Inspirational Quote
I believe that we are solely responsible for our choices, and we have to accept the consequences of every deed, word and thought throughout our lifetime.
— Elisabethe Kubler-Ross
Chennai talks to decide Hindraf’s future
KUALA LUMPUR, April 27 — A meeting of top Hindraf leaders will be convened in Chennai, India this weekend in a last ditch effort to save the movement from splitting up.
Over a dozen top leaders are likely to attend the meeting, said Hindraf chairman P. Waythamoorthy.
“The meeting will iron out differences and chart a new course for the movement,” he told The Malaysian Insider.
Hindraf was banned by the government last October as an “extremist” organisation but is very much alive among the Tamil working class.
Among key leaders expected to attend the meeting are original founding chairman P. Waythamoorthy, national co-coordinator R. S. Thanenthiran, Kapar and Teluk Intan MPs S. Manikavasagam and M. Manohar respectively and PKR Indian leader and Hindraf co-coordinator S. Jayathas, who is hoping to attend despite undergoing dialysis.
“This is a key meeting for us. We hope to settle all our major differences once and for all,” Thanenthiran told Malaysian Insider.
“We have to chart a new course for Hindraf or it will become irrelevant,” he said.
The key issue is whether to transform Hindraf into a full fledged political party — a line pushed by Thanenthiran who feels Hindraf has been taken for a ride by opposition political parties like PKR and especially the DAP.
“If we want to remain credible and fight for Indian rights the best option is to form into a political party and get the best from anybody for the Indians,” Thanenthiran said.
“This is the best option open to us,” he said adding by allowing others to ride on it Hindraf had only gained “peanuts.”
“Most of our basic problems — socio-economic neglect, poverty and marginalisation remain unresolved,” he said.
However Waythamoorthy told The Malaysian Insider that Hindraf must remain apolitical and reorganise into a powerful and independent pressure group to gain benefits.
“We are friendly to opposition political ties but beyond that we are apolitical,” he said. “I will push for this case at the meeting.”
He is keeping his options open however and is also willing to open a dialogue with the Barisan Nasional especially with prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to resolve Indian plight.
He is keen to meet Najib put forward to him the movement’s 18-point demand including the need to convert all 543 Tamil schools in the country into fully-aided schools. Currently half are partially-aided leaving them in ramshackle conditions.
Kapar MP and other PKR leaders however will urge Hindraf to stay as a political pressure group and not transform into a political party.
“There is simply no place for another Indian based political party in the country,” he told The Malaysian Insider. “PKR is the vehicle for all Malaysians… we are the future.”
He said he and others would strongly oppose any arguments to form another Indian political party.
“We are already heavily fragmented and another Indian political party is meaningless and will fragment the community even more,” he said urging Indians to join PKR.
Sun Tzu and the art of war
Malaysia Today
In 1998, when we first started using the Internet to fight Barisan Nasional, there were only 280,000 Internet subscribers against 8 million registered voters. Today, ten years on, there are almost 16 million Internet subscribers against 12 million registered voters.
NO HOLDS BARRED
Raja Petra Kamarudin
The Internet has been abuzz the last couple of days about the ‘accidental’ police report an NGO made against Malaysiakini. Those who had made the police report did not know the difference between Malaysiakini, The Malaysian Insider and Malaysia Today.
The following day, they ‘corrected’ the mistake and two more ‘Malay’ NGOs made a police report against Malaysia Today. While I am honoured that the news reports talk about Malaysiakini, The Malaysian Insider and Malaysia Today in the same breath, I have to correct this misperception and declare that Malaysia Today should not be compared to Malaysiakini or The Malaysian Insider.
Malaysiakini and The Malaysian Insider are proper or legitimate online newspapers or portals run by professional media personnel, most who have many years experience in the media industry. Malaysia Today, however, is not in that same league. We are not a proper or legitimate online newspaper. Neither are we run by professional media personnel. Malaysia Today is a ‘weapon’ that is meant to bring about political change in Malaysia.
