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Selangor WEATHER
Friday Saturday Sunday Selangor targets
RM10bil in
Morning
Night
Selangor hits
out at sex video
SHAH ALAM: The state has slammed the sex video
purportedly featuring Selangor Economic Advisor Datuk Seri
Anwar Ibrahim as shameful and damaging to both the Muslim
faith and unity.
“This act is ethically wrong, it goes against the teaching of
any religion that emphasises justice, peace and goodwill,” said
Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim after chairing Wednesday’s executive
councillor meeting.
The Menteri Besar also questioned the “moral fitness” of the Khalid
individuals behind the creation of the video who have admitted presenting
to keeping, watching and showing it to others. an award
Khalid said while these individuals claimed to represent to Petaling
Muslims in the country, the actions were both desperate and Jaya mayor
Datuk
politically motivated to garner support from Malay voters. Roslan
“But I am sure Malays are smarter than this and would not Sakiman
be taken in by this slanderous act,” he said. while Hasan
Khalid also called on the police to carry out a transparent and Khusrin
and impartial investigations. look on.
Meanwhile, former Malacca Chief Minister Tan Sri Rahim
Tamby Chik, businessperson Datuk Shazryl Eskay Abdullah, By Basil Foo stay in the state and also add invest- sewerage management project, the
and Perkasa treasurer Datuk Shuib Lazim have admitted ments,” he said. Klang River of Life project, and the
to showing the sex video to journalists at Carcosa Seri Negara SHAH ALAM: The Selangor State He related the story of a business trip underground MRT project.
on Monday. Investment Centre (SSIC) is targeting to France, where a company com- Representatives from 61 technical
According to the three, the moniker “Datuk T” stood for RM10 billion worth of investments for mended Selangor’s short two-week wait departments – comprising local au-
Datuk Trio or Three Datuks. the state this year after exceeding their for business approval. thorities, land and district offices, and
The three, who have asked for a royal commission of inquiry goals in 2010. The targeted amount of RM10 bil- state departments – received the ap-
to be set up to investigate the video, came out in the open after “We achieved RM10 billion in 2010, lion investments this year would be preciation awards.
Sungai Petani Member of Parliament Datuk Johari Abdul while our targeted investment for that achieved with the approval of four “With our efforts to provide service
exposed their identities at a press conference on Wednesday. year was RM8 billion,” said SSIC chief projects which are “in the pipeline”, for investment approvals, Selangor is
Police have also begun investigations into the sex video executive officer Datuk Mohammad Jabar added. sure to attract more investors from both
scandal following a report lodged by Anwar on Tuesday. Jabar Ahmad Kembali. Also at the appreciation ceremony the manufacturing and service sectors,”
He announced the new target in a was Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Khalid Khalid said.
To place your Advert in speech at an appreciation ceremony for
officers from the state’s technical depart-
Ibrahim, who gave a speech and pre-
sented plaques to representatives of the
The Menteri Besar reminded the
technical officers that their knowledge
ments at the Shah Alam Convention state technical departments. and expertise should continue to in-
Centre on March 21. “One of the things that makes Se- crease in order to improve the quality
In his speech, he thanked the techni- langor an investment destination is of their work.
cal officers for ensuring sufficient safety, sufficient infrastructure for investors,” Also at the event were state executive
infrastructure, security and strategic he said. councillor Datuk Hasan Ali and state
Contact Timothy Loh at 019-267 4488 locations for the investors. He also alluded to investment proj- secretary Datuk Mohamad Khusrin
“We want to ensure that investors ects worth several billion ringgit like a Munawi.
or Ivan Looi at 014-936 6698
mrt pr
reside oject:
disapp nts
ointed Greater
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Study Medicine
March
18 — 20,
2011/
issue 16
reaDY
Workers To
preparin HIT THe SKI
air balo g eS:
on in the to launch a
War sha hot
during s” character pe of “Sta
the Dar r
Hot air putrajaya Inte th Vader
Ballon
Fiesta rnational
yesterda
At
– Pictu y.
re by Victo
r Chon
g
MPSJ t
su Ba
ng
films, liter jaYa:
dedicate ature and even There are
“mosquo unleash
Cahaya
eat dog d to the old sayin song s
swoop by”, but in an g of “dog
inno
cil, the “doga local municip vative
by a mos ” will soon al coun
Hypermar-
quit be replaced-
Cempaka
In a pilo o.
taken soon t project to
Municip between the Sub be under-
ito eater
al
versiti Sain Council (MP ang Jaya
kets
Ban k Bhd s Malaysia andSJ), Uni-
”
The larv to combat
Mosquit ae of the Toxo deng ue.
species of oe, which prey rchynchites
day noon)
mosquit to release Toxorhy
Sentul Timur
mosquit to eater” to redurelease the If the trial by CIMB Ban is this
the MPSJ. oes is bein ce
g carried Aedes USJ 1 tooes at an abandon nchites coun is succ k. mon
out by populat see if it can ed area in othe cil plans to appl essful, the loca mosquit th by monitoring
A Toxorhyn ion of Aed reduce r areas with y the met l o pop the Aed
up to 158 chite s effec tively. es mosquit the in hod to doned area in ulation at the abanes
to 400 larvae can eat representativ oes outHowever, Ada its municipality.
Tesco
USJ 1.
Sentul
dur ing Asked whe Later, -
its life Aed es larv
tim e, said ae
with MP
SJ
es during
a brie mos quit ther the
that Toxo
rhyn
nan also
poin 600 Toxo they will relea
USM Unlike officials on Mar fing USM oes would distu release of the can only thrive chites mosquit ted the area rhynchites mos se around
Toxorhyn other mosquit ch 11. said science officer rb ecosystem tion, so
the
in areas
with oes fem , with quit
ales in each 100 males andoes in
chites mos oes, it Adanan s, met vege
quitoes adult mosquitwould not as Toxo Che Rus in flats and apar hod cannot be ta- batch. 100
(Puchong,
do not tments. used The enti
oes is a natu rhynchite “This is six re trial will
This proj ral s help only months take arou
ect betw specie. curb the one of the tool
spread of Adanan, to complete. nd
een MP Ada nan s to who
SJ and . dengue,” in visit
He said said tionJanuary to iden ed Subang Jaya
they will s to cond tify suita
PSM lawmakers,
By Brenda Ch’ng
Obstruction
on five-foot
ways to be
regulated
By Tang Hui Koon
shine in
He said the council would issue residents of Subang Jaya. talents these young people possess,
a written notice to all shopowners Organised by the service centre we should have this more often,”
soon. “We hope they will cooper- of state assemblyperson Hannah said Yeoh.
ate and apply for licence(s) as soon Yeoh, the event provided a platform Apart from singing and dancing,
as possible,” said Abdullah.
A RM100 licence fee will be
imposed and must be renewed
every six months.
talent quest for budding talents to shine.
One of the rules of the audition
was that every group performance
had to be multiracial.
Madeline Ashlee Lok, who turns 16
this year, shared her breathtaking
talent on the Chinese zither, or gu-
zheng.
