TwoSen

Source: The Sun – July 3, 2009

Source: The Sun – July 3, 2009

I AGREE with a recent comment made by a journalist that many of us are becoming immune to crimes occurring around us.

Law-breakers are getting bolder and nothing surprises us anymore. I have heard of muggings on main roads and attempted break-ins even when the residents are up and about.

I was appalled to find out that a policeman had said, “Biasalah dekat sini,” when a victim reported a snatch theft. It is demoralising to hear a member of the police force speak in such a lackadaisical manner. It is the kind of attitude that boosts the  confidence of law-breakers to continue terrorising the public.

Whether the crime rate is lower than other countries is no indicator of police performance. What’s of concern is that it has increased drastically over the past few years. I am wholly for increase in public awareness and education about crime prevention.

Perhaps a series of advertisements on crime prevention, self defence and techniques that criminals use should be aired on TV to alert the public.

Source: The Sun – July 3, 2009

 
LAST weekend I took my granddaughters to visit the brand new Taman Tasik Ampang Hilir. I would like to thank City Hall for providing such a nice facility for residents living nearby or who come from afar to enjoy an hour or two of the open space.

Having said that, perhaps I should point out a number of areas that could be looked into to make the facility more user-friendly.

First, there is no opportunity provided at the pondok for us to make comments or suggestions.

Perhaps an email address or suggestion box can be made available so that we can contact the person in charge of the facility. Hence, I have to resort to writing to a newspaper.

The children’s playground is a long way from the car park at the pondok end. It is very demanding to have to walk two small children, aged two and four years old, to the playground which is across the pond. So I decided to drive and park on Jalan Mengkudu, walk across traffic through a small open gate to gain access to the children’s playground. From then on after all the hassle, we were able to enjoy the facilities.

I think the playground should be located nearer to the car park on the site of the current outdoor exercise facility on the right side of the entrance to Taman Tasik. This will enable parents, grandparents and maids to walk safely within the park compound to reach the playground.

During the weekends, cars were parked along Persiaran Ampang Hilir. May I suggest that City Hall mark out parking lots along one side of Jalan Mengkudu (a two-lane one-way road) to enable visitors to park without violating the law and obstructing traffic.

It would be useful for a sports minded officer to visit and use the facilities at the park. Bring along a child or two. This will enable him to discover the shortcomings of the equipment. For starters, I have observed several deficiencies which are not user-friendly.

The seats of the swings are too high for children of four to six years old to climb safely onto them.

I think they should be lowered to a level so that the small children can seat themselves comfortably while their feet are in contact with the ground. The bottom end of the slide intended for the toddler should be lowered to ground level. This is to enable a two-year-old to disembark safely.

Some of the outdoor equipment may not be suitably sized. For example, the bar for the hamstring stretch is sloping instead of being horizontal. To use even the low end you need to be more than six feet tall.

The cross bars for the “monkey” stretch may not be suited for younger children. When I do try out some of the outdoor exercise facilities, I should be able to point out other defects. Perhaps, I should leave that task to DBKL staff.

Source: The Sun – July 3, 2009

Source: The Sun – July 3, 2009

EVERY time I am abroad, I take note of the tourism potential of the country I am visiting. When I return home, what I had seen abroad reinforces my belief that Tourism Malaysia is not doing enough to promote Malaysia as a value-for-money holiday destination.

There are many things we can highlight to tourists with a media blitz, but fail to do so.

Malaysia offers among the cheapest hotel rates in the region, even perhaps in the world. But little publicity is given to this strong pull factor. In comparison to other countries in Asia, where the five-star hotel rates are between US$250 and US$300 (RM900 and RM1,080) per day, the daily room rates for five-star hotels in Malaysia average US$130 to US$300. Many of these countries also practise discrimination between locals and foreigners.

Even the cost of restaurant meals is much lower in Malaysia than in many other countries. Recently, while on holiday in a neighbouring country, I went to an ordinary restaurant with a friend for a meal which cost around RM69. The same meal in a restaurant in Bangsar, which is considered to be high-end area in Kuala Lumpur, would cost around RM25.

The warmth and hospitality advertised by that country is indeed a charade. For, though the country brags about its friendly people, I was greeted with a stern look by the Customs and Immigration officers at the airport. At least our men and women in uniform at airports offer a smile to most inbound travellers.

During my visit to one tourist attraction, a sign was conspicuously displayed that said foreigners had to pay RM35 as entrance fee, while for locals it was free of charge. I think it is very offensive to so openly discriminate against foreigners. In Malaysia, we don’t treat our guests in such a manner.

English should be a selling point for our tourism promotions. Most people in Malaysia, even those who cannot communicate well, can at least understand the rudiments of the language.

In many developed and developing countries, where English is not the national language, the majority of the population can hardly communicate with English-speaking tourists.

Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak have so many hidden treasures yet to be discovered. As a Malaysian, I, too, have not visited many of these treasures. Why? Because not enough publicity is being given by the print and electronic media to these tourist attractions.

The media has an important role in promoting domestic tourism, especially during school holidays. Therefore, Tourism Malaysia should work together with the media to promote these destinations among local tourists.

Source: NST – July 3, 2009

I AM a diabetic and being a retired government servant, I receive my medication from Sungai Buloh Hospital. Recently, I ran short of Gliclazide 80mg and had to buy it from a nearby pharmacy.

The pharmacist said there were two types of Gliclazide 80mg for sale: an original RM12 strip of 10 tablets and a locally-produced version costing RM5 per strip of 10 tablets.

He explained that the original had been patented overseas.

Later, when I went to Sungai Buloh Hospital to get my normal supply of the medicine, the staff at the pharmacy said the Gliclazide 80mg supplied by the pharmacy was also not original.

I wonder whether it is safe to take this “non-original” medicine.