We learned how useful the Internet can be back in 1998 when the Reformasi Movement first exploded onto the Malaysian political scene. More than 100 Reformasi websites mushroomed overnight to give Barisan Nasional a run for its money. Of course, then, most of these websites were aligned to Anwar Ibrahim and/or PAS. There were some that were aligned to DAP as well.
In 1998, however, there were only 280,000 Internet subscribers. But that was enough to sufficiently damage Barisan Nasional in the 1999 general election that was held about a year after the debut of Reformasi. No doubt the Internet was not the major contributor to the opposition victory in November 1999. But it did contribute enough, though in a small way, as to how Barisan Alternatif performed.
Then the opposition became complacent. Their 1999 ‘victory’ lulled them and put them to sleep. Not long after that DAP pulled out from Barisan Alternatif and that aggravated the problem. In the March 2004 general election, the voters demonstrated their disgust for the opposition coalition.
I have already talked about this matter so many times in the past so there is no need to go over all the issues and statistics again. The bottom line is: the opposition practically got wiped out.
Soon after that, Anwar Ibrahim was released from incarceration. There was jubilation all around. My wife, Marina, and I stood on the steps of the Palace of Justice in Putrajaya, quite amused at the chanting and cheering going on. My phone rang but I could not hear properly because of the noise. I handed the phone to Marina, who has better hearing than me. “It’s the BBC from London,” she told me as she handed me back the phone.
“Hold on,” I shouted into the phone. “It’s so noisy here. Let me move to a quieter place.”
Marina and I quickly walked to the side of the Palace of Justice where it was quieter and I spoke to the chap from the BBC.
“We heard Anwar has just been released. Can we get your statement?”
“Sure, but why me?” I asked.
“Well, you are the Director of the Free Anwar Campaign and you run the freeanwar dot com website. I suppose you are now out of a job since Anwar has just been released. What do you plan to do now?”
“I suppose you could put it that way,” I laughed. “I must be the only Director who got retrenched from his job because he is successful.”
The BBC chap laughed and asked, “So what do you intend to do now, now that you have been retrenched?”
“I am going to now focus fulltime on the new website I just started three weeks ago.”
“Oh, what is it called?”
“Malaysia Today. It’s at malaysia dash today dot net.”
To read more please go to :
Waythamoorthy warns Pakatan
KUALA LUMPUR, April 22 – Hindraf is in a state of flux after rising dramatically to national prominence with the November 2007 protest that sparked a politically awakening among Malaysian Indians.
For the first time in five decades, a majority of Indians voted against the Barisan Nasional (BN) in the March 8, 2008 general election, helping to change the country’s political landscape.
But since then the movement has splintered.
While one faction wants to convert Hindraf into a full-fledged political party, others want to keep it as a purely religious organisation fighting to promote Hinduism and defend the temples.
A third faction wants to keep Hindraf as an apolitical – but allied with the opposition Pakatan Rakyat (PR) – socio-political pressure group raising issues pertinent to the Indian community.
Finally, a fourth faction believes Hindraf should be an apolitical pressure group, allied with no one, out to get the best for the community from either PR or BN.
In a telephone interview from London, lawyer and Hindraf chairman Waythamoorthy Ponnusamy gives answers to where the movement stands on some of these issues and what is in store for the future.
To some of the questions, Waythamoorthy has the “for the moment” caveat indicating that he and his brother Uthayakumar, who is in ISA detention, are keeping their options open on all fronts.
Q: Will Hindraf be turned into a political party?
A: No…not for the moment. We are apolitical. I don’t have any political ambitions but we have many political friends who speak up for our agenda. Hindraf has political friends everywhere but Hindraf itself is apolitical.
Q: So what are you really?
A: We are a pressure group with many political friends. We support our political friends when they need our support. And they should support our agenda.
Q: What is your agenda?
A: Our agenda is to improve the lot of the poorer Indians in the Indian community and to defend temples and the Hindu religion and to promote and defend Tamil schools. To get as much allocation from public funds to these areas to resolve problems that have remained unresolved since independence.
Q: The new government headed by Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has allocated some RM80 million for Tamil schools and has in general promised more for the Indian community. Are you satisfied? Do you see this as positive start?
