TwoSen

CAP views with concern the attempt to revive the proposed new medical check-up system for commercial vehicle drivers known as eKesihatan, which was shelved in October last year.

When this system was first proposed, it was supposed to involve making use of the services of a “gateway provider” Supremme System Sdn Bhd and drivers would have to pay RM80 for the medical test when renewing or applying for their licences.

Under this system, doctors would have to register first if they wish to be on the panel to conduct these medical check-ups.

The Director-General of Health and Malaysian Medical Council (MMC) president Tan Sri Ismail Merican and also heads of doctors’ organisations had already expressed reservations about this scheme at that time.

CAP renews its previous call on the Government and Road Transport Department authorities to review its approach in handling medical check-ups for drivers.

For one, is there really a need for a “middleman” to handle a medical check-up system with its accompanying additional costs and procedures?

The Road Transport Department (RTD) authorities could instead liaise directly with doctors and the transport companies or the drivers themselves for a check-up scheme that costs much less.

An arrangement could be made with the Ministry of Health for commercial vehicle drivers to be examined by government doctors at special units set up within government hospitals. The payments for these medical check-ups could then be made directly to the Government.

If the services of private doctors are needed, CAP urges the authorities to consider the recommendation by the secretary-general of the Transport Workers Union that medical checks be conducted at specially-designated areas within RTD premises itself.

The RTD authorities could engage the services of private doctors for this service, and there would be no need for any middlemen.

Computer records could be directly managed by the RTD. The money that would have gone to a gateway provider could instead be used to recruit more staff who are IT-proficient and capable of managing an RTD database on drivers’ medical history.

These measures would lessen the potential for abuse and ensure that RTD authorities have more control over what goes on.

S.M. MOHAMED IDRIS,
CAP president, Penang.

Source: The Star – March 5, 2008

THERE was a report that a road sign in Taman Seputeh, Kuala Lumpur, which was in Bahasa Malaysia was changed to a sign in Jawi on top of Bahasa Malaysia, making the letter smaller and difficult to read.

If the main purpose of the Jawi-Bahasa Malaysia road signs is to assist the Arab or Middle Eastern tourists in Malaysia, why use Jawi and not Arabic? Anyway, I wonder how many Middle Eastern tourists visit or pass by Taman Seputeh, which is not a tourism destination.

For most of the people, road signs are to help us with directions. We definitely depend on them. From our experience, we find road signs are located at the beginning of a road but it is no longer available after a distance.

For example, when we travel from Kuala Lumpur to Damansara, we see the sign of Damansara Utama at the beginning but after the RM1 toll near Damansara Intan, the sign disappears. It appears again after we pass by TTDI and near the end of the road. The placement of the signboard is not strategic or helpful to road users at all.

Another complaint is that many road signs are somehow hidden. They appear at the road shoulder, blocked by billboards or banners, or some may appear after the entrance of our destination.

Things become worse during the general election when banners, flags and posters are aplenty, some even blocking traffic lights.

Politicians have a moral obligation to follow rules and regulations, especially those concerning safety.

We would like to bring to the attention of the authorities, as well as readers, that the ISO (International Organisation for Standardisation) has developed very useful tools such as standard and harmonised road safety signs.

Their latest is the new standards to be developed by ISO/PC 241 to provide a structured, holistic approach to road safety that will complement government and industry programmes and initiatives, including making road signs safer and friendlier to people with disabilities.

All the stakeholders in making roads safer, including developers, Works Ministry, Construction Industry Development Board, Housing and Local Government Ministry, should be aware of the tools mentioned above, because by implementing these standards, we are truly an inclusive and accessible society for all regardless of our conditions.

SAM WONG,
Petaling Jaya.

Source: The Star – March 5, 2008

LAST Friday I was having lunch with a couple of friends downtown. Invariably the topic of discussion was centred on the coming general election.

I was shocked to learn from the discussion that only five of the 10 in the group were registered voters. The rest in their late 30s and 40s have yet to register as voters.

These people are no ordinary people. They are mostly middle and upper category civil servants. How could civil servants stay away from voting?

Although voting is still a voluntary matter, it is unthinkable how some civil servants are not bothered to even register as voters.

It is also understandable that civil servants take a neutral stance on issues related to politics, but that does not mean they should stay away from voting.

