NO GROUNDS TO FEAR

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I refer to the letter, "Not the road for IJN," by S.M. Mohamed Idris, President Consumers Association of Penang, (nst. Nov. 6 ) While I appreciate his concern over the proposal by the Malaysian Health care Travel Council (MHTC) to persuade eight American companies to send patients for treatment at the Institute Jantong Negara (IJN), I feel that he should see the proposal objectively, instead of criticizing without weighing and studying the pros and cons why IJN struck such a deal..

The involvement of the American companies, would not only keep Malaysia on the medical travel industry map, but would also enhance the possibility of collaborating with world-renowned universities in California to train our cardiologists and cardiothorices surgeons at IJN or possibly in the United States .

I don't think that as a responsible government with the 1 Malaysia concept of " People first, Performance now", mooted by the Prime Minister, the government would compromise health care of the rakyat, just for the sake of getting rich foreign patients, to be treated at IJN. So there is no ground to have all those fears.

The underprivileged the middle income groups, and the rich Malaysian, will I am sure continue to receive due treatment at IJN, as promised by the Government when the Institute was built.

I think this is a concept of the rich helping the poor rakyat, as the fees collected from them will definitely be channeled to the IJN Foundation to support the underprivileged and needy patients, in Malaysia as evident from the more than 300 patients,old and young, rich and poor from all walks of lives, crowding all the various clinics everyday at IJN..
IJN is Malaysia's premier centre for the treatment of heart diseases, and it is now known throughout the world as one of the best heart centre. Due to the increased in the number of patients, the government recently extended the hospital with a new 200 beded wing, making IJN a 500 beded hospital, Unfortunately IJN is still short of cardiologists, cardiothorices surgeons, para medics, and trained nurses. There in lies the opportunity for more of our doctors to be trained locally and overseas.

I feel that the consumer associatios should instead focus their study on the amount of medication being dispensed to patients by IJN daily, and the cost involved. Every patient, including me, after seeing a doctor , received a six months supply of various types of expensive medicine. I often wonder whether all the patients consumed all the medicine given to them. More often than not some patients just stoped taking certain type of medicine for various reasons and the medicine s are thrown away. On their next oppointment the doctor might change the medicine, and the old ones are not returned. This is a shear waste of public fund.

I suggest that IJN should review their method of dispensing medicine and reduce it to a two months supply only, and if the patients finished their medicine , they should go and get them at either IJN or the nearest general hospital, or at the community clinics, or send by post as practiced by the Putrajaya Hospital.
I am sure IJN can save millions, and the money could be better used to help the underprivileged



NOR SHAHID MOHD NOR
PETALING JAYA

CIRCUMCISION IS NOT VULGAR

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I refer to your report, " 'Potong", ad review for being vulgar," (nst Nov.11 ) I feel sorry for some members of Parliament, who have nothing better to do than to raise question on the word 'potong' used in an advertisement which was aired over television and radio. According to Datuk Mohamad Aziz (BN Sri Gading ) the word ' potong ' brings a vulgar connotation, as it is a colloquial way of expressing the act of circumcision.

I wonder, since when the word ' potong ' or the act of circumcision itself became vulgar? As far as I know every Muslim boy has to be circumcised , as it is his religious obligation, and there is nothing vulgar about it.It is an open secret and nothing to be ashamed of. Muslim parents before every school holidays will openly discussed among family members, relatives and friends to fix a date for a kenduri and the circumcision ceremony of their sons.. Sometime a group circumcision is organized by mosques, or government departments. and it is often shown on television. There were no public outcry, and why cry wolf over this particular advertisement?

Now what if an ice cream company, advertises its ice-cream 'potong' showing a girl sucking the ice-cream and said " wow its the best ice-cream ' potong ' in the world. Is that vulgar? I think it is a matter of interpretation, and it depends on how one looks,feel, and think about it, and not everyone will have the same narrow-minded interpretation.

If the advertisement has passed the strict censorship code imposed by the National Censorship Board than it should be allowed to advertise on television as usual, without fear or favour.



