TwoSen

MEDICAL Doctor in his letter “Dental visits a pain in the pocket” (The Star, Feb 13) does not even know the duties of a dental surgeon and a dental technician.

A dental surgeon graduates with a “Bachelor of Dental Surgery” degree and is conferred with the title Doctor while a dental student studies anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, dental materials, pathology, microbiology, pharmacology, medicine, surgery and all other dental subjects in a dental college.

The RM7,000 to RM9,000 fee is still cheap for a single dental implant. The cost to set up a dental surgery with implantology varies from RM500,000 to RM1mil or more. The material costs and laboratory charges are equally high.

The procedure for doing a dental implant is not simple. It is a high precision procedure and needs lots of training before the dental surgeon can provide such treatment. It is not just a case of cut and fix.

All dental surgeons providing dental implant treatment have undergone intensive training and attended courses and meetings like the latest Osstem Meeting 2007 at KLCC on Nov 25 last year.

Here are my replies to some of the suggestions raised in the letter:

> The Malaysian Dental Council together with the Health Ministry have set the range of dental charges for basic dental treatment under the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act. Dental specialist charges have not as yet been imposed.

> All dental surgeons providing dental implants and any other dental treatment quote the treatment charges prior to starting the treatment and patients are forewarned of any other charges that may occur during the procedure should any deviation of treatment arise.

> Technicians are not surgeons. They only fabricate the implants, crowns, bridges, dentures and splints in their laboratories.

> All dental surgeons doing dental implants are fully aware of any medical emergencies that may arise and are well prepared for it. So far, not a single emergency has occurred for a dental surgeon to require a defibrillator, a heart monitor, a pulse oxymeter or an ECG machine.

> Should such a need arise, the dental surgeon will either call for medical help or take the patient himself to the nearest medical centre.

> A dental surgeon providing dental implant treatment has attended courses and is proficient in his expertise. Not all dental surgeons provide dental implant treatment.

Medical Doctor should get his facts correct before alarming the public unnecessarily. If you cannot afford an expensive car, you should buy a cheaper car according to your budget.

The Malaysian dental surgeons are doing a very good service to the public.

DR JASPALL SINGH,
Vice-President,
Malaysian Private Dental Practitioners Association, Kuala Lumpur.

Source: The Star – February 14, 2008

THE recent allocation of RM20mil by the Cabinet for the redevelopment of Tamil schools is indeed a timely boost to increase the standard of Tamil schools in the country.

Currently, Tamil schools cater to the educational needs of the Tamil community.

The other Malaysian Indians comprising the Malayalees, Telugus, Punjabis and other Indians who make up roughly about 30 % of the community currently have no option to learn their mother tongue. And sadly, no effort has been made either to teach these languages in Sekolah Kebangsaan as well.

In line with the effort to teach Pupil’s Own Language (POL) and to comply with our Constitution which allows us to learn our mother tongue, the Education Ministry should set up fully-aided Indian schools that would teach these languages.

Apart from the standard curriculum, these schools can also teach Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, Punjabi and Hindi languages. Each student must be compelled to learn a minimum of two languages.

Mandarin can be an optional subject for the Malaysian Indians to learn as an added advantage in view of globalisation.

This would enable Malaysians to be Glocal – think local and act global, as being mooted by our Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Abd Razak

The Malaysian Indian community can greatly benefit from it as this will change the mindset, raise their education standard, enable them to learn an additional language and widen educational opportunities.

SETHU NAIR,
Kuala Lumpur.

Source: The Star – February 14, 2008

I WAS initially impressed when I read the letter “Let parents decide what is best for their children” (The Star, Feb 9), but I became disappointed upon reading the entire letter.

Although I admire the writer for sticking to his guns in deciding what his nephew and niece are allowed to watch, I’m disappointed with his lack of judgment.

Meet the Spartans totally deserves its 18PL rating and anyone who has the faintest interest in this movie is well aware of its contents.

The producers of this movie are the same people who made such well-known hits as Date Movie and Epic Movie. It’s more of the same crass humour and sexist dialogue you’ve come to expect from a typical Hollywood parody movie.

Parents, in this case legal guardians, must make well-informed decisions even on something as simple as watching a movie in the cinema. They should get the facts on what that specific film contains, in term of content, dialogue and subject matter, among other things.

Just basing their decisions on something as simple as a movie trailer is not going to cut it. Just make a Wikipedia search on this movie, and you’ll see what I mean.

Even a simple Google search will get you all the facts you need. Please, utilise the Internet whenever possible. It saves a lot of trouble later on.

Don’t get me wrong. Parents do have the right to decide what’s best for their children, but they should only do so after getting all the facts straight and making an informed decision.

In this case, I applaud the cinema management for adhering to the rules set by Finas. If you still insist on letting your nephew and niece watch the movie, just wait till it comes out on video.

A word of advice, though: You’re not missing much. Save your money for something more relevant.

GANAESH DEVARAJ,
Kuala Lumpur.

Source: The Star – February 14, 2008

I AM writing to share my experience engaging Indonesian maids as our housekeepers.

