FRIEND Finder, a service provided by telecommunications companies to locate their users' friends, helped a man find his stolen car in Johor Baru.

Sin Chew Daily reported that the man, identified only as Mr Ye, had used the service as an anti-theft device for over a year.

He kept a phone activated with the service in his Toyota Camry car.

On Sunday, Ye found that his car parked in Permas Jaya was missing at about 9.30pm.

He traced his 'friend' in the car and the response showed that the vehicle was in Taman Nusa Bistari 2. "After a three and a half hour search in the housing estate, I recovered my car by the roadside," he said.

Ye encouraged the public to use this cheap and useful service, saying that his anti-car theft device was only a cellphone that cost less than RM100 ($41) and a pre-paid service card.

The daily also reported that a Da Ma Cai outlet in Klang, Selangor, mistakenly paid an extra RM10,800 to a winner.

The outlet operator said the winner won RM1,200 ($500) and went to collect the money at the outlet about 4.30pm on Jan 23.

"My worker made a mistake, thinking that the person had won RM12,000 ($5000) and paid accordingly.

"I hope the lucky winner can return the money to me," said the operator. --THE STAR/ANN