10 theSun | TUESDAY APRIL 21 2009

speak up!

Antidote for comprehensive health care

MANY administrations have
recited this oft-repeated man-
tra of putting the people first.
The present premier is no ex-
ception, and while one lauds
his earnestness in doing this,
making the rakyat a priority
is easier said than done. This
is because everyone needs to
be on the same page and put
self-interest aside.
While the prime minister
and those before him have
been sincere in wanting the
best for the rakyat, somehow
other priorities tend to over-
take the basic needs of the
people as we are all caught
up with “economic progress”
and “development”.
Anyone who claims that
the people’s welfare is be-
ing looked into needs only
study our public health-care
system.
Thus one hopes that the
Najib administration at least
will go back to basics in
fulfilling the people’s aspira-
tions.
There is no need for mega
projects and economic cor-
ridors if at the end of the day
they do not benefit the people
whose hard-earned money is
used to fund these schemes.
One is sure that taxpayers
would rather their money
be spent to improve public
health. It is in stark contrast
for a country that boasts of
the world’s tallest twin tow-
ers to face overcrowding in
hospitals.
For example, the Kuching
Hospital has only 800 beds
to cater to 630,000 residents.
How do we claim to put
people first when hospital
buildings can be declared
unsafe as was the case with
the Queen Elizabeth Hospital
in Kota Kinabalu, causing
bed-ridden patients to spill
out onto the parking lot.
Do we really need an un-
dersea power cable project
that costs RM15 billion when
our infant mortality rate is
16.39 deaths per 1,000 live
births? Many of these babies
die in rural communities in
Sabah and Sarawak where
the project is generated
from.
In this day and age it is
unforgivable that deaths from
dengue are rising. So far this
year, we have recorded 33
deaths – a 50% rise from last
year’s total.
And allocating just 3%
of the annual budget to
health care underscores
where the general public
stand in the pecking
order.
If a detailed study is
carried out on our phar-
maceutical industry, we
will see that it is benefits a few, Finance Ministry and Eco- his or her family or life-sav-
more of a case of and yet salaries nomic Planning Unit, sleep ing dialysis for oneself.
putting corpora- of government soundly knowing that the If every district and
tions first instead doctors are not lack of priorities could have township had its own public
of people. revised, causing cost lives? medical centre, the queues in
What other many to flee to It is gut-wrenching to see government hospitals will be
conclusion can the private sector that in spite of our wealth, shorter and people will have
one come to or even abroad? people still need to run to access to quicker consulta-
when a single Instead of newspapers with a begging tion and treatment.
entity is given spending hun- bowl to raise funds for heart There would not be a
the monopoly to dreds of millions surgery or bone marrow need for patients undergoing
import and dis- Down2Earth on white el- transplant when a national chemotherapy to wait from
tribute medicines ephants such as health fund could easily pay 5am for queue numbers as
to government by Terence Fernandez underused stadi- for their treatment and retain the hospital has only four
hospitals, where ums and sports their dignity? facilities to cater to 48 people
the price is hiked by almost centres, the government A proposal for such a in a day, as is the case with
50% by the time they land in should spend a fraction of fund where consultants from University Hospital Medical
the hands of patients? that to equip all government Australia were recruited two Centre.
The attempted privatisa- hospitals with MRI (magnetic years ago, sadly still remains Datuk Seri Najib Abdul
tion of the National Heart resonance imaging) ma- just that – a proposal as the Razak must take stock of this
Institute is also a stark chines, PET (positron emis- government continues to grave situation and apply the
reminder of how vulner- sion tomography) scanners, drag its feet in the imple- correct antidote. All it takes
able our public health care chemotherapy equipment or mentation of this life-saving is political will. The money
is. Who or what is stopping dialysis machines. scheme. is there, the resources are
another bright spark from It is a sin when someone What has happened to there.
putting up a proposal to put has to wait for a month due the Sihat Malaysia scheme To borrow the prime
the Kuala Lumpur Hospital to the long lines and lack of which was launched with minister’s motto, putting the
in private hands? equipment, to find out if he much fanfare four years people first means perform-
Where are the priorities has cancer. Many find out ago? ance now.
when hundreds of millions too late. So as part of the rakyat’s
can be spent on a fast rail Can those who draw up wish list to the new admin-
service to Singapore which our budget, including the istration, please put in place Terence is upset that we can
a national health plan build cars and skyscrapers
that takes care of the but yet cannot accord our
most vulnerable of our people basic cheap and ef-
society. ficient medical treatment.
The man and woman He is deputy editor (special
in the street should not reports & investigations) and
have to decide between can be reached at terence@
buying provisions to feed thesundaily.com.

letters
letters@thesundaily.com Steer kids away
from racism
ISA: To review inflame communal violence and
conflict.
Many opposition leaders and
others dedicated to non-violent,
peaceful activities.”
Last year, Gerakan’s president
I REFER to “Are we truly Malaysian?” (Down2Earth, April
17). I am of Malay and Chinese descent, and a Muslim.
This helps me understand the concerns of others when

