TwoSen

THE Chief Secretary to the Government, Tan Sri Mohd Sidek Hassan, announced that all civil servants will have to wear batik shirts (and dresses) every Thursday effective Jan 17 (”Wear batik on Thursday” — NST, Jan 16).

But not everyone is in favour of wearing batik to their workplaces as they think that it is not suitable as office attire and they have this mindset that batik shirts are worn only for weddings or dinner functions.

Speaking for myself, I am in favour of the government bringing back batik shirts and dresses.

MOHD FAIZAL ABDULLAH, Kuala Lumpur

Source: NST – January 21, 2008

ON Jan 14, the United States and Malaysia resumed formal negotiations on the proposed Malaysia-US Free Trade Agreement after talks were deadlocked early last year over 58 contentious issues.

Among the contentious issues were government procurement and financial services. Policy space on these issues is important for Malaysia’s development.

Government procurement is a valuable macro-economic development tool and can help address socio-economic imbalances.

And in the light of the Asian financial crisis, Malaysia has been very careful in the sequencing and timing of financial services liberalisation, making decisions at its own pace and in the national interest.

According to a news report in the New Straits Times (Jan 14, 2008) quoting James R. Keith, the US ambassador to Malaysia, “a bottom line for us (the US) on government procurement is transparent and reciprocal market access. We have to have that. If we don’t have that, then it would become a deal stopper”.

Moreover, Keith has admitted that the US is seeking “substantial market access” in areas including financial services. Previously, the government had made public assurances that it will not sacrifice our national interests in order to forge a deal with the US. International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Rafidah Aziz has said that the government would not be moved on its Bumiputera policies nor on liberalising the country’s financial services sector.

She was quoted in an AFP report (March 19, 2007) as saying, “there are things that we cannot compromise on … like the Bumiputera agenda, government sovereign rights and procurement, and things like the financial sector, where we have our own financial market master plan”.

Unless the government has changed its mind, it appears that the US and Malaysia are irreconcilably at odds on fundamental issues. Given this, why is Malaysia even persisting in negotiating with the US?

S.M. MOHAMED IDRIS for Consumers Association of Penang

Source: NST – January 21, 2008

I REFER to the report “School may teach safety as a subject” (NST, Jan 18) where Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein has indicated the possibility of teaching safety in school in view of the recent cases of missing children.

The Malaysia Crime Prevention Foundation proposed recently that the ministry should introduce a child safety programme where children in primary schools are taught measures to protect themselves from predators.

Safety aspects must always be emphasised among children not only at home but also in school.

All possible initiatives must be explored to teach and inculcate in the students greater awareness and vigilance about their personal safety.

Parental education is insufficient. We need the schools to provide additional knowledge.

In this connection, it is our sincere hope that the Education Ministry will introduce safety education in schools as soon as possible.

TAN SRI LEE LAM THYE for Malaysia Crime Prevention Foundation

Source: NST – January 21, 2008

I REFER to the timely “Call for ban on sale of samsu” (NST, Jan 16) by the Consumers Association of Penang (CAP). I congratulate them for highlighting the untold misery and suffering inflicted on addicts, their families and communities by the illicit sale of samsu.

I strongly support CAP’s call for a ban on this cheap and harmful liquor. The effect of the “sin tax” imposed in the annual budgets on alcoholics will come to naught if this cheap, but potent, locally brewed liquor which, according to a CAP survey, has an alcohol content of between 17 and 47 per cent, is allowed to be sold to the public at between RM1 and RM5 a pack.

There is a need to beef up enforcement to stop the illicit sale of cheap samsu in unlicensed provision shops and take action against manufacturers making misleading and unproven claims about the health benefits of samsu.

If a total ban of the product is not feasible, there should at least be stricter legislation and disincentives in the form of higher taxes for the manufacture and sale of samsu, to make it less affordable to Malaysians.

M. GANESHADEVA, Kuala Lumpur

Source: NST – January 21, 2008

I REFER to your report “HDC about to implement halal industry action plan” (NST, Jan 15) on Halal Industry Development Corporation’s plan set to step up its development and promotional activities under its 2008-2010 strategy and action plan.

I recently received an invitation to participate in the Singapore International Halal Showcase — an event to be held under the theme “Halal Asia Markets: The Untapped Halal Opportunities”. Judging from the brochure, it is clear that Singapore is targeting top-level halal entrepreneurs, halal service providers and halal professionals to draw the latest information and development on the subject.