Shopowners can be fined “We joined this [talent] quest to Lok only learnt to play the in-
RM1,000 for failing to comply. put our talents to the test, and at the strument five years ago, but already
Shops selling groceries, furni- same time to improve ourselves,” she has performed at the Malaysian
ture, electrical appliances, shoes, said Siti Amelia, head of dance Philharmonic Orchestra concert
clothing, pets and flowers will be group Poison Stars. hall. Her other achievements in-
affected by the ruling. Poison Stars was one of the many clude finishing eighth at the 2nd
Shopowners can only use up to groups that came together and per- International Zheng Qualification
one-third of the space of five-foot formed despite differences in age, Contest Open last week.
ways to place their goods. race and dance style. “I joined this [talent quest] to
However, restaurants will not Another eye-catching display challenge myself, and to also see
be affected because they are regu- was four-year-old Amelia Lee Zi where traditional music stands in
lated by other by-laws. Yuen, who put on a cute self-taught modern dancing and music,” said
MPSJ assistant public relations dance to the tune of Under the Sea Lok.
director Azfarizal Rashid said from The Little Mermaid. The contestants have a week off
shopowners could only place Dressed as the Little Mermaid before the finals this Sunday at the
lightweight goods such as news- herself, her mother proudly shared Sunway Pyramid main concourse
papers and flowers in corridors. her other achievements such as win- at 5pm, where they will again per-
Abdullah said the council ning the Most Talented Dancer title form and hopefully be a beacon for
would give sufficient time for busi- in the Little Miss Santarina pageant other aspiring talents out there.
nesses to comply with the latest last December. Celebrities Juwita Suwito, Fahmi
guideline. “The talent quest is open to resi- Fadzil and John Oomen will judge
Poison Stars following a zombie routine. dents of Subang Jaya who are 17 the contest.
8
News
March 25 — 27, 2011
denies allegations
to get disabled traders to shift to the a disabled vendor alleged she had been
back of the Taman Megah market harassed when she refused to move.
stood by her decision during a Petaling “She (the disabled vendor) should
Jaya City Council (MBPJ) internal come to us or go through proper chan-
inquiry last week. nels to name the people who are harass-
Tiew Way Keng said on Wednesday ing her,” said Tiew.
(March 16) that she had done nothing Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua,
wrong. “I’ve done my best as a facilita- who also visited the market, said the
tor for residents and traders who have vendors had initially been supportive
made complaints and also MBPJ. Our of the move, but subsequently changed
job and duty is not to make life difficult their minds.
for anyone,” Tiew told the inquiry. “Of course they have the right to
Tiew explained that her decision to change their minds, and their objec-
shift the vegetable stalls outside to the tions will be taken into consideration,”
back of the market was made because he said.
some female shoppers had complained Pua called the allegations of dis-
of being “groped”, apart from the other crimination against the disabled
issue of congestion among the stalls. “baseless”, as MBPJ had promised to
During a visit to the market the day build ramps and remove obstruction
before, Tiew had said she was more at the proposed new site of the vege-
than happy to face the internal audit table stalls.
committee because it would give her an However, during a press conference
opportunity to clear her name. last Wednesday (March 23), mayor
She also denied allegations of abuse Datuk Roslan Sakiman said the traders’
of power in the move, in response to a stalls would remain where they were.
Tiew (right) and Pua (second right) with market vendors and disabled members of the Beautiful report in theSun. “They are status quo and will not be
Gate foundation at the Taman Megah wet market on March 15. “Will theSun care to let me know moved,” he said.
By Alvin Yap
Reaction Team
(MBPJ) showed its support for the work
done by an orphanage and other non-gov- Apac founder
ernment org anisations by donating Johan Tung
not so quick
RM20,000 on Wednesday. (second from
“We honour the hard work and their vi- left) receiving
sion in starting their respective organisa- donations
tions,” said councillor Richard Yeoh. from Yeoh
PETALING JAYA: Councillors have slammed Yeoh, with colleagues Cynthia Gabriel (second from
Petaling Jaya City Council’s Quick Reaction Team and Terence Tan, combined the balance of right) and Tan
(far right).
(QRT) for being too slow. their previous year’s allocation to make the
MBPJ donates
The QRT, tasked with responding to emergencies, contribution to groups involved in social
repairing potholes and faulty traffic lights, and replac- work after getting the green light from
ing missing grates, ironically is not living up to its mayor Datuk Roslan Sakiman.
RM20,000 to NGOs
name, said councillors on Wednesday. “Some development budget wasn’t
“QRT took a few days to a week to clear a fallen spent, so the mayor said we could donate
tree in my zone,” said Cynthia Gabriel, who first it to show MBPJ’s support towards social
raised the issue at the MBPJ full board meeting. work,” Yeoh said.
Fellow councillor Derek Fernandez also pointed The recipients were Growing Emerging P.S. The Children executive director further” by MBPJ’s recognition.
out that the QRT was slow in carrying out mainte- Leaders (GEL), Protect and Save the Chil- Madeleine Yong said the money would be “Our Home is based on giving quality
nance and repair work on traffic lights in the mu- dren (P.S. The Children), Our Home, and well spent in providing assistance and run- care. We have only eight children, but we
nicipality. All Petaling Jaya Residents Association Co- ning its programmes. nurture them and care for them,” he said.
“Can’t we even take care of [more than] 90 traffic alition (Apac). Founded in April 1999 as a project in Founded in August last year, the or-
lights in our area?” he asked. GEL founder Jasmine Ng said she was response to the need for a voice for sexu- phanage is sustained financially by Paul’s
The QRT was set up last year to speed up repairs touched by the city council’s support. ally abused children, P.S. The Children friends and relatives.
and maintenance. Mayor Datuk Roslan Sakiman had Founded in 2006, GEL started as a group actively promotes treatment and support “I can only say to MBPJ, thank you very
said the team would be given 48 hours to attend to of youths gathering every Monday to apply services. much for this cash assistance,” he added.
complaints and remedy problems. leadership and faith-based principles in Our Home founder and director Dr Apac’s Johan Tung said he was touched
Public complaints director Tengku Nazaruddin their lives. Paul Rajendran said he was “motivated by MBPJ’s donation.
Temple
land issue
unresolved
By Basil Foo “The temple used to be in an area where the
LDP is now. When we were moved here, we
PETALING JAYA: A longstanding land were promised that we wouldn’t be disturbed.
ownership issue has left devotees uncertain “But 20 years ago, a circular was issued by
about the future of their temple at Lagoon Majlis Perbandaran Subang Jaya (MPSJ)
Perdana, Bandar Sunway. saying that this is private land and they want
“At a meeting last month, the land office to demolish the temple,” Thanapakiam said.
told us this land is under the Malaysian High- The 70-year-old temple has been located Temple members listening to speeches after the ceremony.
way Authority (MHA),” said temple commit- on a piece of land at the end of Jalan PJS 9/1
tee member Thanapakiam Krishnan. for the past 40 years, of which it has yet to be land gazetted as highway reserve. Yeoh assured temple-goers that since the
During a Hindu festival on Friday night, given ownership. “The meeting recently was called by the beginning of her term, the state had issued a
Thanapakiam said the Devi Sri Sam- Thanapakiam said a follow-up meeting is land office, but the highway authorities guideline for all issues regarding temple land
undieswary temple is sitting on land gazetted to be held with MHA to decide on the issue didn’t turn up,” said Yeoh. ownership to be resolved.
as a road reserve. in the next few weeks. She added that the land office will con- Kelana Jaya Member of Parliament Loh
Situated next to the Sunway toll along the Also at the festival was Subang Jaya assem- tinue to seek the highway authority’s attend- Gwo Burne, who was also at the temple, said
Damansara-Puchong highway (LDP), the blyperson Hannah Yeoh, who was briefed by ance, and hoped that all parties could sit he would be working with Yeoh to resolve the
temple was moved 20 years ago. MHA. She confirmed that the temple sits on down to resolve the issue. land issue.
