Overcome denggi and play less politics, MCA ministers told

[jeffooi]

<font size="+1">WHO listed Malaysia on dengue alert:
Overcome dengue and play less politics, MCA ministers told</font>


UTUSAN ONLINE
Jumaat, 3 Januari, 2003

Pemuda gesa Chua, Ong tumpu isu denggi

KUALA LUMPUR 2 Jan. - Pergerakan Pemuda UMNO hari ini menggesa Menteri Kesihatan, Datuk Chua Jui Meng dan Menteri Perumahan dan Kerajaan Tempatan, Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting mengurangkan penglibatan dengan politik dalaman MCA sebaliknya memberi lebih tumpuan pada tugas masing-masing.

Naib Ketuanya, Datuk Abdul Aziz Sheikh Fadzir berkata, tumpuan yang lebih kepada politik kepartian menyebabkan mereka kurang memberi perhatian kepada tanggungjawab sebenar berkaitan kepentingan rakyat seperti menangani masalah denggi, yang telah meragut 40 nyawa sejak enam bulan lepas.

"Sekiranya terlalu sibuk dengan perkara-perkara lain seperti isu dalaman MCA, lebih baik mereka menceburi kerjaya lain (bukan menteri),'' katanya kepada Utusan Malaysia ketika dihubungi hari ini.

Abdul Aziz berkata, kedua-dua menteri itu gagal mengambil langkah berkesan dalam menangani masalah penyakit denggi walaupun amaran awal berkenaan penyakit itu dikeluarkan oleh Pertubuhan Kesihatan Sedunia (WHO), Julai lalu.

...Tambah Aziz, kedua-dua menteri tersebut perlu memikul tanggungjawab atas peningkatan kes kematian yang disebabkan oleh denggi.

"Jui Meng dan Ka Ting perlu menerangkan kepada rakyat mengapa berlakunya jumlah kematian yang begitu besar,'' katanya.


FULL STORY:
http://www.utusan.com.my/utusan/content.asp?y=2003&dt=0103&pub=Utusan_Malaysia&sec=Muka_Hadapan&pg=mh_04.htm

[jeffooi]

<font size="+1">See how Pemuda UMNO ape the DAP</font> ;)

www.dapmalaysia.org
Wednesday, January 1, 2003

-----------------------------------------------------------
Media Statement
by Lim Kit Siang
-----------------------------------------------------------

(Penang, Wednesday): The first thing the DAP will do in the new year will be to send strong protests to two Ministries, the Health Ministry and the Local Government and Housing Ministry, for the systematic campaign of misinformation about the virulent dengue outbreak in the past six months causing avoidable human suffering and loss of lives which could have been prevented by an early nation-wide alert.


FULL STORY:
http://www.dapmalaysia.org/english/lks/jan03/lks2011.htm

[jeffooi]

www.dapmalaysia.org
Thursday, January 2, 2003

----------------------------------------------------
Media Conference Statement
by Lim Kit Siang
----------------------------------------------------

(Penang, Thursday): DAP will send a memorandum to the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad calling for the suspension of Datuk Chua Jui Meng as Minister for Health and Datuk Ong Ka Ting as Minister for Housing and Local Government for their failure to heed the July World Health Organisation (WHO) warning and take effective anti-dengue counter measures, resulting in the loss of over 40 lives in the past 6 months as well as the misinformation campaign lulling Malaysians into complacency about the lethal outbreak.

...It is a national tragedy that an effective anti-dengue campaign and the lives of over 40 people should become the casualties not only of the inter-Ministry tussle under the departments headed by Chua and Ong but also the victims of the power play between the MCA Team A and Team B factions!

Statistics from WHO:
1. www.wpro.who.int/document/DENGUE_SITUATION_IN_WPR_Aug01.doc
2. http://www.wpro.who.int/images/newspdf/cdb_dec00.pdf


FULL STORY:
http://www.dapmalaysia.org/english/lks/jan03/lks2012.htm

[joker2107]

what a bad start to the new year. i was at my daughter's school yesterday when i received news that the father of one of the primary school girls had succumbed to dengue fever.

later as i was doing some plumbing works in the school, i was swamped by mosquitoes. i dread to imagine the consequences if the mosquitoes feeding on me were aedes or culex or anopheles some other vicious disease bearing kind. it could effectively bring down the whole school and the surrounding offices like AIA.

sad to say too, the press can even be political in matters of life and death. i have brought to the attention of the star regarding the numerous abandoned construction sites now in the hands of danaharta. many are perfect aedes breeding grounds. unfortunately the star wants to be seen as a champion in the war against aedes only in the ways which seem to be politically correct. it is trying to hoodwink the population that dengue is essentially caused by you and i being negligent. the numerous articles they print on this problem treat readers like small kids. it does not tackle serious and macro aspects of the issue.

i can only comment that this star is a faded star which has lost its lustre (if it ever did shine) in the process of political polishing.