or repeal? NGOs which are not accountable

RECENT events add urgency
to reconsider the need for the
Internal Security Act. The prime
minister ordered the release
of 13 detainees on April 5 and
promised to review the law. He
also made clear that abolishing
the law would not be a reality
yet.
So, should we amend or abol-
ish it? Ultimately it is a question
of justification. Arguments for
the Act state that it is a strong
mechanism to prevent extrem-
ism and terrorism, and ensures
peace and stability. The Act pro-
vides for legitimate preventive
detention during peacetime to
enable the authorities to carry
out their responsibilities effec-
tively in countering activities
prejudicial to national security,
economic livelihood and mainte-
nance of essential services.
It is to be emphasised that
the ISA has the necessary
safeguards for legal recourse
such as the concept of judicial
review, wherein a detainee can
apply for writ of habeas corpus.
Toll burden heavier on inter-city highways
I REFER to the prime minister’s
request to the Economic Plan-
ning Unit to seek a comprehen-
sive solution to the toll issue and
to look into various proposals on
the takeover of highway conces-
sionaire PLUS Expressways Bhd,
operator of the North-South
Expressway (NSE).
Everybody keeps saying that
Further, the detainee has a right
to make representation to an
advisory board, consistent with
Article 151 of the constitution.
Failing this, the detainee can
appeal to the King. Although
there had been ridiculous ar-
rests, the ISA is applied only
when peace and unity in the
country is threatened. Peace and
harmony are vital ingredients for
socio-economic development. In
another words, action can only
been taken against persons who
take part in unlawful acts against
public order and in subversive
activities.
For practical purposes, it
is not that the government
refuses to prosecute an offender
under the normal parameters of
criminal laws. The very character
of covert activities sometimes
makes disclosure of intelligence
collected as evidence in an open
trial a threat to the sources of
intelligence. In cases involving
racial and religious extremism,
the trial itself would provide the
accused with a public forum to
travel on the NSE is a burden
financially. However, the urban
highway issue is more pressing.
The government should look
into SPRINT, NKVE, NPE and the
SMART tunnel where urbanites
have to pay toll everyday, some-
times three or four times a day.
The amount of toll paid at
these highways adds up to a big-
for the safety and welfare of citi-
zens find it convenient to use the
ISA to make baseless allegations
merely to seek publicity.
Similarly, many government
MPs are abusing their power and
making unnecessary remarks for
selfish agendas.
On the other hand, in op-
posing the Act, many will state
issues of violation of human
rights (such as deprivation of
civil liberty, freedoms guaranteed
under the constitution and prin-
ciples of Universal Declaration of
Human Rights), draconian laws,
inhumane treatment, irrelevance
in today’s society, abuse and un-
lawful arrest – arbitrary detention,
disappearance and “brainwash-
ing”. More importantly, the gov-
ernment uses it as a tool to deter
political freedom and freedom
of expression. There are always
other laws, such as the Penal
Code, Sedition Act, etc. The late
R. Hickling, who drafted the ISA
once wrote, “I could not imagine
then that the time would come
when the power of detention …
would be used against political
opponents, welfare workers and
ger amount compared to what is
paid on the NSE.
In addition, the NSE is not a
highway that the average con-
sumer uses regularly. The big-
gest beneficiary of lower toll or
abolition of toll on the NSE would
be businesses rather than the
man in the street who does not
frequently go on long-distance
proposed the setting up of a
parliamentary select committee
on ISA to prevent future abuse,
as well as to protect national
security. However, Chief Minister
Lim Guan Eng opposed the idea
as he prefers to repeal the Act.
I am strongly against indefinite
detention without trial. When
we study the Act, it may not be
that bad after all. Unfortunately
it is often used to suit the police
or Home Ministry to gather evi-
dence to make out a case against
someone which is unjustifiable. It
simply means that they are inef-
ficient and abused their power
to deny a human being his right
to freedom for no good reasons.
Hopefully, our prime minister
really walks his talk and looks
into this matter constructively
as it touches the life of many
Malaysians to have confidence in
his pledge and 1Malaysia ideals.
To repeal or not to repeal,
that is the question…
Andy K.S. Yong
Bureau Chairman
Legal, Public Complaints
and Social Welfare
Parti Gerakan Malaysia
trips. Therefore, priority should
be given to tolled links which ring
the Klang Valley.
By only privatising PLUS, what
message is the government
sending if it does not have a fol-
low-up plan for other toll roads?
Concerned Urbanite
Kuala Lumpur
it comes to sensitive matters.
For instance, as much as Muslims are sensitive to-
wards issues relating to “pork” or even the word “pig”,
we too have to respect our Hindu friends’ sensitivities
about beef. I would not share the utensils I use for my
meal with my Hindu friends because I respect them as
much as I want my non-Muslim friends to understand
that I am not supposed to use any utensil used for their
non-halal food.
My late father was close to his family. And family gath-
erings meant eating together at a roundtable especially
during Chinese New Year. I remember my mum had to
slaughter the chicken so that everyone could enjoy the
meal. I kept my old granny company when she had to stay
up on the eve of Chinese New Year to “welcome” the God
of Fortune. I even accompanied her on many occasions
when she laid out the offerings during the “hungry ghost
month” but all that never made me any less Muslim. I
have kept my faith.
Now I have two growing girls, aged seven and three,
and it’s important to me that I raise them to respect other
people’s beliefs, accept their differences and at the same
time uphold our religion.
My daughter often imitates a scene from a cartoon she
watches, Word World, where the “frog” says that the “pig”
is eating almost everything and along comes the ant and
says “Well, after all he is a pig!” She even has a character
of the animal on her water tumbler which she takes to
sekolah agama. When her schoolmate teased her, she
came back and relayed the story to me and conveyed
the impression that the “teasing” was not right because
to her a pig is just an animal. Of course, I would have to
explain about the do’s and don’ts when the time comes
but for now I would like it to be as it is.
I remember her first two days at school when she felt
awkward sitting with some Indian girls her age eating
thosai with coconut chutney. Coincidentally, that is also
one of my favourite foods! At first she refused to sit with
them but changed her mind after I explained “it’s not the
colour of your skin but the heart that matters.”
A few weeks later when I phoned her from the office
she told me that she had made friends and spent her
recess with several Indian girls. And she sounded really
proud. Children will not have “skin issues” unless adults
teach them otherwise.
Liza Masrina Ibrahim
Kuala Lumpur