Malaysia’s
would be that the potential disaster is so bad,
no one will let it happen. Actually, everyone
wit pleasure will hope that the disaster happens to some-
one else first.
Lee Hwok Aun Wikileaks’ release of cables from the US
embassy in Tokyo is now widely known.
M
“Me, too!”
urderously deforested Sarawak goes Taro Kono, a member of Japan’s Lower
to their state polls soon. The world House, claimed that “Japanese electric com-
remains transfixed on the frenzy to panies are hiding the costs and safety prob-
cool down Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi power lems associated with nuclear energy”, and
plants. And the Malaysian government re- have suppressed development of alternative
fuses to impose a moratorium on its plans for energy sources.
mentality
nuclear energy. Further compounding the problem, nu-
Er, what’s the link? clear power contains a lethal mix of huge
Exploiting nuclear energy, like pillaging costs – to build, operate and dispose waste
our forest, is a trouble-sure, self-destructive, – and political protection. Greg Palast, an
“Me, too!” project. Others have done it, and investigative journalist and former regula-
so shall we. This is the line spun by our fed- tory agency researcher, reports that Ameri-
eral government on our “right” to deforest as can power company Stone & Webster lied
much as fast as we please, most vehemently about its “Seismic Qualification” at its
by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, while Shoreham plant in New York in 1988 – two
Sarawak Chief Minister Taib Mahmud has The nuclear industry has grown in years after Chernobyl!
preferred to conspire in the shadows. sophistication and extensively engages in They were failing that requisite test, and
Malaysia holds the dishonourable distinc- it would have cost a financially calamitous
tion of being the world’s largest exporter of
politicking, through lobby groups like the one billion dollars to change that result, so
tropical logs, mostly from Sarawak. In 2006, academically named Nuclear Energy Institute. It the company fraudulently passed itself. Two
we exported more than Indonesia, which, in makes you wonder what may be shrouded from engineers blew the whistle on their employ-
second place, has a forest cover that is four us about current hazards.” ers. If not for them, and for the existence of
times ours; and number three Brazil, which regulatory oversight and intrepid journal-
has 23 times more forested area. Egypt, and Bangladesh – peers as well as grounds to reject nuclear power. Anything ism, we might have never found out.
We could have said “not me” and done subordinates in terms of national income related to nuclear fission is exceptional – ex- The nuclear industry has grown in sophis-
things differently: managed our forest re- level. Perhaps a greater itch is caused by the ceptionally dangerous to humankind. We are tication and extensively engages in politick-
sources responsibly and sustainably from the nuclear ambitions of neighbours Thailand, dealing with radioactive material that can cause ing, through lobby groups like the academi-
start. Instead, we pointed to countries that Indonesia and Vietnam. untold damage – and the worst hit will be cally named Nuclear Energy Institute. It
have had their glory days of deforestation and Many are saying, if the Japanese can’t avert communities who cannot afford to live safe makes you wonder what may be shrouded
huffed that we will have ours, too. Then we crisis, what more us? While that has elements distances from the power plants. from us about current hazards.
will get rich and declare ourselves developed. of truth, it misses the fundamental problems Only two atomic bombs have ever been So what do we do? Halt this hurried lurch
The Najib administration has not convinc- and systemic risks associated with nuclear detonated on human settlement, in Hiroshima toward nuclear power. Like rampant log-
ingly demonstrated that future energy needs energy. and Nagasaki. Does that make nuclear weapons ging, don’t do it just because others have
offer no alternatives to nuclear power, or One argument that will be trotted out is more palatable? The cold war doctrine of “mu- done it or are doing it.
come up with a credible plan for reducing that nuclear energy is “safe”. The number of tually assured destruction” (splendidly acro- Emulate the right things. Why don’t we
power usage and investing in cleaner and major crises is few, most prominently Three nymed MAD) held that nobody would be the look at advanced economies’ energy-saving
safer technologies. Mile Island in 1979, Chernobyl in 1986, and first to use it because the enemy will retaliate measures, efficient transport systems, excel-
One cannot help but notice the growing now Fukushima. and both sides will be annihilated. Yup, that lent education institutions, democratic
list of countries planning to go nuclear. But even if Japan escapes catastrophic melt- worked – as long as there was an arms race. practices, and high levels of critical and
There’s Turkey, United Arab Emirates, down and mass fatalities, there are solid A parallel logic applied to nuclear power creative expression, and scream, “Me, too!”?
jan feb mar apr may jun jul aug sep oct nov dec jan feb mar apr may jun jul aug sep oct nov dec jan feb mar apr may jun
2009
20 10
20 11
A
few years a g o, the other para-medical staff continue to leave the public for providing cover to all Malaysians, with the government ly addressed or debated is that of healthcare costs. load is far more onerous.
government announced the private sector as more and more patients seek treat- being the sole payer. Improving and modernising healthcare systems The approach of using public hospitals for
its intention to restructure and ment and care in the public sector. The government should remain the key provider of and enhancing remuneration benefits incur huge FPPs may put the pressure on doctors to subcon-
the countr y’s health system, certain anti-cancer drugs. This This has led to a mismatch of supply and demand. It healthcare to be financed out of income taxation. It has costs. Finding the funding needed will pose a sciously prefer these patients and may encourage
particularly the financing and delivery of jeopardises the principle of equitable access is estimated that 75% of all admissions are to government to assume the responsibility of ensuring that effective and serious problem, if not now, then surely in the queue jumping, and even undermine natural
health services. But is the increasing privatisation and to health services for all Malaysians, some of whom hospitals, but only 25% to 30% of the total number of equitable healthcare be delivered to the entire population. near future. justice of fair waiting times and queues for lim-
marketisation of health services desirable? How can may not be able to afford these treatments. medical specialists work in these hospitals. This mismatch As such, allocations for healthcare can and must con- The emphasis on medical tourism as another ited resources. This may be a natural human re-
Malaysia’s healthcare system be made more equitable? has led to a relatively poorer quality of healthcare, as the tinue to rise until we achieve at least the standard set by engine of growth for the economy is also over- sponse to immediate “reward” for services, but is
Any humane society must adopt the principle that Liberal economic ideology advocated by the capacity to treat critical illnesses in public hospitals is WHO – 5% of GDP. The financing of this can easily be stated, given the small potential addition to the unfair in the context of a public sector expecta-
healthcare is a right of all its citizens. The Universal Dec- International Monetary Fund and World Bank unable to match the demand for it. raised from income tax and corporation tax (which in- country’s coffers – the forecast growth to the tion, where equitable care should be the standard.
