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news without borders
‘Jerit campaign part of
democratic process’
by Tan Yi Liang
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
KUALA LUMPUR: The “Ride For
Change” campaign organised by
the Oppressed People’s Network
(Jerit) is part of the democratic
process, says Bar Council vice
president Ragunath Kesavan.
“The freedom of expression
and speech by the campaign
participants is wholly consistent
with their rights as enshrined in
the Federal Constitution and is
a basic tenet of any democratic
society,” Kesavan told a press
conference at the Bar Council
building here yesterday, adding
that police “have a duty to pro-
vide protection and safety for all
participants”.
Condemning police action
which included the detention
of 120 people, he said: “The
role of the police must be to
provide protection for all the
participants.
He described the intimida-
tion and persecution, including
the threat to use the Child Act,
the Police Act and the Printing
Presses and Publications Act
in respect of the campaign ac-
tivities, as ludicrous, and praised
Minister in the Prime Minister’s
Department, Datuk Seri Mo-
hamed Nazri, for facilitating the
delivery of Jerit’s memorandum
to the prime minister and the
head of the Opposition at Parlia-
ment earlier yesterday morning.
He said the Bar Council was
also concerned over the police
actions against Sungai Siput MP
D. Jeyakumar and parents of the
cyclists, who are being investi-
gated for allegedly committing
offences against the Child Act
and the Police Act.
He also said there was noth-
ing new in the demands listed in
the flyers handed out by the rid-
ers, as well as the memorandum
which was delivered to Parlia-
ment yesterday, which included
the abolition of the Internal
Security Act, a minimum wage
for workers, affordable housing
for the poor, stopping the priva-
tisation of basic amenities, the
need for price controls and local
council elections.
On another note, Kesevan de-
nied the allegation by Jerlun MP
Mukhriz Mahathir that the Bar
Council had lobbied for judicial
appointments at a dinner at the
British High Commission.
“We have never lobbied for
the promotion or appointment of
any judges, and it is the policy of
the Bar Council not to lobby for
any judge,” he said.
“Individually, lawyers have
views. But I do not think the
Bar Council has officially or
informally lobbied for any judge
to be promoted,” he said.
Poor must not lose out in
IJN deal, says Najib
KUALA LUMPUR: Sime Darby, which
has proposed taking over the Na-
tional Heart Institute (IJN), must give
an assurance that poor patients will
continue to get treatment, said Deputy
Japanese Prime Minister and Finance Minister
technology Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
He said the government had no
to clean up objection in principle to sell the IJN to
rivers Sime Darby. He said it was important
for Sime Darby to give high priority to
pg 8 the social programme if the company
was interested to acquire the IJN.
Sime Darby, a government-linked
company which has interests in
commodities, private healthcare,
property development and automotive
distribution, had proposed to acquire
theSun
equity in IJN Holdings which is 99.99%
owned by the Finance Ministry.
“We are examining the role (of
Sime Darby) if IJN is to transfer its
ownership and the commitment of
Sime Darby to ensure poorer patients
to get treatment from IJN,” Najib told
a press conference after chairing a
meeting of the cabinet committee on
AIDS in Parliament.
“We are in the process of finalising
this together with the Health Ministry
although, in principle, we have no
objection in this proposal.
“But I am looking at the aspect of
social responsibility and they (Sime
Darby) must give us a very strong
commitment that the attention to the
poor will not be marginalised.”
Najib said the sale of IJN had two
advantages:
» There will be no problem in the
funding of IJN; and
» The doctors will get remuneration
at the highest market rate to prevent
the pinching of heart surgeons by
JSM for David...
ALLEYCATS lead vocalist
Thiagarajan K.R. Arumugam,
better known as David
Arumugam, proudly shows off his
Johan Setia Mahkota (JSM) award
to his wife Sabrina Clyde after
receiving it from the King, Tuanku
Mizan Zainal Abidin, at Istana
Negara yesterday. Arumugam was
among 285 people who received
federal awards and honours from
the King. The local band, formed
in 1969 had gained fame in the
1970s and is still on the beat.
| FRIDAY DECEMBER 19 2008
other private hospitals.
He said he had not heard of any
other offer apart from Sime Darby’s.
Health Minister Datuk Liow Tiong
Lai, addressing public concerns that
treatment cost will rise after privati-
sation, said the mode of operations
and objective to serve the people
will remain even if it was taken over
by Sime Darby. He said Sime Darby’s
intention to take a controlling stake in
IJN Holdings Sdn Bhd, which operates
IJN, was still under discussion.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdul-
lah Ahmad Badawi, commenting on
concerns expressed by some MPs on IJN
going private, said for IJN to be a better
hospital, it needed the best equipment
and this will need a lot of money.
“Therefore, there is an advantage
if there is a private company which is
close to the government to take over
(IJN) as Sime Darby is a government-
linked company,” he said at his office
in Parliament House.
Liow said 80% of IJN’s patients were
civil servants and the government
would continue to bear the cost of their
treatment even after a takeover.
“IJN, therefore, cannot impose
charges higher than what have been
fixed by the government even in the
event of a takeover,” he said after
visiting two patients with dilated car-
diomyopathy at IJN yesterday.
He said Sime Darby or any other
interested organisation should have a
strong commitment to social responsi-
bility, including looking after the needy’s
welfare, if it wanted to take over IJN.
In its filing to Bursa Malaysia, Sime
Darby said it had received approval-in-
principle from the government on the
proposed acquisition of a 51% equity
stake in IJN.