We have been employing Indonesian maids for the past five years and over the years we have encountered countless problems with these so-called pembantu rumah.

The most recent case happened on Jan 28 when our maid, who had been working for just a month, “quit.” She stole my son’s handphone, my wife’s dress and some other personal effects.

On the day of her disappearance, my sister-in-law received a mysterious phone call asking whether she needed a maid.

We suspect that a syndicate is behind this as my sister-in-law’s handphone number was stored in my son’s handphone contact’s list.

I would like to share this with other families, especially those in the Muar or Batu Pahat areas, to beware of this Indonesian maid. We believe that her husband is working with a local firm in Muar.

KL TAN,
Kajang, Selangor.

Source: The Star – February 14, 2008

BRING back the cane and give the power back to the teacher to use the cane!

What I am calling for may seem backward, unenlightened and downright draconic. But let’s be realistic here.

When the classroom is full of 40 shouting, laughing, screaming, playing, sulking students who want to do anything but study, how is a teacher to restore order?

Shout louder than the students? Make them stand on their chairs (and they will just continue talking to their friends)? Threaten them with a few measly demerit points? Or maybe the teacher should try to intellectually persuade the rowdy students on the necessity of a good education?

After trying in vain to get the attention of the students, the pragmatic teacher will simply surrender to reality and instead teach the few students who are willing to learn.

That is, if anything could be taught within the maelstrom of distraction and chaos.

And if, by some merciful miracle, the class finally quietens down, the teacher would still have to compete against the tremendous noise from the classes next door.

Teachers in today’s schools have all the burden but none of the authority. We place huge expectations on teachers to handle a class full of unwilling students, yet tie their hands with unrealistic rules of conduct.

Can you imagine our police force trying to maintain law and order without firearms, handcuffs or powers of arrest and every encounter they have with the public or criminals is met with lawsuits and threats of physical violence? This is exactly what we have done to our school teachers!

I contend that teachers must be provided with a symbol of authority that the students understand, respect and fear. The cane fits this role perfectly. In fact, it has no purpose other than to instil discipline and maintain order!

Even a long wooden ruler would be suitable to encourage the students to comply with the teacher’s demands. But the teacher must be given the authority to use that cane or ruler to punish within predetermined guidelines.

Anyone who is old enough to have experienced strict British-style schooling will agree that despite its fearsome reputation, the cane holds our fond memories of learning to grow up and be civilized.

I am not calling for schools to be turned into fascist institutions of pain and torture. But please, think of the long-term consequences. Students need to learn early that life is not all about fun, shirking responsibility, and having parents cater to their every whim.

Otherwise, they will one day learn firsthand that laziness will get them fired, that lack of education limits their opportunities in life and that breaking the law results in imprisonment and even a vicious caning that will leave permanent scars.

Isn’t it much better to teach students the reality of the outside world with a stinging, but harmless, whack on the upper arm?

Now, if anyone wishes to step forward with arguments that teachers should try instead to understand students’ feelings and be more compassionate towards the students, I will simply challenge them to try teaching in an average Malaysian school classroom for a month, or even just a week.

If they can consistently rely on their soft approach, quiet voice and gentle persuasion to quell three dozen unruly students, I will start taking their idealistic fantasies seriously.

But if they are not even willing to personally put their socially progressive dictates to the test, then I would kindly ask them to stop breathing down the necks of the already much harassed teachers.

In fact, if you take a closer look, you may find that the parents who most strongly oppose any form of discipline being imposed on their children are the very same individuals who lord themselves over teachers and the school staff.

SCOTT THONG YU YUEN,
Kuala Lumpur.

Source: The Star – February 14, 2008

I HAVE often lamented that maintenance and service have never been our forte although Malaysia is publicly known as a developing country with world-class infrastructure.

Over the years, we have spent billions on development but what is regrettable is the poor maintenance of these infrastructure and public amenities.

We build and provide the public various facilities but we are often found wanting when it comes to maintaining them.

A case in point is the frequent complaints about our road signs at our highways, whether federal, state, city or town roads. The road signs are often obstructed by branches and leaves of trees planted along the roads.

The problem arises because of poor maintenance by the local and other authorities that make no effort to prune the tree branches.

Trees are planted along roads to provide greenery and landscape. They can pose a major inconvenience to the motorists, especially those who are not familiar with the roads and if the road signs are obstructed from public view.

What is even more serious is that obstruction to such road signs can also affect road safety, resulting in accidents.

I would therefore suggest to all local and other relevant authorities to undertake proper maintenance of our public amenities by ensuring that our road signs are free from any form of obstruction.

TAN SRI LEE LAM THYE,
Kuala Lumpur.

Source: The Star – February 14, 2008

I REFER to the letter “Misplaced anger against Rapid Penang” (The Star, Feb 13).

I am one of the commuters who has benefited from the introduction of Rapid Penang. It had been a welcome relief for us from the bullying and arrogant state of the incumbent operators.

The brief five months of Rapid Penang’s operations has seen tremendous improvements in addressing the needs and wants of the public at large.

