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LEAVING THIS BLOG NOW...................

As I will be on a long months' holidays starting 7th July 2010 prior to my retirement in October 2010, I will suspend my service in updating my blog on daily issues or facts of interest.

I would like to thanks everyone for having the interest in surfing my blog and sharing the thoughts with me.

Thank you to everyone.


Friday, May 28, 2010

Rich parents shouldn’t apply for academic aid

Well-to-do and financially stable parents should not apply for financial assistance for their children’s studies, said Santubong member of parliament Datuk Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar yesterday.The Dewan Rakyat deputy speaker said such a situation would waste the government’s money and deprive deserving applicants from poor families who desperately need assistance to further their studies

“If the person is rich, and at the same time their children perform very well, providing study loans to them is just like ‘pouring salt to the (already salty) sea’.

“While it is not wrong to give credit (to those who perform well in their studies), is it necessary to assist if the parents can afford to finance their child’s studies?,” he told reporters here yesterday.

Wan Junaidi said loans and assistance should only be given to those who cannot afford it, and at the same time are highly qualified and have credible certificates to support this.

“Our merit system does not see this, and this is the loophole which leads to some students from well-off family receiving financial assistance,” he said.

He hoped the relevant department in charge of study loans can come up with an explanation to the public so that only those who really need the assistance should apply and receive it.

Wan Junaidi said this after handing over a total of RM7,700 in aid to eight recipients.

Five of them have been accepted into institutions of higher learning while three others needed assistance for medical cases. The financial assistance ranged from RM500 to RM1,000.

Norshiah Ahmat of Kampung Sejingkat received RM1,500 to support her daughter Nurain Najwa’s medical treatment.

Born prematurely, Nurain suffers from eye complications that required her to go for an operation in Kuala Lumpur last April 1. She needs follow-ups every two weeks.

“Her condition has been improving ever since and we do hope that she can have perfect sight after some time, and the assistance today has relieved the burden for me,” said Nurain’s father Mohammad Abdullah who works as a labourer.

Thursday, May 27, 2010

HEALTH : Warning to bat eaters

The Nipah epidemic may be under control but exotic food lovers have been advised to be careful when eating bat meat.

People who catch, kill and clean bats must take precautions to protect themselves from being infected by the Nipah virus, said Prof Dr Tan Chong Tin, the leader of the Nipah Encephalitis Investigating Team during the 1998/99 outbreak.

“They also need to be careful because bats are believed to transmit the SARS virus,” he said during his Merdeka Award Lecture Series “The Saga of Nipah Encephalitis: An Update” yesterday.

Asked if eating bat meat could pose a danger, he said that should not be a problem if it was properly cooked.

However, Dr Tan, said he would not want to create an anti-bats sentiment because bats had a positive ecological contribution.

Bats are also believed to benefit those suffering from asthma. According to an online website, a community in Thailand eats the meat believing it to be good for the libido.

Dr Tan said that the Nipah virus was still a global concern because it had been discovered in many areas of the world like Ghana, Madagascar, India, China and various parts of South East Asia and Australia.

Asked if the virus can still be found in Malaysia, Dr Tan said this was not known because no tests had been carried out since the 1998/99 outbreak.

The outbreak began in vilages near Ipoh and took more than 100 lives

The Star 27/5/2010

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

45,000 kakitangan awam tipu sijil cuti sakit

Kongres Kesatuan Sekerja Dalam Perkhidmatan Awam (Cuepacs) semalam mendedahkan kira-kira 45,000 atau tiga peratus daripada 1.5 juta kakitangan awam menggunakan sijil cuti sakit palsu untuk ponteng kerja.

Presidennya, Omar Osman, berkata ada juga segelintir kakitangan awam mengambil cuti sakit kerana melakukan kerja sampingan.

"Kita tidak menghalang mencari pendapatan tambahan, tetapi biarlah kerja sampingan itu tidak mengganggu tugas hingga menjejaskan produktiviti," katanya ketika ditemui selepas kunjungan hormat ke atas Ketua Pengarah Jabatan Pengangkutan Jalan (JPJ), Datuk Solah Mat Hassan di sini, semalam.

Sehubungan itu, beliau mahu perbuatan itu dipantau bagi mengelak ia bertambah kronik.

Omar berkata, berdasarkan Pekeliling Jabatan Perkhidmatan Awam (JPA), kakitangan yang didapati menggunakan sijil cuti sakit palsu, boleh dikenakan tindakan tatatertib seperti turun pangkat atau dibuang kerja.

"Kita menyarankan Panel dan Pegawai Perubatan supaya memberi sijil cuti sakit kepada mereka yang betul-betul memerlukannya," katanya.

Sementara itu, Ketua Pengarah Perkhidmatan Awam, Tan Sri Ismail Adam, berkata setakat ini pihaknya tidak menerima laporan daripada mana-mana jabatan mengenai peratus kakitangan yang menggunakan sijil cuti sakit palsu.
“Kita ada menghantar surat kepada jabatan untuk mengambil tindakan tatatertib terhadap kakitangan yang menggunakan sijil cuti sakit palsu," katanya kepada Berita Harian.