[jeffooi]

<font size="+2">Ka Ting:
Dengue not my concern, it's the local authority's...</font>


UTUSAN ONLINE
Sabtu, 4 Januari, 2003

Tangani masalah denggi bidang kuasa PBT - Ka Ting

KUALA LUMPUR 3 Jan. - Menteri Perumahan dan Kerajaan Tempatan, Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting berkata, tanggungjawab menangani masalah denggi di semua negeri berada di bawah bidang kuasa pihak berkuasa tempatan (PBT) dan bukan kementeriannya.

Katanya, Kabinet telah mengeluarkan arahan kepada semua kerajaan negeri untuk menangani masalah tersebut setelah menerima laporan pada Persidangan Menteri-Menteri Besar dan Ketua-ketua Menteri pada November lalu.

"Kementerian juga mengambil tindakan susulan dengan berjumpa dengan wakil-wakil kerajaan negeri tersebut pada akhir Disember lalu bagi memantau dan mempertingkatkan usaha-usaha PBT menangani masalah ini,'' katanya kepada Utusan Malaysia ketika ditemui di sini hari ini.

...Ka Ting berkata, semua tindakan yang perlu diambil oleh kementeriannya dalam menangani wabak tersebut telah dilakukan sepanjang tahun lepas.

"Kementerian telah membekalkan peralatan penyemburan asap (fogging) seperti pam penyembur dan bahan kimia kepada PBT dan pembekalannya akan ditambah tahun ini,'' katanya.

Ka Ting berkata, tumpuan utamanya adalah menjaga kepentingan rakyat dan beliau tidak mengabaikan tugas dan peranannya dengan berpolitik.

Sementara itu, Jui Meng tak dapat dihubungi kerana bercuti di luar negara.


FULL STORY:
http://www.utusan.com.my/utusan/content.asp?y=2003&dt=0104&pub=Utusan_Malaysia&sec=Dalam_Negeri&pg=dn_04.htm

[jeffooi]

THE STAR
Saturday, January 04, 2003

LETTER
<FONT SIZE="+1">Concern over rise in dengue cases</FONT>

I AM saddened that several people in my neighbourhood have contracted dengue fever.

For the record, we have also had fatalities. Among them were a Subang Jaya resident and a former Universiti Hospital eye specialist and associate professor, who was a shining beacon and friend to his colleagues and students.

Despite all the hype, propaganda and publicity on how e-savvy the Subang Jaya Municipal Council is, the township has the distinction of being singled out as the “dengue capital of the nation’’, especially in the “high-demand residential areas’’ in USJ.

It is a pity that a township has turned into a nightmarish concrete jungle – thanks to the incompetent enforcement, questionable and arbitrarily approvals for buildings and haphazard development.

The authorities, instead of mobilising a massive campaign to contain the outbreak of dengue fever, are telling us to be calm and saying we are “currently experiencing an increase in the number of cases compared to 2001, but it has not reached the epidemic stage’’.

How many body bags must we fill before it is to be classified an epidemic and worthy of a national alert?

In 2001, Malaysia posted 50 deaths and reported 8,669 dengue cases. The World Health Organisation five months ago warned countries in the tropical region, including Malaysia, to be prepared for an increase in the number of dengue cases because of present weather conditions.

It is a pity our local authorities have not adequately responded to the alert.

DR JACOB GEORGE,
Subang Jaya.
(via e-mail)


SOURCE:
http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2003/1/4/focus/denguex&sec=focus

[jeffooi]

THE SUN
Tuesday, December 31, 2002

<font size="+2">Subang Jaya has the most dengue cases</font>
by Arion Yeow

SUBANG JAYA: The Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ) has recorded some 900 cases of dengue fever in the municipality this year, the highest number in the country.

According to MPSJ president Datuk Ahmad Fuad Ismail, most of the cases were from the Seri Kembangan area.

[Voter]

It's really sad to read that the Minister of Local Government can say dengue is not his concern but the local authority. Isn't he the minister for local authority, at least functionally, and hence should be severally accountable for outbreak of the epedemic?