The company has been sensitive to our needs by introducing concession cards, reducing the period of buses plying the route, launching of its website to assist both locals and tourists, and also giving recognition to their drivers.

The CVLB in Penang are a bunch of losers with no direction. Look at the rampant abuse of the lanes for Rapid Penang buses in Komtar by the other operators.

Why has no action been taken by the authorities?

Some of their buses are more than 20 years old. How can they be allowed on the road?

At the end of it all, it is us commuters in Penang who will have to suffer.

I hope these ridiculous statements made against them do not dishearten the management and staff of Rapid Penang. Please continue your good job and strive to make Rapid Penang the best in the country.

FREQUENT COMMUTER,
Penang.

Source: The Star – February 14, 2008

I WENT to Majlis Bandaraya Bersejarah Melaka on Feb 6 to renew my licence.

When I arrived at around 9.45am, I was shocked to see no one working. The entire licensing department was empty. Many angry people were waiting to be served.

Some of them assumed that the staff members were attending a meeting.

After waiting for half an hour and not seeing anyone, I called to lodge a complaint.

I managed to talk to the telephone receptionist and was told that all of the staff members were at a farewell party that would last for another hour or more!

The complaints officer was also at the farewell party and there was no chance for me to speak to him. I was very upset and left my phone number for him to call me back.

To my disappointment, until today no one has called.

I would like the licensing department workers to explain why and how they could hold a farewell party during office hours.

Furthermore, no notice was given or pasted at the counter to inform the public that there would be a disruption in service.

ANGRY TAXPAYER,
Malacca.

Source: The Star – February 14, 2008

THE Football Association of Malaysia’s (FAM) latest effort to raise the standard of Malaysian soccer indicates that those in charge are missing the big picture (”FAM’s winning formula … Rush + United + Khairy” - NST, Feb 5).

Hiring an ex-great footballer to teach our strikers the art of scoring goals will not do it for Malaysia. Neither will sending a coach to Manchester United for three short weeks to shadow their assistant manager, Carloz Queroz.

A study of the modern game will show us that the strongest strikeforce starts from the team’s defence.

How often do we see defenders in top European leagues going all the way into the opposition’s territory to cross the ball for the strikers to score.

Strong defence and midfield will also keep the ball in the opposition’s half for longer, maintaining pressure on the other team’s defence, thus allowing the strikers more scoring opportunities.

But, more importantly, I believe that Manchester United (or Arsenal or Chelsea for that matter) is a hugely successful team not only because of Sir Alex Ferguson or their star players.

I don’t believe it’s the money either. Look at what happened to individuals such as David Beckham, Teddy Sheringham, Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke - all accomplished players during their MU days - after they left their clubs.

I believe it has something to do with the entire MU organisation, from its top executives to the talent scouts to the various trainers, all the way down to the lowly backroom staff.

What about their training regimes, players’ diet, and soccer academy to nurture young talents? In short, we need to take a careful look at the entire way we manage not only the team and players but also the FAM.

Some call this a “systemic view”. To quote W. Edwards Deming, the guru of gurus in quality improvement: “Workers work within a system that - try as they might - is beyond their control. It is the system, not the individual skills, that determine how they perform.”

Quality improvement is not rocket science. But there is a method to it. Third-world countries in Africa can do it. Our neighbours, Thailand and Vietnam are showing signs of marked improvements all the time.

For FAM, it will take some soul-searching, a bit of strategic thinking, and sheer determination to succeed. The rest is execution and the discipline to carry it through. Classic Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle for those who are into management.

But, of course, we also need full-time professionals, not career politicians, to run FAM. This is to avoid interference, whether for political or personal gains, to the detriment of the organisation’s set goals.

Politicians are fine, only if they can add value by helping the professionals to run the organisation smoothly. Their numbers, though, must be kept to the bare minimum.

A. RIZAL, Subang Jaya

Source: NST – February 14, 2008

I WOULD like to highlight the plight faced by senior citizens at the Royal Perak Golf Club (RPGC) in Ipoh.

My father has been a member of the club for over 25 years. The club was a members’ club and always put members’ interests first.

In the last few years, the lease of the club from the Perak government had expired.

There were a number of negotiations between the state government and the members’ representatives.

The end result was the club was taken over and run by a company owned by the Perak government.

There has been a lot of dissatisfaction over the way the club is currently run, but since a majority agreed to the takeover, there is nothing one can do.

However, there is a tradition which this proud club has had in place for years - members who are above 70 years’ old and have been members for 25 years can have their monthly contributions waived.

This shows that RPGC recognises its senior members and their contributions.

However, the members who had qualified for this were notified recently that this privilege has been withdrawn.

I understand that there are only a handful of members who have been in the club for more than 25 years and are above 70 years’ old. Hence, the financial loss to the club is negligible.

This rule goes against the values that the club had established in a time-honoured tradition.

I believe my dad and a handful of others who are above 80 years’ old and still play golf should be held up as a shining example of the kind of people we want to be in terms of sports achievement.

This type of high-handedness must stop and we, the members and taxpayers, must stand up and be counted.

F.M., Ipoh

Source: NST – February 14, 2008