laration of Human Rights recognises “the right of every- Hospital services such as cleaning, laundry and clinical The victims of this increasingly distorted system are of cludes contributions from Petronas). RM2bil target by 2015 (from RM399mil in So we hope the MOH and government will
one to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard waste management have been outsourced to the private course, the poor, irrespective of race and gender. 2008) will only be a very small percentage of the seriously reconsider this move. Particularly at this
of physical and mental health.” sector. Ironically, such privatisation has increased the cost Meanwhile, the richer segments of society enjoy better Conclusion country’s overall gross domestic product of more time when the economy is far from being healthy,
A system that provides for universal and comprehen- of servicing the health system. treatment in private hospitals. This has no doubt further Developing countries need to learn one important than RM700bil. and many people are still reeling from the finan-
sive health benefits to all must be put in place. Access to Private hospitals have proliferated over the last two widened the divide between rich and poor in Malaysian lesson – that controlling health expenditure, while hop- What is the Malaysia Medical Association’s cial crisis. Perhaps a better system of healthcare
healthcare should be based on need and not ability to pay. decades, adding to the supply capacity of private health- society, a divide that is fast growing due to the unequal ing to provide universal coverage and equal access to stand on the issue of full paying patients (FPPs)? financing or insurance can be put in place before
Until the mid-1980s, the government did a reasonably care delivery, which now comprises GPs, specialist clinics, distribution of income, and unequal access to basic needs healthcare, cannot be achieved through the market The MMA has always supported better remu- embarking on this sort of “luxury” or “Cadillac”-
good job of providing a satisfactory healthcare service for hospitals, diagnostic and dialysis centres, dental clinics such as housing, transport and education. mechanism. neration for doctors and specialists in the public buying move for healthcare services.
all. This was achieved through the setting up of rural and pharmacies. In the private sector, where service is premised on the A public insurance system for the financing of health- health sector, although in this particular issue of Nevertheless, the MMA has always been worried
health clinics, including maternity clinics and hospitals, While most of these are for profit, there are some that ability to pay, consumers who can afford to pay for access care services that is largely funded through general taxa- FPPs, the MMA has some reservations. about our very heavily subsidised healthcare, so
which were all publicly funded, except for a few not-for- are run on a voluntary and charitable basis. The contri- to costly medical check-ups and treatments do not need tion can improve access to healthcare and also play an We have always been working closely with the much so that our rakyat does not seem to under-
profit private hospitals and private clinics in urban areas. butions of these not-for-profit private healthcare service to be screened by GPs (performing the role of gatekeep- important role in “nation building” and community Ministry of Health (MOH) and the government, stand that healthcare is not free, and that someone
The emphasis then was on the provision of primary providers towards helping improve access, especially by ers). This is unlike the public sector where patients have solidarity, as it emphasizes a fundamental equality among including the Public Service Department, for has to pay for it! Having a system where the poor
healthcare. There was also an effective public health sys- the poor, to critical life-saving services, have been im- to be carefully screened over a few rounds by medical citizens. better conditions and wages and other perks for pay only RM1 for clinic visits and medications is
tem. Public health activities included disease control, mense. officers before they can get to see specialists. Long waiting On the other end of the scale, private health insurance our doctors. We recognise that doctors who opt not sustainable in the long term, no matter that this
family health, school health programmes, food quality But the establishment and operation of these not-for- lists in the public healthcare sector are not uncommon. is not a viable option for financing healthcare as it often to remain in service often place a lot of their seems to be politically correct and popular!
control and health education. profit health centres also highlight the need for critical How does Malaysia’s healthcare become more equita- engages in “cream skimming”, which excludes the very potential earnings on hold and sacrifice a lot for So the government has painted itself into a
The improvement of Malaysian health standards since life-saving services that have been largely unmet by the ble? people most in need of protection – the poor and the un- their civic duty and responsibilities. corner. We recognise that the government would
Merdeka was recognised by the World Health Organisa- public sector health system. Illnesses and healthcare should not be viewed as com- healthy – while providing protection to the rich and healthy. So in this context, should the MOH allow love to continue to provide nearly free medical
tion and held out as a model for other developing coun- Meanwhile, the government continues to subject the modities and hence as a source of huge profits. When Finally, the government ought to involve representative specialists in public hospitals to be given a choice and healthcare for everyone, but the mechanism
tries to emulate. We were able to keep costs down, while provision of more and more health services to market healthcare is viewed as a commodity, there will be pressure civil society groups, political parties and consumer groups to have private practice? for financing is far from adequate or structured
at the same time provide relatively equitable and adequate forces; for instance, the establishment of private dispen- for its rationing through the price system which tends to representing the interests of the poor and marginalised Earlier, this was in the form of limited private sufficiently well. We do not have enough alloca-
healthcare. saries and private wings in government hospitals, promo- yield unequal access. in any reformulation of the country’s health system. Only practice at private medical centres and the uni- tions for such a heavily subsidised system of
Although there were some private sector health service tion of health tourism in several private hospitals and Those in favour of increasing marketisation of health by taking their views seriously can there be a chance of a versities to help make their service conditions healthcare. There has to be a form of tax or insur-
providers, the government was the main provider. Ser- raising the fees for foreign workers. services will no doubt argue that consumers ought to have new health system that is just, equitable, efficient and more attractive, and perhaps to help retain their ance buying that is big enough and purely allo-
vices rendered were financed out of general taxation, so Part of the capacity in the Putrajaya and Selayang some freedom of choice as to whether to seek healthcare cost-effective. – This article first appeared in the March much-needed services in the public sector. While cated for healthcare for this to work.
that for the bulk of patients, health services were obtained Hospitals has been utilised for the provision of services in the public or private sector. But this freedom is issue of Penang Economic Monthly. this has possibly helped to stem the outflow of But is the rakyat ready for this new form of tax
for almost nothing. to patients who will be charged according to what they clearly only enjoyed by those with the ability experienced staff to the private sector, this ap- or social insurance scheme? Perhaps the time has
It is important to note that the overutilisation of special- can afford. Meanwhile, private clinics (after 5pm) have to pay while those who cannot afford to will proach has been criticised for some abuses. come to bite the bullet and expose the reality
ists (which regularly occurs today) was averted as general been set up at Universiti Hospital and a few other public find this freedom of choice to be bereft of It has been pointed out repeatedly that some behind the healthcare costs: there are no short-
practitioners played an effective role as gatekeepers. hospitals in several parts of the country. any practical meaning. specialists appear to spend more time in private term measures just for political grandstanding
For those of us who want universal access practice than in the public health facilities, thus moves which cannot be sustained.
Partial privatisation of healthcare services Problems arising from partial privatisation of to healthcare, not just quantitatively but quali-
O
How to decide? @izmil_amri, via Twitter political vision? What is their stand on issues h Lord Bobo, if you were “elected” cious, and other thesaurus-described
on issues that matter to you? prime minister of Malaysia, what would queries are answered!