There is no lack of the most comprehensive set of laws, but enforcement is always a big let down. If enforcement has been strict as it should be, and administered impartially without giving the rayaat the slightest doubt about the integrity, we are then a blessed society, and attaining the goal of 2020 is not a problem.

[jeffooi]

THE MALAY MAIL
Tuesday, January 7, 2003

<font size="+1">Dengue Watch: State with highest number of cases in country</font>
Pauline Almeida

THE Selangor Government is shifting its focus to the public to check the dengue situation as the State has the highest number of cases in the country.

Public apathy towards the environment has been identified as one of the main causes, said State Executive Councillor in charge of health Datuk Tang See Hang.

“It is the tidak apa attitude. This must change,” he said.

He took the people to task for not doing their part to keep the environment clean.

...The total number of reported cases in Selangor was 9,385 with 17 deaths, as of Dec 28 last year.

There was a total of 29,615, reported cases in the country as of Dec 14 last year. It was reported that there were 54 fatalities nationwide last year.

...He said there was no need to put the State on a “dengue alert” as they had an action plan.

Tang, however, declined to elaborate on the plan, except to say that it included educational programmes, fogging, awareness campaigns and the public and non-governmental organisations’ participation.

“Our action plan will be introduced immediately by the local authorities and the State Action Committee on Dengue 2003 set up to address the problem.”

On why Selangor had the highest number of cases in the nation, he said it was also due to the high population density and inconsistent weather.

“It rains on some days while it is dry on others.

“It is also partly caused by rapid development and some construction projects, Tang said.

“Houses situated close to one other and movement of the people are the other factors.”

It was reported that there were four cases in the Selayang Municipal Council (MPS) jurisdiction and district of Gombak, three in the Sepang district and three within the boundary of Subang Jaya Municipal Council.


FULL STORY:
http://www.mmail.com.my/Tuesday/National/20030107093045

[jeffooi]

<font size="+1">Emails re-posted with permisssion from the authors</font>


From: "drjacob" drjacob@pd.jaring.my
To: "Ragunathan" ragun@tm.net.my
Cc:
Subject: Re: Denggi Threat In The Klang Valley
Date: Fri, 10 Jan 2003 12:43:23 +0800

10/01/03

Brother,

Thanks and appreciate your e-mail. Please log on to <a href="http://www.usj.com.my">usj.com.my</a> and under the <a href="http://www.usj.com.my/LifeStyle/details.php3?table=LifeStyle&ID=423&Category=Jacob%20Speaks">Jacob Speaks</a> column you have a full version of the said article. Feel free to e-mail it/circulate that article.

God Bless. Yes, Dr. Malika was a collegue of my wife Dr. Sharmila while they were together at Universiti Hospital! She is truly a dedicated and lovely person!

Dr.JG


----- Original Message -----
From: Ragunathan
To: drjacob@pd.jaring.my
Sent: Friday, January 10, 2003 12:23 AM
Subject: Denggi Threat In The Klang Valley


Dear Dr. Jacob,

I write to express my appreciation of your article (<a href="http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Monday/Letters/20030106094324/Article"target="new">Letter to the Editor</a>) which appeared in the NST recently about your deep concern of Denggi fever threat and the lackadaisikal attitude of the authorities on the matter.

You had even rightly mentioned the death of a prominent eye specialist due to denggi fever in Selangor about two yrs ago. For your kind information the eye specialist, Dr.Sivaraj of SMC Shah Alam was my doctor who was treating my eye problem. She was such a kind and efficient lady doctor and I was shocked and saddened by her sudden and untimely death.

You did the right thing by taking the local authoritiues to task on the current increase in the number of denggi cases in Selangor.

Also you are right in pointing out how RTM failed to play its role in highlighting and educating the public about this highly dangerous illness.In fact I wish to read your article again but had miss placed the paper clipping. Keep up and continue the good work. God Bless.

Kind regards and best wishes. Happy New year 2003

Andrew Ragunthan
Tel: (Withheld for privacy)


Dr Malika Sivaraj was a resident in Subang Jaya before she succumbed to dengue fever. - Jeff Ooi

[CASSA318]

A young mother of three, from Taman TTDI Jaya, Shah Alam, was the latest to suffer this feared disease.

The poor woman visited 2 private clinics and a corporatized hospital, in six days unknowingly that she had denggei!

The clinics were disgraceful in not ascertaining the medical problem.

At Universiti Hospital, nothing spectacular happened either and she was refused a bed and finally ended up in a private hospital in Klang and was dignosed correctly - at a price!