A: No. The allocation is peanuts compared to the seriousness of the situation faced by Tamil schools, and their neglect. If shared equally, each school probably would get enough to just build a canteen.
The government must come up with a comprehensive, long term programme to alleviate the plight – lack of funds, untrained teachers, and poor facilities, ownership of land, titles and recognition of vernacular education as integral to the education system of the country. We are citizens and we have a right to the public resources.
Q: Is it not a positive start?
A: Yes but the amount is small and, besides, the allocations are channelled through the MIC which is a political party that has been rejected by the Indian community. As long as the government deals through the MIC, we are unhappy and will not accept or co-operate. The government has to deal with us.
Q: Are you prepared to negotiate with the government?
A: We are prepared to negotiate with anyone for the betterment of the Indian community.
Q: Some Hindraf founder members are adamant in wanting to form a political party. What is your response?
A: I can’t hold them back. Thanenthiran (Hindraf national coordinator) is one of them. He thinks we need a political platform to better serve the Indian community.
My stand is that we must, for the moment, remain apolitical. But if anyone wants to form a political party, it is their business. I can’t hold them back, I can’t tell them “don’t do it”. But for now Hindraf is apolitical.
Q: What is the real impact of the Nov 25 protest?
A: The real impact is the sea change it brought in the mindset of the Indians. Overnight, the protest awakened the Indians. Nearly 70% of Indians havee had their mindset changed and they bravely voted opposition, which they hope would change their lives.
Q: Are you satisfied with the performance of the Pakatan Rakyat in alleviating the community’s woes?
A: No, we are not satisfied. They have done little. We are disappointed that they are not treating Indian woes seriously. They have not given priority to our plight. Many of the Pakatan leaders don’t have the faintest idea what are our problems and how to tackle them. They control four state governments and they can resolve the important land issues facing temples and Tamil schools. They must get serious on it.
Q: What are you doing about the alleged “lack of seriousness” by the Pakatan leaders?
A: We are constantly raising the issues with them. Having meetings abroad with them and we are going to tell them soon that they had better get cracking or face the wrath of the Indian poor in the next general election.
Penanti poll: May 31st,Polling day campaigners to face heavy penalties
MAFREL
So it is confirmed:
Penanti poll: May 31st Nomination: May 23rd
Campaign period: 8 days
The timelining shows a EC which is trying to push back polling as far as possible(it has 60 days for monouvre )-as though to buy time for a party which may involve in the by-election), in contrast to previous practice to finish off the duty ASAP. Then the campaign period is kept to the shortest -so the police will ge given an excuse to forcibly crack down on Federal Opposition parties’ campaign activities.
But as seen in Batu Gantang the extended wait for the polling will enable to the candidates/parties to get prepared better and to start ahead of official campaign period which start from the nomination day-for all sides of the politics.
SPR has announced that there will be heavy fines for anyone caught campaigning on polling day-including nullifying candidate’s victory; suspend voting rights of a person for 5 years plus Rm5000.00 fines. However SPR did not make any compromise for sufficient campaign period and specify campaign over main stream media. There will not be any party’s information booth allowed on polling day.
A small concession from the SPR: both nomination day (May 23rd-sat) and Polling day(May 31st-Sun) falls on weekend in Penang.
For observers: all folks interested in election observation are welcome to sign up now as mafrel observers and make your observation count in the campaign to improve the election operation in Malaysia. In Bkt Selambau Mafrel collected more than 11Gb of photos/videos of election observation containing lots of irregularities which we will expose ahead of the Penanti by-election. Watch out!
To contact us email democracy4now@gmail.com or call 019-4744220(Jamaluddin), 013-5900339(ong)
Ong BK
THE ANWAR FACTOR
The Might of the Pen website has an informative article on “The Anwar Factor”
You can read the special edition of August Man magazine published in December 2008 which analysed the Anwar Factor.
OFFICE OF ANWAR IBRAHIM
To read further please go to :
http://sjsandteam.wordpress.com/2009/04/26/the-anwar-factor/
‘Doesn’t Bangsa Malaysia include Indians?’