NOR SHAHID MOHD NOR
PETALING JAYA

MALACCA PRISON MUSEUM

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I refer to your report, "Prison life for Malacca tourists," (Star Nov.1). I must applaud the Malacca Chief Minister,Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustum
for answering my call to turn the Banda Hilir Prison into a museum, which will be opened in 2012,
The 140 year old H.M. PRISON as it was known before the second world war, was built by the British in 1860. After the war the prison was known as a Young Persons Prison, where prisoners below the age of 21 were confined, till it was gazetted in l964 as the Henry Gurney School II,to ease overcrowding of the main school in Telok Mas Melaka. One hundred years after it was built, I took over command of the prison from a British officer, who had retired under the Malayanazation scheme,in August 1960 .,and was the first Malayan officer, to take charge of the prison as its Officer in Charge. I served the School for ten years until I was transferred to Taiping Prison in 1970.
Some people think that the Malacca prison, which is now in the heart of the city is an eyesore,and should be removed, but older generations, who are heritage lovers and foreign soldiers who were interned in the prison during world war 2 and myself as the man in charge for ten years wanted the prison as a Heritage Building in a UNISCO declared World Heritage sight to remain, and be turned into a museum for posterity..
The .decision of the State Government is timely in view of the fact that many old prisons in the United Kingdom, France, Germany,Switzerland and nearer home Australia have been preserved and turned into museums, hotels, and other establishment to attract tourists from all over the world. This could be a plus factor for Malacca .

SUPERVISE SCHOOL CHILDREN

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I am saddened by what has happened in the suspension bridge tragedy, because not only has innocent lives been lost, but it also tarnishes, the image of the Education Ministry, teachers in particular, and the newly born 1 Malaysia concept, mooted out by the Prime Minister, so much so that, the Perak opposition State assemblymen wanted all the 1 Malaysia camps suspended in view of the tragic incident. "opposition hold their own "sitting"," (nst Oct. 29 ).
I think this ridiculous political motivated decision is uncalled for. Does it means that when a plane crashed with 230 passengers on board killed, people should be stopped from flying?.
As usual in the aftermath of a tragedy, there will be so many individuals ,non-governmental organizations, and politicians,figure-pointing at the authorities and developers responsible for the construction of the project. Almost all will emphasis on the physical aspects of safety. like whether the project
was supervised and inspected by the Public Works Department,or a Fit to Use certificate issued by the relevant authorities,,or if there was an element of corruption, or was there a Notice Board or a Signage put up to warn the public on the use of the bridge, etc. etc.
Our former Prime Minister,Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamed, after the Highland Towers tragedy, warned that there was a need for a comprehensive study of any construction and development of public projects. The security aspects should not be compromised. The authorities must not be lulled into a false sense of security and must learn from all the tragedies that has happened. I wonder whether the warning has been taken seriously or not.
So much so, as far as Physical aspects of security are concerned, but we seem to be neglecting the practical aspects of security one that should be taught and practiced , by the people especially school children who are venerable to all sorts of accidents, I am more concerned about school children being taught to queue at bus stops, train stations,toilets, school canteens, ticket booths, etc. to let others come down first before alighting a bus or train..They should not be standing on doorways, putting their heads and hands out of the bus's windows, and running and playing while the bus is moving.
When was the last time a fire drill held in schools and school hostels? Are children taught how to leave the classrooms, halls, or hostels. when there is a fire or any disasters ? Do children rushed out of their classrooms when the bell rang, or do they leave in an orderly manner, starting from the first row followed by the others in single file? Children will be children, and while in schools they should be strictly supervised and disciplined. I believe that discipline at home as well as in schools will create an awareness of the practical aspects of security I feel that the Parent Teachers Associations, and the National Institute of Occupational Safety and health should seriously play their roles to oversee to the implementation of the practical aspect of security in all schools in Malaysia
If only precautions were taken and the children were supervised strictly to stand in single file and then allowed to cross the bridge five at a time with a teacher standing guard in the middle of the bridge and two others at both end of the bridge, the suspension bridge tragedy could have been averted
I would like to refer to the letter by Zahidi Ahmad,"were there enough safety measures?," (nst Oct.30 where he mentioned about how his children studying in England were strictly supervised at every school outing. I suggest that the Education Ministry take a cue from this system, so that parents will have more confidence in allowing their children to attend future 1 Malaysia camps.


NOR SHAHID MOHD NOR
PETALING JAYA
31.10.2009