Civil servants who have not registered as voters after several years in the government service should do some soul searching. Cuepacs should look into this

matter seriously as it does not reflect well on the civil service.

SP,
Kuala Lumpur.

Source: The Star – March 5, 2008

CHINESE New Year has come and gone and I recalled an advertisement during the period which really caught my attention.

It was in Hokkien and about a young man who worked, worked and worked all the time. As a result, at least from how I interpreted the advertisement, he neglected his parents.

That was until he almost had an accident. Had it not been for the help of a bystander, he would have died. That, however, is beside the point.

The crux of the advertisement is at that one second when he saw the vehicle coming at him, he was reminded how much he had neglected his parents.

Many children understand the responsibilities as a son or daughter but how many carry out those responsibilities?

How many spend sufficient quality time with their older generation?

How many even pick up the telephone to call their parents who miss them?

In the world today, too many things have taken precedent over the best interests of parents. Career, money, status and power are more important than filial piety.

While few manage to strike a proper balance between the priorities, most can only speak about it. Talking the talk but not walking the walk.

The world may be full of all kinds of riches but the one thing that is the most important is the love of parents.

Of course, I would be naïve to think that some parents nowadays are not guilty of the same. It is a fact that some parents themselves also neglect their children. Most simply have no time for their kids.

But does this give the children an excuse to abandon their parents? Does this mean that we, as children, should also do the same and neglect them, a tit-for-tat thingy? The answer is, of course, no.

Whilst it is understandable that many neglected children may or may not harbour ill-feelings towards their parents, they should not ill-treat their parents. In fact, they should do what is right.

The reason is simple. Though parents may not always do the right thing, they always have the right intentions, i.e. the best interests of their children.

This, in itself, is worth reminding ourselves that we must always have their best interests close at heart.

When we say father and mother, I love you, they are not just words; they should be words in action.

STEVEN NYU CHIN EU,
Kuala Lumpur.

Source: The Star – March 5, 2008

I HAVE been an Astro subscriber since its inception and have enjoyed its programmes despite all the repetitions, reception problems and the difficulties getting through to its customer service to register complaints.

Initially, the subscription included a free monthly magazine which provided, among other things, the daily programmes for the month.

Things started going downhill when Astro changed its magazine format. It became more difficult to keep track of programmes.

Details and timing of news channels, previously given, are not available now. Other information is also not always available.

Then came the change in channel numbers. Astro claimed it was done in a systematic manner to make it easy for subscribers. But the 3-digit numbering has made it not only difficult but annoying as well because it is not a simple matter of pressing buttons.

No matter how nimble the fingers are, you can never get it right all the time.

I hear complaints about this from both the young and the old.

But the latest change is outrageous. To get a copy of its programme magazine, called AstroView, Astro now wants to know how much I earn, whether I own the house I live in, if it is a bungalow or otherwise, the car I drive, what kind of job I have, whether my TV is a plasma one and other family details. The fact is, all these details are irrelevant to my entitlement to a programme magazine.

I endure enough problems with Astro’s reception.

Can I just have AstroView without having to bare all my personal details?

D. MENON, Petaling Jaya

Source: NST – March 5, 2008

I APPEAL to the road transport authorities and the traffic police to deal severely with bus drivers who hog the outer lane of Jalan Genting Kelang.

This daily nonsense is perpetrated by drivers of Metrobus and Permata Kiara.

The stretch involved starts from where the Pizza Hut is and extends downtown to where the Sunshine convenience store is.

The buses wait wherever they wish and inch their way along this stretch, causing traffic to pile up behind them.

This forces other drivers to change lanes and affects the flow in the inner lane as well, thereby creating congestion that can stretch for 250m.

Although Jalan Genting Kelang has always been known as a traffic-congested road, I can vouch as a user of that stretch for the past two decades that the authorities have improved the traffic flow this time.

Just as we sighed a breath of relief, there now appears this new nuisance which is causing tempers to flare and ruining the start of every day for road users here.

Please haul them up and give them the maximum punishment.

DILIP K. GHOSH, Kuala Lumpur

Source: NST – March 5, 2008

I REFER to the report “Tips for kids to stay safe” (NST, March 3) and I applaud the efforts by the police and government to warn people, especially children, about the dangers that could happen to them.

Indeed, Assistant Superintendent S. Ramasamy’s reminder to schoolchildren to “remember the attacker well, his features, the clothing he wore, his transportation and weapons used” should be on everyone’s minds, as one never knows when a perpetrator will strike.