MALAYSIAKINI
On PKR, DAP ignoring critical Indian problems
Kenny Gan: First of all, the writer should discard his mentality that there are unique Indian problems which other races do not face.
In his long letter, he has not mentioned any such problem which he asserts are unique to Indians.
His example of the death of Kugan in police custody is severely flawed. If he would care to do some research, he will find that death in police custody happens to all races.
Manikumar is right to say that he serves Bangsa Malaysia as he could only have been elected with the support of all races. Doesn’t Bangsa Malaysia include Indians?
I fail to understand the writer’s gripe about politicians serving all races instead of specifically the Indians.
The type of politics that the writer espouses belong to MIC, MCA or Umno, not DAP or PKR who have an avowed multi-racial platform.
This is the new politics of multi-racial parties which fight for all races instead of race- based parties fighting for its own race.
On ‘Thanenthiran free to form own political party’
Political Observer: Thanenthiran should harbour no illusion that any political party he forms by hitching on to the Hindraf movement can be successful as an independent party in Malaysia.
As Indians only constitute 8% of the population and there are no Indian majority seats, a political party which appeals only to Indians has scant chance of getting any of its candidates elected.
An independent Indian-based political party will exist in political limbo just like IPF or Muip. It can only survive by joining a multi-racial coalition to gain some multi-racial support.
However, Pakatan Rakyat which campaigns on a platform of racial inclusiveness has no use for a race-based party which only fights for Indian rights.
Hence it is probable that Thanenthiran’s party will be pro-BN and hunker to join BN just like IPF and MUIP. It is also the only way he can get his party registered.
By hijacking the Hindraf brand name, Thanenthiran hopes to get a kick-start for his political party.
It appears that one man’s political ambition will soon spell the death of the Hindraf movement.
On PKR Youth members, Hindraf supporters defect to MIC
AM: These disgruntled members who defected claim that PKR has done nothing for the Indians.
To begin with, PKR only gained a proper momentum after last year’s general elections and it has not been plain sailing for the opposition given recent incidents.
What I do not understand is why join the MIC? This is a party which has been in power for the last 50 years but did absolutely nothing for the Indians in general.
Under the leadership of Samy Vellu, the standard of living of Indians just dropped to rock bottom and this power-hungry man who was in power for 27 years.
Well, just take a look at MIC, its members are mostly thugs and goons. The people in general will not be fooled by this manouevre.
Only A Good Beginning
LIM KIT SIANG
by M. Bakri Musa
Prime Minister Najib Razak’s liberalizing some segments of the service sector is a good start. However, it is merely good but not excellent, and only a beginning but not the total solution.
Najib must remember that a half-cooked meal is often not only inedible but could also poison you; likewise a half-baked solution.
For Najib to have an excellent and comprehensive solution would require him to address the more difficult underlying issue of what prompted the instituting of quotas in the first place. Unless that is resolved, his new policy will not be politically sustainable – meaning, not sustainable at all –regardless how eminently sensible it is economically. Ameliorate it and Najib would be able to liberalize not only the whole service sector but also the entire economy, if not every facet of Malaysian life. That would bring his “1Malaysia” aspiration that much closer.
On the other hand, if he fails to resolve that fundamental problem, he would have succeeded only in triggering a severe backlash among Malays, the bulk if not his only base of support. Were that to happen he would push back race relations; the half-cooked meal poisoning him!
To read more please go to : http://blog.limkitsiang.com/
Kabinet Umno, perangi rasuah dan Hari Kebebasan Akhbar Sedunia
| Harakah Daily |
| DATO’ Seri Najib Razak seperti mahu menekankan beliau sememangnya serius untuk melakukan perubahan dalam Umno, sambil menyampaikan mesej jelas bahawa beliau turut berusaha keras bagi menawan semula empat negeri yang kini dikuasai Pakatan Rakyat, melalui rombakan besar barisan pengerusi perhubungan dan jawatankuasa pengurusan parti itu, Jumaat lalu |
Meskipun gimik perubahan yang cuba dicetuskannya pada hari pertama mengangkat sumpah sebagai perdana menteri telah ditolak oleh pengundi Bukit Gantang dan Bukit Selambau, Najib masih menyandarkan harapan agar team barunya ini dapat mengembalikan sokongan rakyat kepada BN. Namun formula pembaharuannya tidak menjadi; imiginasi rakyat gagal menjangkau apa yang diangan-angankannya.