She works in a factory and her husband a lorry driver had no choice but admit her for private hospital treatment to save her life!

Sadly some of our YB's and other policy makers in Selangor, more so, in Subang Jaya, based on a news report in The Sun ( Saturday 11/01/03) are ignoring the problem and taking their own sweet time to activate a nationwide response to this threat!

Do you think they will respond differently if their wife, daughter, son or lover was the last victim?

I seriously wonder too!

:mad:

[joker2107]

the year is only 2 weeks old and i already dread 2003. b4 the first week was over, i learnt that the father of a 6+ yr old girl just about to begin schooling in the school my daughter attends succumbed to d.h.f. yesterday brought news that a student in form 2 joined in the statistics. i'm not including those in my neighbourhood who survived in the numbers. if this can be so very very deeply upsetting to me, what more to tender minds of innocent pre-teenagers. how soon in life do we need to introduce the harsh realities of irresponsible and negligent governments and citizens?

i call upon everybody to show the authorities the toilet bowl. tell them to flush their grey matter deep down into the sewage pipelines. let us all take up arms ourselves and show that the man in the street do not need the nincompoops who would rather spluge public funds on excessive decorative street lamps or on campaigning for halal advertisements than to address the issue of life and death.

i'm going to write a note on the subject to nades after this. then i'll be communicating to my developer a proposal for a "CONSCIOUSLY AND PRACTICALLY AWARE OF DENGUE" campaign. yeah, all of us know about dengue and d.h.f. but its always in the back of our heads, its always "it won't happen ot me or people i know". this campaign i'm proposing is aimed at a paradign shift, prople are going to say "o may gosh, the aedes is after my blood. i've got to get em damned blood suckers b4 they get me".

my sympathies and condolence to the families of all victims of d.h.f. may the souls of the faithful departed rest in peace. and may their beloved survivors and friends find strength and courage and comfort in fighting a battle to keep the statistics down. the elected and appointed may not be with you - they will only be after you. may the people who dare to step into this cyber terrain are with you all the way.

[jeffooi]

<img src="http://www.malaysiakini.com/images/zoonartoon/zunartoonreallybig11.gif">

[joker2107]

d hot weather is back. so is d aedes. and dengue.

a neighbour of mine, a 6yr old malay boy who used 2 play with my kid, lost his battle against dengue yesterday. on d same day, dbkl had d cheek to put up notices in d public arear of our apt stating that there hv been 9 dengue cases in our area in the last 2 wks.

after d funeral, bdkl came by 2 do some fogging. i must emphasise SOME bcos a large part of our apt area is not accessible by d pick up they use. and d killer fumes simply do not go any where near the parks which cud hv em mossies breeding.

more pitifully, d jungle at d abandoned project across the apt is still there. nothing has been done to ensure theres no aedes there. there were talks of the property under danaharta. true or not, d mbf people are dead and gone and reality is that some banks or liquidators or administrators, simply some corporate citizen out here must definitely hv jurisdiction over d land. and havng such ctrl, what d hell r they r they doing in terms of maintenance and social responsibility?

as for d press, looks like i still hv to depend on good old nades. he d 1 and only with the anatomy to speak agst the govt and d corp citizen where it counts and hurts.

after d death of my neighbour, i got a buddy with very good relations with d major press 2 put me in otuch with d media. calls i did get from all d editors. now i don't know if it was cos they were obliged to my friend or they wanted 2 know who died. all of them asked the same sales pitch - who died and how old was he. he was a nobody, just simply my daughters friend and an only child. not much material 4 d ehadlines. nobody wanted 2 know who i was who was making such a fuss. nobody wanted to hear my plea 2 drum up corporate social responsibility. like dbkl they r still looking 4 the single larvae in my wc. so that they can find a scape goat.

jo, do u think u can do better than the press?

[tupai]

The authorities are too busy doing whatever they are doing...

we owe it to ourselves to at the very least clean up out surroundings.
I think, the FIRST step is for this community, when hearing of any dengue cases should notify the rest of the dwellers by being specific esp. in which area. For e.g.

My name is keith
There is a suspected dengue case/or my neighbour has dengue in my area, i.e. Jln ss17/2e, Subang Jaya. So please help notify all neighbours in ss17/2a,b,c,d,f,g to help to clear blahblahblah..

This way, we all will know if it the case is near our home..not a vague: .." dengue cases in seri kembangan"..which i think is a jolly big area.
no??

Tupai-whos-afraid-of- that-mozzy