FIRSTLY, you should reject any candidate This is what it means to think deeply about you do? @derekqiren, via Twitter
who resorts to bribery or threats as a form of your political choice – asking the right ques-
political persuasion, whether or not you take tions and searching for the answers in a po- TO be honest, this question doesn’t really ministers combined.
the money. If you do take the money for what- litical party’s performance. When you do so, excite the imagination of His Supreme Emi- Fifth, come up with a recipe for power-
ever reason, that sum and the circumstances it becomes clear that your consideration of nenceness. I mean, we’re talking about a grabbing a state from the enemy. Main ingre-
under which you receive it should, of course, whom you should vote for in the coming and wonder typewriting monkey who has sailed dient? Frogs. Sixth, if there is any free time left
be reported to the police because it is a crimi- future general election is based on their stand with Marco Polo, dined with Pachacuti in and there is something in it for our relatives
nal offence under Sections 9 and 10 of the on issues that matter to you. Macchu Pichu, jammed with Jeff Buckley, and or friends, do something for the little people.
Election Offences Act 1954. The offence is If, for example, you find the quality of se- bedded Marilyn Monroe. Being elected prime Err, sorry, wrong script. That was the Road
punishable with two years’ imprisonment and curity in the country to be unsatisfactory, and minister of Malaysia? Meh. But Lord Bobo is To Tunisia. Let’s start again.
a fine of between RM1,000 and RM5,000 that there has been no improvement despite nothing if not munificent, so we will deign to The administration of His Supreme Emi-
pursuant to Section 11 of the same Act. much moaning, groaning, grumbling, and all partake of this question. nenceness will have at its core a policy of re-
And, surprisingly, this includes promises or sorts of other complaining noises, you should First, we will set up a Swiss bank account spect for the life, liberty and dignity of the
guarantees that certain acts would be done. consider what the other parties’ stand on that to collect all the perks that come with the job. individual. This is the basic foundation which
Surprising not because it is included as an of- issue is. The party that most closely agrees with Second, as a favour to a close friend, we will gives birth to all principles of human rights
fence, but because it is obviously not enforced. your view is naturally the party you should set up a division within the “Special Police” to – for example, equality, freedom of expression,
Next, avoid partisanship. That means not consider favourably. assist VVIPs in dealing with problematic and freedom of religion.
being blindly loyal to one party or the other. It is easy to get caught up in the hoopla and partners from extra-marital affairs. His Lordship will enact a Human Rights
There is no place for blind loyalty when it spin-doctored wizardry that surrounds any Third, when faced with complaints by the Act, outlaw all discrimination on racial and
comes to political parties and politicians. elections. But don’t allow yourself to be con- public about inflation and stagnant income religious ground and at the same time set up
Save the blind loyalty for football. Espe- fused by the cult of personality of any indi- levels, we will gently advise them to change a Racial Reconciliation Council and an Inter-
cially if you’re a Liverpool fan, you’ll need lots vidual, or pledge blind loyalty (and your votes) their lifestyle, but at the same time approve faith Council.
of that stuff. So what if you have been voting to a particular party. multi-billion-ringgit mega projects. Lord Bobo will drag this country kicking
for the same party for last 50 years or more? Consider the issues. Consider the interests Fourth, appoint an international public and screaming into the 21st century, from
As a voting citizen, you are not there to of the rakyat. Consider your interests. And relations company to come up with a spirited third world to first world. Recalcitrant mem-
serve a political party’s interests. It is – or don’t get distracted by hidden-camera footage but ambiguous slogan to mesmerise and per- bers of society will be sent to an all expenses
rather, should be – the other way around. A of elderly men performing impressive acts of plex the public at the same time, so that they paid holiday retreat at LoyarBurok Assimila-
political party is there to serve your interests. dexterity and stamina – well, you can watch will not notice His Lord and Ladyship taking tion Centres, which will be set up throughout
Ask yourself: has your favourite political those videos if you’re into that kinda thing, more overseas trips (ostensibly for work, but the nation. From alpha to omega, you will be
party been performing? (You see why Liver- but when you’re done, have a cold shower, clear really for shopping) than all the former prime made one of us.
By Basil Foo
W
anting something to warm us up on a rainy night,
we decided to try a new steamboat place that had
just opened in Bandar Puteri Puchong.
Situated on Jalan Puteri 2/5, Olivenz Steamboat
seemed to be holding its own despite being smack in the
middle of restaurant-saturated shoplots.
As it was a weekday night, it was surprising to find
almost all 50 tables in the restaurant occupied by
people of all ages.
Yet the waiters gave us prompt attention and
seated us within seconds of entering.
The décor was far from your usual steamboat
outlet: a deep red motif and low-hanging lights
lent an oriental air to the restaurant.
Costing RM23.80 per adult and RM13.80
per child, the restaurant featured a buffet-style
layout with its centrepiece being a long display of
raw foods.
We were given a list of several soup combinations
to choose from, like chicken, herbal chicken, fish head,
drunken prawn, tom yam, spicy Sze Chuan, and por-
ridge which we could boil food in.
The boilers could be digitally controlled to a specific
temperature, on top of which sat a large pot divided into
two sections for the separation of
soups.
We chose the chicken and tom
Steamboat delight
yam soups, and found the latter to
be the right combination of spicy
and sour, which was satisfyingly
stomach-warming.
There was a wide variety of
seafood like clams, crabs, cockles,
prawns, and squid, meats like
chicken, beef, pork, and fish, and
frozen goods like fish balls and He also talked about a special
crab cakes. offer of barbequed dishes from
The ingredients were fresh and Fridays to Sundays, with Australian
succulent, especially the freshwater lamb and beef on the grill at no
crab, which was popular among the additional cost.
customers and ran out quickly. “We are planning to offer bar-
There were also readymade bequed dishes every day from
foods like fried rice and chicken April, because we have received a
wings, the latter of which also lot of requests from customers,”
needed frequent replenishment. Cheong said.
Then there was the standard The bill for a table of three came
steamboat fare, like an assortment up to RM78.55 including the
of vegetables, dried noodles and standard service charge. This was an
eggs. acceptable amount as other steam-
Co-owner Jack Cheong said the boat outlets usually charge around
outlet offers over 100 different the same price or slightly higher.
items on top of drink choices like Overall, I would recommend
jasmine tea and fruit punch, jellies this steamboat outlet for its prompt
like Guiling Gao, fruits, and sev- replenishment of food, quick and
eral ice-cream flavours for dessert. friendly service, wide variety of
Originally from Ipoh, Cheong ingredients, and generally pleasant
got together with several friends to atmosphere. The environment was uncluttered and pleasant enough to relax in after a filling dinner.
open a café back in their home-
town. They have now decided to
It was
try their hand at another type of impossible to
food outlet. try the wide
“We were deciding between variety of food
Japanese, Thai, and Western, but in one visit.
finally decided on steamboat be-
cause there is an increasing demand
for it,” he said.
T
here was a time when dinner meant either going to
Jalan Gasing, Petaling Jaya, for Ipoh chicken rice, or
to Section 5 for banana leaf rice. Those were the two
main venues in my then uncomplicated life.
Eating Ipoh chicken rice is no fun when there are only two
people at the table, because the menu clearly states that we
can have as many as five different side dishes. So on a number
of occasions, we zeroed in on the Sri Paandi restaurant in
Section 5, Petaling Jaya.
The name “Sri Paandi” refers to an Indian deity and may
be linked to Paandi Munisvaran, a South Indian god. There
is a temple dedicated to this deity on the fringes of the city
of Madurai in Tamil Nadu.