Tarik sokongan pengikut Anwar
Pemerhati politik melihat Najib seakan mahu menarik sokongan pengikut Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim apabila melantik beberapa tokoh muda yang dilihat pernah cenderung dengan bekas Timbalan Perdana Menteri itu dalam Kabinet dan juga memberi jawatan strategik dalam parti kepada mereka. Malah, kalau mahu disenaraikan, rasanya agak ramai juga menteri dan timbalan menteri di bawah Najib yang dikatakan pro-Anwar satu ketika dahulu.
Walaupun dilihat ada elemen perubahan semasa melantik Menteri Kewangan II, Dato’ Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah sebagai Bendahari dan Timbalan Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri, Ahmad Maslan sebagai Ketua Penerangan, namun apabila mengekalkan ahli politik kontroversi, Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor sebagai Setiausaha Agung, keputusan Najib itu tidak jauh bezanya dengan kelaziman perdana menteri sebelum ini yang meletakkan orang yang berkeupayaan melakukan misi “yang dikehendaki” meskipun ianya mempunyai imej negatif.
Najib juga melantik pengerusi perhubungan Umno yang baru untuk negeri-negeri Pakatan Rakyat, iaitu Dato’ Mustapa Mohamad (Kelantan), Dato’ Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal (Kedah), Dato’ Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (Pulau Pinang) dan beliau sendiri di Selangor, selain Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin di Wilayah Persekutuan, yang menyaksikan hanya satu kerusi Parlimen, Setiawangsa, dipertahankan BN.
Erti mengekalkan Ali Rustam
Bagaimanapun, tindakan Najib mengekalkan Dato’ Seri Mohd Ali Rustam, tokoh yang digugurkan kelayakan untuk bertanding Timbalan Presiden Umno walaupun mempunyai harapan cerah untuk menang, kerana disabit dengan politik wang, bagi mengetuai Umno Melaka, maka janji perubahannya memang ternyata retorik kosong.
Kita teringin juga mendengar komentar pengerusi badan disiplin Umno, Tengku Ahmad Rithauddin mengenai pengekalan jawatan Ali di Melaka itu. Mungkin veteran Umno itu perlu meletakkan jawatan atau sekali lagi membuat cadangan menggemparkan sepertimana beliau pernah mengesyorkan agar sayap Puteri, Wanita dan Pemuda dimansuhkan bagi membanteras amalan rasuah politik.
Jika Ketua Pemuda Umno, Khairy Jamaluddin tidak dilantik apa-apa jawatan dalam Kabinet kerana dikaitkan dengan dakwaan bahawa beliau membeli undi dan mengamal rasuah politik dalam pemilihan lalu, apa pula alasan Najib untuk tidak menyingkirkan Ali? Begitu juga dengan perlantikan Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz sebagai ahli Majlis Tertinggi (MT), yang selama ini terpalit teruk dengan tuduhan “menjual” AP oleh Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, dan sebelum itu dikaitkan dengan amalan rasuah di Miti, seperti didedahkan Anwar kepada BPR.
Tentunya tidak mudah untuk meneka apakah kayu ukur yang dipakai Najib bagi melantik anggota jemaah menteri atau barisan pimpinan Umno. Pastinya ia tidak disandarkan kepada sejauh mana seseorang itu bersih daripada rasuah atau salahguna kuasa. Seperti presiden Umno terdahulu, kriteria terpenting tidak lain adalah kesetiaan dan keupayaan melakukan “misi yang dikehendaki”.
Najib-Muhyiddin pasangan sementara
Misalnya, dalam kes Muhyiddin, yang dipilih Najib sebagai regunya, walaupun ramai menjangkakan mereka hanya “pasangan sementara”. Najib terhutang budi kepada Muhyiddin disebabkan kelantangannya mendesak Dato’ Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi berundur segera daripada jawatan no 1 dalam kerajaan dan Umno, malah lebih cepat daripada perancangan awal.