The hosting of this event shows how serious Singapore is to develop herself as a global halal hub. Malaysia must not be complacent and rest on her laurels. Regulatory and business frameworks must be reviewed and the integrity of Malaysia’s halal branding must always be preserved in order to maximise the opportunities on the international halal trends.

SHAHIDAN SHAFIE, Penang

Source: NST – January 21, 2008

I REFER to the letter ‘Turning away the brains’ (The Star, Jan 17). The answer to the question as to why we were losing these brains lies in the writer’s second last paragraph. “Little Napoleans” are indeed the ones who are responsible for this situation with most universities and health authorities looking on helplessly.

While health and education ministers, directors-general and various JPA officials go round the world trying their level best to bring home Malaysian doctors, the real enemies to them returning home sadly are the doctors and specialists in both the ministry and university hospitals back home.

The health and education ministries have made fatal policies allowing heads of department to have the final say in allowing who can be employed in their respective departments.

This policy is now working against national interests, as many of these department heads are insecure in their positions, fearing that they may lose out in terms of technology if they had not updated themselves or, worse still, their contracts may not be renewed.

The Health Ministry in particular must return to the system of allowing consultants to run their own units as in the ‘70s and ‘80s and monitor each unit’s performance by using various parameters such as mortality, morbidity, waiting times, etc.

Leaving too much authority to a single head of department will lead to the misuse of power.

Things have come to the point where some public medical faculties hire mainly foreign expatriates at the expense of locals so that these indebted foreigners will vote for the continued presence of their respective deans or heads of department during annual appraisals.

It’s a sort of co-existence so that both parties benefit but at the ultimate expense of students and university standards. These Little Napoleons are surely working against the interests of the nation as the writer highlighted in his letter.

Both the health and education ministries must make it a policy that specialists and doctors be hired by an independent body and be posted to these respective hospitals.

The policy of allowing various heads of departments to have the ultimate say must be terminated.

This country needs many specialists and turning away our own boys and girls who come back to serve the nation but are turned away by self-serving heads of departments is nothing short of treacherous.

The Education Ministry and the DG are well aware of these shortcomings but have surprisingly yet to overcome these deficiencies.

There have been instances in government hospitals where units that have been set up with millions of ringgit of taxpayers’ money are allowed to flounder just because the head of department thinks that no one else is qualified, except himself.

There have also been instances where specialists working in hospitals that have private wings consistently turn down applications from even local specialists for fear their cake in the private wing will get smaller.

These unhealthy policies must stop. It boils down to bad policy where department heads are allowed to overturn the decision of even the university senate or the ministries own interview board regarding a specialists’ appointment.

If this is allowed to continue, the respective heads of departments will make themselves indispensable and blackmail the ministry or university for higher pay or positions.

Clearly this cannot be condoned. The DG may have had many issues to deal with, but his experience pertaining to the hostility with which he was met with by our own students and doctors in Britain during his visit a few years ago has much to do with this discrimination rather then anything else.

To eliminate the Little Napoleons, hiring must be strictly by an independent body. To ensure incidences such as those mentioned in the letter where oncologists, cardiologists or endocrinologists are not turned away from a nation such as ours where these services are required badly by our citizens, the vice-chancellors, the directors-general or recruiters from the JPA must stand firm in their commitment to prospective applicants.

ZARIM KAMARUL,
Shah Alam, Selangor.

Source: The Star – January 20, 2008

MUCH has been said and written about the High Intensity Discharge (HID) bulbs installed in some cars that ply our roads and it has been explicitly spelt out that the Jabatan Pengankutan Jalan (JPJ) does not approve of such bulbs.

The warning has been issued by the authorities that those who install them are running foul of the law but how is it that the JPJ has not managed to weed out this menace?

I’ve had a few close shaves on the road as a result of these blinding lights; and it reinforces the prevailing culture of our society where reluctance to implement regulations will only be transformed into action when a major tragedy occurs.

We blame the slippery roads, the weather and even the mental and physical conditions of the drivers involved. But if we were to reflect, an accident will still occur even with the best road conditions and the most alert of drivers if we do not tackle this problem.

The split second that we are blinded can result in untold horror. Are we waiting for a lucky survivor to testify that it was indeed these lights that caused carnage on the road?