The proper name of the Section 5 outlet is Restoran Sri
Paandi Corner. It has existed for as long as anyone can re-
member. The customers are mostly Indian regulars, but
Chinese patrons do show up now and then.
Sri Paandi stands on its own as the only Indian restaurant
in the area of some repute. It has few competitors, which are
Chinese restaurants. The tussle among the restaurants every
evening after 6pm is the limited parking space.
My Indian friends used to enjoy introducing me to various
exotic dishes. The Sri Paandi restaurant in Section 5, PJ.
A tale of two
Once, they recommended short,
dried chillies that seemed to have
been grilled. One bite later, my eyes
were watering and my mouth Both Sri Paandi
burned due to the spiciness. I learnt restaurants have snack
quickly that it was an acquired taste.
At the Section 5 outlet, there are items that are sold after
lunchtime. These include
Sri Paandis
about nine tosai and roti items,
seven different varieties of rice, five samosir, hard and soft
varieties of noodles, and five ver- vadai, curry puffs, sweet
sions of fried rice. potato balls, and some
There are also different kinds of other sweetmeats.”
naan, claypot fish head curry, kamb-
ing kampung and ayam kampung.
Sri Paandi is serious about its policy
of aiming to please. than one occasion given me a silent Both Sri Paandi restaurants have
Then there’s the other Sri Paandi glare. Well, it wouldn’t do to ask for snack items that are sold after lunch-
that I now frequent regularly. This chopsticks! time. These include samosir, hard
outlet is in Section 11, near Univer- The selection of dishes at Sri and soft vadai, curry puffs, sweet
siti Hospital. It enjoys large crowds Paandi is not only wide, the dishes potato balls, and some other sweet-
during lunchtime and dinner hours. are above par. If you like South In- meats.
The banana leaf rice comes with dian Chettinad food, this place is In 2005, there was some contro-
the usual curries and a selection of gastronomical heaven. versy over the issue of two restau-
vegetarian dishes. Anything else like The curries are fresh, warm, and rants sharing the same name. Appar-
grilled fish, curry prawns, beef or roast seemingly in inexhaustible supply. ently there was business rivalry over
chicken will be considered extras. So So if you like to flood your rice with the usage of “Sri Paandi”, which was
you should bring along a party of four three kinds of curry, you are wel- claimed to be a franchise name.
or five people, so that there will be come to do so. But this seems to be water under
more selections on the table. You can neutralise the spiciness the bridge now, and the flavour of
Some customers are inclined to by ordering yoghurt or lassi. My Chettinad food has since reached
ask for cutlery when eating banana family also likes Milo with fresh the nostrils and tastebuds of many Vadai is
leaf rice. When I have done it, my cow’s milk, which they say has a bit curry lovers residing in Petaling great when
eaten fresh.
Indian colleagues have on more of a kick. Jaya.
Roundabouts
✂
Fiction by Ahmad Hafidz how to know if someone was asking that insanity is doing the same thing
Baharom Alam Shah you out. I am pretty clueless about over and over again expecting differ-
these things. ent results.
W
e drive around aimlessly He takes me away from my In my experience, roundabouts
for hours. It’s nig ht. thoughts describing how he loves are a hazard. A piece of distraction
Weather forecasts pre- roundabouts. placed in between two places that
dicted a high chance of rain, yet the It’s my one annoyance that I have allow a divergence from the main
clouds just cover the moon without with him. Coming up with state- goal. A constant circle that tells me
shedding a single drop. ments that would guarantee a fol- there are other distractions that can
He calls it luck. I remind him low-up question of why, with a long, lead to wasteful results.
that they never said when the rain definitive explanation waiting. A reminder that people who do
would fall, if at all. It was called a He loves roundabouts because of not know where they are going will
“chance of rain”. A probability and how they compare with real life. The just continually end up driving in a
nothing more. ability to go three separate directions circle, endangering others. Take 5 minutes to fill this form up and drop it off at
He just smiles. or back the way we came. The way we But most of all, a roundabout is the nearest police station to have regular checks
I’ve always been cynical about get to choose what we wish to do, nothing more than a reminder that at your house while you are away.
luck. I won’t say I don’t believe in it, take a chance on a road less travelled, if we do not know what we seek, we
but I believe we all create our own a longer journey, or a direct one, de- will always, always end up where we Ibu pejabat Polis Daerah Subang Jaya
luck. You weren’t lucky you met the pending on our own curiosity and began.
man of your life in a supermarket. navigational skills. A navigation sys- Like Einstein said. Insanity.
Tel: 03-5637 3722 Fax: 03-5631 9815
You were driven by routine. A crea- tem based on trust, experience, inter- He pulls over at a roundabout Borang maklumat
ture of habit. Just so happens that he est and curiosity. Decisions solemnly with a park in the centre. He asks me Memaklumkan tentang meningalkan rumah kediaman untuk
was there at the salad section the placed in our hands. to join him, pulling my hand. The bercuti.
same time you were. But most of all, he loves the abil- lights in the centre are dim, allowing
Chances are you were always at ity to retrace our steps, to turn back us to note that the clouds are still Kepada Kawasan Pentadbiran Balai Polis
the same place at the same time, and when we have done a mistake and above us. We’re surrounded by the
just this one time, your eyes met. go down another path, in hope of roars of singular cars making their ..............................................................................................
A smile kindly and shyly rescind- finding the right one. And if you way without stopping.
ed. And the rest, they say, is history. don’t, just turn around from whence We stand in the centre of the Butiran penduduk:
At least, that is my version of how you came and try again. park. Just quietly enjoying each
we met. His version was that some- It is time consuming. It is costly, other’s company. Nama: ..................................................................................
thing drove him to seek out salads especially with petrol prices rising For a moment there is some
first and saw me wandering around every month. But in the end, it is a measure of tranquil peace in our Alamat: .................................................................................
the dressing section looking for wonderful and memorable journey lives, littered with the sounds of
Thousand Island sauce. that will be talked about for months crickets. ..............................................................................................
That led to a talk about a wish for or even years to come. He quietly asks if this was ever an
the ability to cook, a few quiet lines I ask how many times one can go expected result of Einstein’s, before ..............................................................................................
of how to serve fish and chips, which through a roundabout without be- giving me a quiet peck on the cheek.
finally led to a personal lesson on ing reminded about Einstein stating It finally starts to rain. Nombor telefon bimbit/kediaman: ........................................
A Last-ing impression
Nombor telefon yang boleh dihubungi: ................................
..............................................................................................
Review by Nick Choo Ling’s staging had the characters Tarikh meninggalkan rumah: ................................................
predominantly occupying their own
American composer Jason respective sides of the stage as the Tarikh dijangka balik ke rumah: ...........................................
Robert Brown’s The Last Five Years show began, with images and
(TL5Y) has been a musical theatre multimedia projected on either side Kenderaan yang ditinggalkan (jenis model & nombor daftar
favourite of mine since I first heard of the stage as backdrops and kenderaan).
the cast recording in 2003. So I was snapshots of their relationship.
thrilled, and apprehensive, when the The characters moved as the 1. ..........................................................................................
Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts story unfolded, so that they ended
Centre (KLPac) announced it would up on opposite sides of the space by 2. ..........................................................................................
be staging the show in its Pentas 2. the time the musical concluded – a
Apprehensive because TL5Y, physical representation of the 3. ..........................................................................................
chronicling the relationship of a conceit of storytelling that Brown
young couple over five years, only cleverly employs in his musical. Lain-lain maklumat:
features two performers, and has a The intricate score was performed
score that is as contemporary as it is with finesse by pianist and musical ..............................................................................................
complex and demanding. director Stephen Tok. But I was
The relationship between Jamie, mildly disappointed that Tok had
a successful author, and Cathy, a decided to remove the bass and the
struggling stage actress, is told from guitar from the ensemble, which
two distinct points of view: his from lessened the “pop” sound of the ............................................... .......................................
the start of their romance ending show. The reduced ensemble Tandatangan Tarikh
with their break-up; hers from the expounding Jamie’s thrill of rebellion featured piano, violin and two
end, culminating in their first date.
This means many of the songs
in dating a non-Jewish girl – and
Moving Too Fast, his paean of self-
cellos. Regrettably, the frequent off-
pitch of the strings threatened to Have you checked
comprise solo performances by
either character, and the couple only
praise as he contemplates his triumph
in career and love. And in portraying
mar the show, but the strength of
the vocalists managed to lessen the your electrical
really interact in the middle when
their storylines intersect during the
Cathy’s struggles in maintaining a
stage career Kong convincingly
impact of off-tune instruments.
All in all, TL5Y was a plus for switches before
poignant proposal scene.
Dire ctor Chris L ing and
conveyed her character’s emotions:
her sadness in the opening song Still
Malaysia’s musical theatre scene: an
intimate Broadway show performed leaving home?
performers Jon Chew and Tabitha Hurting; her anger as she lashes out with skill and care by two young
Kong pulled off TL5Y with aplomb. at her husband in See I’m Smiling. performers; which managed to move Before ieaving your home for a holoday, have you
While Kong proved to be the Ultimately it is his success and and entertain, and which, presumably, checked all your electrical switches and turned off
stronger singer, Chew held his own her failure that leads to the would have struck a chord with your gas tanks?
even if his spoken lines were dissolution of their relationship. theatre-goers due to its universal
occasionally unclear. And when he says goodbye just as themes of life, love and heartbreak. Call the SS17 Bomba for advise at
He shone in songs like Shiksa she says hello, the show is as moving The Last Five Years ran at Pentas 2,
Goddess – a Latin-infused number as I had always hoped it would be. KLPac, from 10-20 March 2010. 03-5634 9444
20
FEATURES
MARCH 25 — 27, 2011
L
ike a flood of hungry locusts, almost 400 emerged as the 2011 National Chess
aspiring chess champions from all parts of Champions.
Malaysia descended on last-minute host In the men’s event, Lim bested a field of
University Teknologi Petronas in Tronoh, Perak, peers who have all become national champi-
for three short but intense days of competition. ons in recent years – defending champion
UTP hosted for the first time the National Age Tan Khai Boon, and top-seeded veteran In-
Group Championships, which had categories for ternational Master Jimmy Liew, who last won
open and for girls from ages eight to 18. it in 1984.
Besides a cash award provided by the president S Subramaniam ended the tournament
of the World Chess Federation, the Malaysian Chess half a point behind in second place, while
Federation also announced that only the top four Liew tied with Fong Yit Ho for third/
finishers would have the right to represent Malaysia fourth place.
in the World Youth Championships to be held in In the women’s category, Nur Nabila put
Brazil later this year. aside her recent disappointment of losing in
Each national champion from the respective the playoff to Tan Li Ting in the under-14
age groups will receive free entry and board and category of the recent National Age Group
lodging. Championships to emerge as the winner.
As always, the favourites were all known to one Her sister, women’s Fide master Nur
another, being regulars in the various local tourna- Najiha, finished second with seven points,
ments held in the Klang Valley. while Fong Mi Yen claimed third place.
Results – National Closed Championship (Men): 1. Lim Zhuo Boys’ Age Group Under-8: 1. Tan Jun Ying 7 pts; 2. Lye Lik Nabil Azman Hisham 7 pts; 2. Mark Siew, Low Jun Jian 5.5 pts.
Ren 8 pts; 2. S Subramaniam 7.5 pts; 3. Jimmy Liew, Fong Yit Zang 6.5 pts; 3. Muhd Faqih Aminuddin, Ng Shi Yang, Teh De Girls’ Age Group Under-10: 1. Teh De Zen 8 pts; 2. Puteri
Ho 7 pts; 5. Yeap Eng Chiam, Loo Swee Leong, Fong Yit San, Yong 5.5 pts. Under-10: 1. Teh De Juan 7.5 pts; 2. Wong Yinn Munajjah Az-Zahraa 6.5 pts; 3. Teh Ming Min 6 pts. Under-12: 1.
Elgin Lee 6.5 pts; 9. Edward Lee, Yeoh Li Tian 6 pts. National Long 6.5 pts; 3. benjamin Lee, Kong Dak Nam, Max Wong 6 Nur Najiha Azman Hisham 7 pts; 2. Puteri Rifqah Fahada Azhar
Closed Championship (Women): 1. Nur Nabila Azman Hisham pts. Under-12: 1. Ooi Zhi Yang 7 pts; 2. Mohd Noor Azam Mohd 6.5 pts; 3. S Nithyalakshmi 6 pts. Under-14: 1. Wendy Tan, Nur
7.5 pts; 2. Nur Najiha Azman Hisham 7 pts; 3. Fong Mi Yen 6.5 Noor, Tan Yong Zhao 6 pts. Under-14: 1. Roshan Ajeet Singh, Nabila Azman Hisham 7 pts; 3. Camilia Johari, Hoh Tjin Hui 6
pts; 4. Tan Li Ting 6 pts; 5. Azhar Puteri Rifqah Fahada, Camilia Aron The 6.5 pts; 3. Tan Wei Hao, Muhd Irfan Haqqim Azhar, S pts. Under-16: 1. J Pavitranayagi 6.5 pts; 2. S Sarika, Hoh Tjin Li
Johari, S. Sarika, Azhar Puteri Munajjah Az-Zahra, Tang Kar Subramaniam 6 pts. Under-16: 1. Wong Jianwen 8 pts; 2. Yeap 5 pts. Under-18: 1. Latifah Kaiyisah Mohd Latib 5.5 pts; 2. Adele
Khei, Haslindah Ruslan 5.5 pts. Eng Chiam 6.5 pts; Elgin Lee, Jeff Tan 6 pts. Under-18: 1. Muhd Lau 4.5 pts; 3. Fatin Nur Nadirah Mat Rahim, Winnie Hong 4 pts.
FEATURED GAME
This game is typical of the play of under-14 winner Roshan Ajeet Singh. Imaginative and highly tactical in
a somewhat “trappy” fashion.
Taman Sentosa
Teoh Ern Tek-Roshan Ajeet Singh declared Zon Bersih
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 a6 5. Be3 Nf6 6. f3 Qc7 7. Bd3 d5 8. Nd2 Nc6 9. c3 Be7 10. 0-0 0-0 KLANG: Taman Sentosa was de- Sentosa is now listed as Zon Bersih.