Apabila Zahid mengumumkan untuk bertanding merebut jawatan timbalan presiden Umno, Najib khabarnya segera menitahkan bekas Ketua Pemuda Umno itu mengadapnya. Najib dikatakan memarahi Zahid, yang tidak memaklumkan hasrat untuk bertanding jawatan no. 2 itu kepadanya. Disebut orang bahawa tokoh yang meminta Zahid bertembung dengan Muhyiddin adalah Abdullah sendiri. Zahid pernah menjadi setiausaha politik Najib dalam jangka waktu yang agak lama. Meskipun berpotensi dapat mengatasi Muhyiddin, Zahid akhirnya terpaksa menarik diri.
Perlantikan Rafidah juga dikira mempunyai elemen sama, yakni difaktorkan oleh, antara lain, rasa terima kasih Najib atas kelantangan bekas Ketua Wanita itu untuk menggesa Abdullah bersara lebih cepat. Tengku Adnan yang dikaitkan dengan klip video VK Lingam juga dilihat mampu menjadi panglima paling setia kepada Najib dan sanggup melakukan “taktik kotor” untuk menjayakan misi presiden parti.
II. Apa nak dirayakan pada Hari Kebebasan Akhbar Sedunia
Pada 3 Mei depan, seluruh dunia akan menyambut Hari Kebebasan Akhbar Sedunia, yang diiktiraf secara rasmi oleh Pertubuhan Bangsa-Bangsa Bersatu mulai 1993. Menurut PBB, 3 Mei adalah hari untuk: (1) menggalakkan dan membina usaha bagi menyokong kebebasan akhbar; (2) menilai kebebasan akhbar di seluruh dunia; (3) mengingatkan kerajaan masing-masing agar menunjukkan iltizam untuk menghormati kebebasan akhbar; (4) menyedarkan orang ramai betapa pentingnya akhbar itu bebas; (5) mengingatkan petugas-petugas media dan menggalakkan debat di kalangan mereka betapa pentingnya kebebasan akhbar dan etika kewartawanan; (6) mengenang jasa wartawan yang terkorban di seluruh dunia; dan (7) menyatakan sokongan kepada media dan petugas media yang menjadi mangsa tindakan-tindakan menghalang, atau usaha menghapuskan, kebebasan akhbar.
Semasa saya mengetuai Kumpulan Aktivis Media Independen (KAMI) pada 2001, beberapa program khusus dianjurkan, antara lain mengadakan siri pertemuan dengan Suhakam, khususnya bersama Naib Pengerusinya, Almarhum Tan Sri Harun Hashim. Suhakam digesa memainkan peranan aktif untuk campur tangan setiap kali wujud kes-kes penutupan akhbar dan majalah di negara ini. Ketika itu kecoh soal pengharaman majalah Detik dan Wasilah yang saya sendiri kendalikan (permit disewa daripada rakan-rakan pemegang permit). Akhbar mingguan politik, Eksklusif turut dibatalkan permit penerbitan, manakala Harakah dicantas kekerapan penerbitannya, daripada dua kali seminggu kepada dua kali sebulan.
Apa kuasa Suhakam
Tidak banyak yang boleh dilakukan Suhakam bagi mempromosikan kebebasan akhbar di negara ini, apatah lagi mengembalikan permit penerbitan yang diharamkan KDN. Justeru, dalam satu pertemuan dengan Harun Hashim, secara spontan saya memberikan gred merah D kepada prestasi Suhakam. Saya kira usaha paling berkesan untuk memperjuangkan hak media adalah dengan penggemblengan suara rakyat dan masyarakat sivil yang lebih teratur dan sistematik.
Ramai masih tidak jelas apa yang mahu dituntut oleh pejuang kebebasan akhbar. Malah, rakyat mungkin kurang menyedari kepentingan atau peri mustahaknya media diberikan ruang secukupnya untuk melaksanakan tanggungjawab dengan berkesan. Media independen dapat memastikan gejala rasuah dan salahguna kuasa dapat dibanteras, selain menyuburkan amalan demokrasi yang matang.