With the Chinese New Year exodus set to begin soon, Ops Sikap will also begin in earnest. But all this campaigning and reminders will amount to nothing if the authorities do not act on this offence.

I appeal to the JPJ authorities to take a more severe course of action rather than just issuing them with summonses.

Perhaps one way to circumvent this menace is to seize such offending cars temporarily and have the owners pay for the replacement of the bulbs with the approved ones before certifying them as “roadworthy”.

CAROL,
Kuala Lumpur.

Source: The Star – January 20, 2008

WE read with much dismay “Two Shot in Separate Accidents” and “M-cyclist Caught in Line of Fire of Dog Shooter” (The Star, Jan 17). We have been actively lobbying the Government and local municipal councils to standardise safe, humane and effective methods of stray dog control.

Reports of municipal officers or sub-contracted dog catchers capturing, transporting, housing and destroying stray dogs and puppies in an inhumane manner have been flooding in, as more and more people become vigilant about the welfare of these unwanted animals.

Let us always bear in mind that stray dogs are a man-made problem, though it is convenient enough for everyone to turn around and blame the dog for simply existing.

We have long been urging the councils to adopt several cost-effective, humane and long-term solutions like wide-spread spay-neuter campaigns, differential licensing for owners of neutered dogs, the setting up of a Klinik Kembiris in each municipality, the passing of bylaws that make abandonment of dogs an offence with a hefty penalty, microchipping campaigns, and promoting humane education and the concept of responsible pet ownership.

The recent incidents illustrate just how uncivilised, dangerous and cruel the shooting of homeless dogs can be.

We urge municipals nationwide to be kind to all animals, as this is in the best interest of not only the animal but the community as well. Every life is precious, be it in a man or a beast.

JACINTA JOHNSON,
Senior PR & Marketing Officer,
SPCA Selangor.

Source: The Star – January 20, 2008

IT was with great astonishment that our family member received a telephone bill for RM230 after participating in the Astro Vaanavil Puthayal game. Every month she spends quite a hefty sum to take part in the Puthayal contest.

It has become a compulsive habit and she participates because of the lucrative prize money on offer. Ultimately this has led to a gambling addiction.

There can only be one winner, while thousands of innocent consumers lose money.

To participate in the game one telephone call is charged RM3; a hundred calls in a month will cost RM300.

This is worse than the ‘Scratch and Win’ game.

Because of the great number of participants falling prey to this all over Malaysia, the authorities concerned should investigate this Puthayal game in Astro Vaanavil and ban it.

Astro should provide games and contests without charging its customers and this will bring in many new customers.

B. KRISHNAN,
Ampang, Selangor.

Source: The Star – January 20, 2008

IT’S a shame that sexual harassment is still rampant and at this stage of our developing nation. I am referring to the humiliation that Melody Song Faye-Lynn had to undergo (“Sexual harassment is not OK”– The Star, Jan 18).

Embarrassing and humiliating a woman to the point of unzipping her dress in front of a full audience is indeed not a joke.

I was aghast at the thought that somebody would go to such an extent, that this “high-spirited young man” thought it funny to undress a young woman.

Added to the insult was that there was no effort made by the police to investigate or take action against the young man, and that the university administration seemed to have swept the incident under the rug.

The young lady concerned had to uphold her dignity and rights as a human being on her own, and I was glad that the university student council supported her.

What I found disturbing is that some men, both young and old, seemed to not understand and know their limits when ‘joking’. I also receive a lot of crude and vulgar jokes and remarks via SMS.

Even speakers at motivational seminars or conferences, in an effort to gain the interest of the audience, make unnecessary and sensitive gender remarks or jokes.

The men in the crowd would roar with laughter, while the women would cringe in embarrassment.

I once complained about this to my male colleagues, and guess what? I was told that I had no sense of humour and that I shouldn’t take everything said too seriously; that I was being too sensitive and emotional. They are, after all, just ‘jokes’.

I think this kind of attitude is sending the wrong message to young men and women – that it is all right to degrade women this way.

It directly shows disrespect towards women, and it is little wonder that some of our young men, like in Melody’s case, have turned out as such.

Indeed, men should know and be aware that there are limitations and restrictions in how they should behave towards women.

Not everything is considered funny.

NAZREEN,

Mersing, Johor.

Source: The Star – January 19, 2008