Source: NST – July 3, 2009

JUDGING by the number of articles appearing in the press on the wonders of nuclear power, it would seem that we are being “softened up” prior to a momentous decision being made without our involvement but that will affect us all.

As one of the very few people in Malaysia actually exposed to radiation fall-out in the aftermath of the Chernobyl disaster, I am appalled by the prospect of Tenaga Nasional Bhd giving serious consideration to nuclear power as a possible generation source of power.

I’m not necessarily challenging statements that current designs of nuclear reactor are far safer than they used to be but until the human factor is removed from the operation of such devices, there is, and will be, no such thing as a “safe” reactor. Nothing man has built can be termed truly safe. Add to this the well-known lackadaisical and casual attitude to safety and maintenance, having nuclear reactors in Malaysia is an accident just waiting to happen.

To term nuclear power as a “green” source of power is inaccurate. True, it may not be polluting in the short term (the occasional and almost inevitable accidental leaks notwithstanding) but just how does TNB plan to dispose of the highly radioactive waste from such a reactor? The problem of long-term, safe disposal has not been resolved anywhere, given that we are talking about waste that will be highly toxic to life for many thousands of years. Tipping the stuff down a handy ravine in the Ulu Klang catchment area just won’t cut it.

It would seem that the decision-makers in TNB are not thinking of this — it’s not their problem, but it will be a major problem for dozens, perhaps hundreds, of generations in the future.

Malaysia is blessed with sunshine, flowing water and tides and yet none of this seems to have been considered. And what about the vast amount of electricity that is lost, stolen or wasted between generation and delivery to the consumers?

Yet again, the powers that be seem intent on taking the so-called easy road, the short-term fix requiring little or no thought, planning or long-term assessment of the frightful consequences of a leak or meltdown.

I earnestly hope that the government will realise it is not necessary to go down the nuclear road.

Source: NST – July 3, 2009

I REFER to your report “Minister on why lawyers are reluctant to be judges” (NST, June 24).

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Nazri Abdul Aziz said the government had set up the Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) to ensure quality judges are chosen. While the government’s intentions are laudable, it must ensure that the selection process undertaken by the JAC is conducted in accordance with legal principles and natural justice.

Candidates must be assessed fairly on their qualifications, as provided for under the Federal Constitution and criteria under the JAC Act 2009. Extraneous and non-legal consideration should not be used to disqualify prospective candidates who are otherwise qualified and competent to be appointed judges or judicial commissioners (JCs).

For example, can public perception alone be used as a reason to disqualify candidates when they do not suffer any legal disqualification from being appointed judges or JCs?

Legal grounds for disqualification may include the candidate’s unsoundness of mind, bankruptcy and conviction for an offence. But can a candidate who was acquitted by the courts be disqualified for this reason alone? Such grounds for disqualification are not provided for under the Federal Constitution or the JAC Act or under any other law relating to the appointment of judges or JCs. It runs contrary to principles of justice and human rights.

In the cases of election or appointments to Parliament or other high public office, conviction of an offence attracting a minimum prison sentence of not less than one year or fine of not less than RM2,000 is grounds for disqualification. But even then, the disqualification does not apply after a period of five years from the date of release from prison or the fine.

No one should be punished or condemned forever, more so in the case of a person who was not convicted of any offence but, on the contrary, was acquitted more than five years before.

We know of cases where persons were disqualified by their convictions but after expiry of the disqualification went on to become members of parliament, ministers and chief ministers. Are there different standards of qualification to be applied for elected and appointed representatives and judges?

As to the so-called public perception of a candidate who was acquitted by the courts and then appointed to the Bench, can a member of the public honestly and legally complain that such a person is unfit to be a judge?

This is where those involved in the selection of judges can prevent injustice by fearlessly and fairly assessing candidates strictly according to the law and not be distracted by a possible public backlash which has no legal or just basis.

Otherwise, the selectors themselves would have no faith in and no respect for the decisions of the court, the very institution they served.

Until and unless those entrusted with the selection of judges and JCs hold fast to the principles of justice and fair play, the government’s effort to improve the judiciary and the prime minister’s aim of “1Malaysia, People First, Performance Now” will be nullified, as qualified candidates will be discouraged from offering their services to the courts. This will not only perpetrate a grave injustice to the candidates but also society will be so much the poorer for it.

Source: NST – July 3, 2009

LAST week, I chanced upon a copy of the May 2009 issue of the medical fraternity’s MMA News . The cover of the journal was titled “Government doctors — modern-day slaves”. I was pleasantly surprised to see an article on housemanship inside — “Housemanship training in Malaysia” — by the Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Mohd Ismail Merican.

This was, in fact, his keynote address at the First Seminar on Housemanship Training in Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia and Britain in Kuala Lumpur on April 25.

He revealed findings from a recent study on housemen in 28 government hospitals:

“Two-thirds of them (67.8 per cent) found housemanship training highly stressful and 53 per cent of them had sometimes thought of quitting because they could not cope with the stress.

“The highest level of stress was related to working hours and workload. Thirty to 40 per cent of them never had time for social or recreational activities. 21.8 per cent required counselling and 5.8 per cent needed treatment”.

If more than half the medical interns had sometimes thought of quitting, and a quarter of them were in need of medical counselling or treatment, imagine how stressful their working conditions must be.

The health minister should take this study’s findings seriously. There are not enough doctors in Malaysia, hence we cannot afford to lose them even before they have completed their housemanship.

The minister must have the doctors’ best interests at heart and should take care of them. They should be healthy, happy and mentally alert to perform efficiently.

It is, therefore, only logical that there is an immediate revamp in our archaic, unhealthy and hazardous system of housemanship.

Only then can we, the rakyat, feel safe in the hands of government doctors.

Source: NST – July 3, 2009