Menurut Jeremy Pope dalam bukunya Strategi Membanteras Korupsi, yang diusahakan bersama dengan Transparency International, media yang bebas sama pentingnya dengan kehakiman yang independen. Tingkat kebebasan media adalah tingkat yang dapat dicapainya untuk melaksanakan fungsi pengawasan masyarakat yang efektif atas perilaku kakitangan awam. Dikutip pandangan seorang editor Time Inc, Henry Grunwald bahawa “pemerintah yang terpilih secara demokratis dan patuh sekalipun dapat dengan mudah menjadi pemerintah yang korup bila kekuasaannya tidak diawasi oleh akhbar yang bebas”.
Setelah sekian lama menyepi, tiba masanya KAMI kembali berperanan, sekurang-kurangnya untuk merayakan Hari Kebebasan Akhbar Sedunia tahun ini, walaupun saya sendiri kurang arif, ya … apa yang mahu dirayakan sebenarnya? _
Deputy minister catches doctors lazing while patients wait
The Malaysian Insider
KUALA LUMPUR, April 26 – Deputy Minister of Federal Territories Datuk M. Saravanan today “caught” two doctors at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital (HKL) emergency department, reading newspapers and doing their own stuff instead of attending to more than 20 patients in pain waiting for treatment.
Saravanan made the shocking discovery at about 10.30am when he went to the hospital to visit a university student who was injured after he was knocked down by a car driven by his (Saravanan’s) driver.
“I, too, waited for a while for the girl to be treated and, realising that none of the patients were being called in by the doctors, I opened the door to the treatment room.
‘I was shocked to find one doctor reading a newspaper and the other minding his own business and doing his own stuff.
“There were more than 20 patients outside waiting for treatment. This should not be the way doctors work. The patient should come first. Furthermore, it is an emergency unit, which is supposed to be fast in dispensing treatment,” the visibly irked Saravanan told Bernama.
The deputy minister said he reprimanded the doctors for their behaviour and demanded to see a superior who, he said, appeared after 30 minutes.
“After that, those waiting were promptly treated. Why couldn’t the doctors attend to the patients first? This should not be the way service at government hospitals is dispensed,” he said.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, in one of his surprise visits to the city centre yesterday, said he wanted front-line government establishments in the federal capital to improve their services to the people.
Saravanan said that though he had caught the doctors by chance, he would from now on make it a point to conduct surprise visits to departments under his ministry to ensure that front-line staff did their job of serving the people.
“This is an eye-opener. We, as leaders, just cannot afford to pay lip service and not check whether work is done by the front-line government servants. We have to go down (to the ground) to ensure that speedy solutions are found for the people’s problems.
“What more, in this case where people are in pain. If they were not suffering, they would not have come to the emergency unit. This is a lesson for all hospitals. Please work for the people if you are in the civil service,” he said.
HKL director Datuk Dr Zaininah Mohd Zain, in responding to Saravanan’s remarks, said the hospital would get details of the incident and if there was any element of irresponsibility, would take the appropriate action.
She said the hospital’s investigation showed that there were only eight patients and 20 relatives and that none of the patients was in pain because “we practise holistic pain care service and pain (is assessed) as the fifth vital sign”.
“Our hardworking doctors are but human,” she said, adding that browsing a newspaper when there were no cases in his (doctor’s) room should not be interpreted as neglecting his responsibility.
“We do not condone lazy or irresponsible doctors but (having) understanding, caring and hardworking doctors is also our obligation,” she said in a text message to Bernama.
Dr Zaininah said the HKL Emergency Department was a very busy department that managed 550 cases per day and was served by six medical officers in every eight-hour shift (of three shifts per day) with one specialist, one consultant and one (supervising) senior consultant per day.
“The challenge of patient loads is ever increasing, up to 30 per cent due to the current economic crisis.
“Despite this situation, we have served well in a systematic manner with the triage system to sort out and manage cases according to priority,” she said.
Dr Zaininah said HKL would continue to evaluate, supervise and maintain a high quality of service but support and understanding from the public were crucial to sustaining a high standard of service continuously. – Bernama
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