Although it is difficult to do so, I think we also need to tell our children that they should not panic if they face such threats.

The media has played its part well, especially with the advertisements on television providing tips to children about staying safe.

With colourful and attractive cartoon characters, hopefully the message will stay in their minds so that they will always be alert when they are on their own.

NAZREEN TAJUL ARIF, Mersing

Source: NST – March 5, 2008

THE RapidKL bus service in USJ is unreliable and irregular.

My father, who travels to Kuala Lumpur to work, opted for the bus service but later went back to driving to work. Why? He had waited several times for the U67 bus but it never came or it arrived after a long interval. Recently, after a long wait, he walked some distance to another bus stop serviced by Metrobus.

Just the other day, I was waiting for a RapidKL bus (U63 or U67) in Petaling Jaya to go back home to USJ. While waiting, three Metrobuses travelling along the same route passed by but no RapidKL bus was in sight. So I hopped onto a Metrobus which was packed to the brim.

RapidKL, please do not tell us that there are buses servicing the route at certain intervals because there aren’t any. You have to get out of your air-conditioned offices and investigate what is happening on the ground.

B.K., Subang Jaya, Selangor

Source: NST – March 5, 2008

I AM a 40-plus businesswoman. I didn’t plan to watch One in a Million last week, but hearing someone singing so beautifully while I was cleaning up after dinner changed all that.

The more I listened and watched, the more I was convinced that this person would be the winner.

Norayu (Ayu) Damit of Sabah is truly an international talent with a Malaysian flavour. Her immense talent wrapped in humility and sincerity earned her the No 1 spot in the competition.

True to the meaning of her song Hanya di Mercu, this young lady has proved that the combination of humility and sincerity can take us far in life.

Young people out there, especially women striving to be successful in life but who think that only good looks can bring success, should draw inspiration from Ayu.

It is a wake-up call to our entertainment industry and its players now that the public has voted for talent above popularity.

It was indeed a smart and brave move to place Ayu as the top scorer.

I was very curious as to how the public voted, although I did not join in the SMS craze.

At times, I do get annoyed when talent does not receive as much priority as image, especially among so-called celebrities and TV personalities.

But the bar has been raised, as shown by the fact that the public chose talented Ayu as the star.

We hope the industry players will listen and respond accordingly as this is a clear signal of the kind of product we want in our entertainment industry. First-class talent does sell.

To me, someone who rarely spends an hour or more on watching reality programmes that requires SMS, it’s truly an eye-opener.

One In A Million, and the winner Ayu, taught me a lesson: believe in yourself and your capabilities; showcase it with your feet on the ground and take all the professional advice that’s given to propel you to success.

Congratulations to the public and Ayu!

SH RAUDHAH ALQUDSY, Shah Alam

Source: NST – March 5, 2008

I CANNOT understand why N.M.C. of Kuala Lumpur is so excited over having road signs in Jawi (”Clearly a waste of time, money” - NST, Feb 26).

I do not know about Kuala Lumpur but here in Penang, when I was young, road signs used to be in English and Jawi.

The last of these that I had come across was in Western Gardens in white background with black lettering, and not the green and white ones we have now.

Recently, this sign was removed and with it, the last vestige of the past.

In fact, last year, a number of green Jawi signs have also been replaced with signs in Malay and English (in smaller lettering).

I suppose this is for tourists on the heritage trail. This then raises the question of why some things in our past are considered heritage and others not. Why is the destruction of the Bok House a loss and not the dropping of Jawi in road signs?

N.M.C. asks “And of what use is Jawi?”

It may not be of any use to him/her, but for those who care about the past of this country, Jawi is important.

Before the Malay language was romanised, it was written in Jawi. If one were to go through old title deeds in Kedah, one would find them written in Jawi. I believe this would be the same in other Malay states. Old Muslim marriage certificates were also written in Jawi.

Official documents were in Jawi, such as correspondence between the colonialists and sultans, which would now be inaccessible to anyone who does not know Jawi.

It happened to a relative of mine. He was going through old documents in Terengganu for his doctorate but being illiterate in Jawi, his mother and aunt had to help him translate it into romanised Malay.

Is it right then to loosen our hold on Jawi?

FATHIMA IDRIS, Penang

Source: NST – March 5, 2008