11. Rc1 Bd7 12. f4 dxe4 13. Nxe4 Rad8 14. Kh1 e5 15. fxe5 Nxe4 16. Bxe4 Qxe5 17. Qf3 Bd6 18. g3 clared Zon Bersih last Saturday in a Zon Bersih started in 2008 and
bid to clean up the area. is the state’s initiative to identify the
Around 200 volunteers, includ- dirtiest areas in each local council
ing Taman Sentosa residents and and clean them within a year.
employees of Panasonic and Klang Special focus is given by the local
Municipal Council (MPK), joined council on areas declared Zon Ber-
the gotong-royong. sih, including stricter enforcement
Executive councillor Dr Xavier on litterbugs, increasing the number
Jayakumar and Panasonic Manufac- of garbage bins, and upgrading the
turing Malaysia managing director drains and landscape.
Yamaguchi Masahiko launched the Dr Xavier, who is also the Seri
event in the morning. Andalas assemblyperson, said Pekan
Panasonic also sponsored around Meru and Pandamaran in Klang had
RM10,000 in signage for the area also previously been declared Zon
to inform residents that Taman Bersih.
Dr Xavier (with glasses) and Yamaguchi (on his right) painting a Zon
18. …Rde8 19.Bf4 Qxe4 20.Bxd6 Nxd4 21.Qxe4 Rxe4 22.Bxf8 Ne2 23.Rcd1 Bc6 24.Rg1 Rd4+ 0-1. Bersih sign in Taman Sentosa.
Media 21
March 25 — 27, 2011
aspiring doctors
more choices besides the traditional
medical schools in United King-
dom, Australia or India.
Those without a place in public
universities or the funds for local
private universities can look
8,000km north for an opportunity. dents is offered by the company, fered and an RM7,000 average for sian classes in Malaysia
The Kursk State Medical Univer- which Varatharaju explained in an yearly food and personal expenses, either through the Rus-
sity (KSMU) is among five other interview with Selangor Times. the total cost of study for six years is sian embassy or through
medical universities in Russia to The yearly cost of a medical de- RM213,000. a pre-university pro -
have been recognised by the Malay- gree in local universities can be be- “This is the best fee structure gramme.
sian government. tween RM40,000 and RM60,000, which is offered by any medical “We have signed an
Of the five, KSMU is the only whereas a medical degree in Kursk university, so more people can af- agreement with Winfield
one which conducts its classes fully costs only RM17,000 yearly. ford to go,” Varatharaju said. College in Kuala Lumpur
in English, with faculties like den- “The course in local universities Legal fees will also be charged for to teach foundation in
tistry and pharmacy. is five years, while in Russia the students to sign an agreement with science. After that, the Maggaram managing director
Datuk Varatharaju.
“The university was recognised in overall tuition fee is RM103,000 for the university to keep the fees paid students can start their
August 2001, and since then the six years,” he said. by them unchanged throughout the first year in Kursk,” he said.
student rate has been going up every On top of the tuition fees, Mag- six years of their study there. Students will also get to use their “Then they would go to the Pub-
year,” said Maggaram Sdn Bhd man- garam arranges accommodation, Accommodation will be fixed at Russian, especially when speaking lic Services Commission to be given
aging director Datuk M Varatharaju. transport, life insurance, visa appli- a nearby hostel for a year in order with patients after their third year a job in a local hospital for two years
Maggaram is the sole representa- cation and other documentations for students to acclimatise to their when they serve time in Russian as a houseman,” he said.
tive for KSMU in the Asia Pacific for Malaysians to study there. surroundings. hospitals. “After the two years they would
region. To date, it has enrolled They will also register students as “Our staff will accompany the Once students graduate and re- become medical officers, and they
1,200 students, of which 450 have undergraduate doctors with the students on their flight and will be ceived their medical degrees, they can choose to become a general
graduated and work in Malaysian Malaysian Medical Association on hand in Kursk to give them can come back to Malaysia to regis- practitioner or a postgraduate doc-
hospitals. (MMA). guided tours of the town,” he said. ter with the Malaysian Medical tor specialising in specific fields,”
A competitive cost plan for stu- Counting the added services of- Students will have to take Rus- Council as doctors. Varatharaju added.
Dr Kong steps in
ingredients provided to roll their
own sushi. They were each given the
chance to roll all four types of sushi
before getting the chance to roll
their favourite throughout the one- SHAH ALAM: Hong Kong-based problems like flatfoot and rearfoot
hour class. footcare specialist Dr Kong Footcare valgus.
During Cupcake Chic’s cupcake- has finally arrived in Malaysia. “The original Check & Fit service
decorating workshop, the children Dr Kong Footcare opened its first ensures that products are fit to a tee for
were given a cupcake each and retail outlet at Tropicana City Mall customers’ health protection,” said Ng.
edible decorative elements such as last Thursday with a grand ceremony According to him, surveys have
colourful sprinkles, chocolate officiated by the founder and CEO of shown that over 60% of schoolchildren
sprinkles, chocolate balls, heart- Dr Kong Footcare Ltd (Hong Kong) have flatfoot syndrome but their
shaped sugar icing and more. Raymond Ng and the managing parents do not know it.
Different sizes of icing bags were director of the Malaysian chapter, Purple Lee, who specialises in
also provided so each child could try Edmund Lee. children song s, performed the
decorating their cupcakes with icing To help step up the event were signature “exercise” song for Dr Kong
before sprinkling their favourite local celebrities like MyFM DJ and Footcare.
toppings. actor Jack Lim, violinist Dennis Lau, Dr Kong Footcare has 54 retail
“Sushi and cupcakes are usually actress Liza Othman, and a special outlets in Hong Kong and 65 retail
favoured among children, hence we guest from Hong Kong, Purple Lee. outlets in China.
decided to have workshops involving Lee, a trained United Kingdom- Customers are able to have their feet
these two food items this school registered orthotist and prosthetist, assessed at the Check & Fit foot
holiday. said that proper footcare is especially examination machine by a team of
“It’s not a long school break, but Representatives and guests at the launch of Dr Kong important for young children as ill- health assistants before selecting and
we thought we should still prepare Footcare. fitting shoes can result in foot inserting suitable insoles for their shoes.
activities both parents and children
22
Gallery
March 25 — 27, 2011
A temple member ties a headband on Kelana Jaya MP Loh Gwo Burne during a ceremony
at the Devi Sri Samundieswary temple on Friday (March 18). Looking on are Subang Jaya
assemblyperson Hannah Yeoh and MPSJ councillor Edward Ling.
Two participants
apply lipstick on each
other during a press
conference on Tuesday
announcing the
celebration of Women’s
Day for disabled women.
The event will be
organised by the
Petaling Jaya City
Council (MBPJ) on
March 27.
Hindu devotees at
the Devi Sri
Samundieswary
temple lifting a
flag during the
ceremony on
Friday to honour
their patron deity.
Children
enjoying
themselves
at the Snow
Walk at
i-City, Shah
Alam, last
Saturday
(March
19). The
Snow Walk
features a
50,000sq ft
area filled
with snow
and ice.
Culture 23
March 25 — 27, 2011
Compiled by Zedeck Siew