malaysia Plan would be unveiled, he said Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak would give sufficient time to the various vested groups to submit their views on this.

Asked about MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat hinting that he would defend his post, Muhyiddin said he would leave it to the party to decide.

On the fact that no representative from the Barisan Nasional component parties turned up at the MCA annual general assembly on Sunday, he said it was obvious that the MCA was left to resolve its own problem.

On Pakatan Rakyat claiming that they had emerged stronger two years after the 12th general election, Muhyiddin said the rakyat could observe disputes in the Opposition coalition with several lawmakers leaving disillusioned.