Thesun 2009-06-25 Page03 Shutting Down Schools Only As Last Resort Says Pm

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| THURSDAY JUNE 25 2009

news without borders Self-quarantine: What to do

Student is Johor’s first case JOHOR BARU: A 19-year-old female student was confirmed the first Influenza A(H1N1) victim in Johor after returning from Melbourne three days ago. State women, family, community and health committee chairman Dr Robia Kosai said the student landed at Changi Airport on board flight SQ0238 and had fever and flu upon reaching her home here. “The student was home on vacation after six months in Melbourne. She is being monitored at Sultanah Aminah Hospital,” Robia told reporters in Nusajaya. She said the student’s family, including her father, mother, 16-year-old brother and 17-year-old sister, were under home quarantine for a week. The taxi driver who sent the student home was also under home quarantine. – Bernama

Campaign on toilet cleanliness KUALA LUMPUR: The Inter-Ministerial National Committee on A(H1N1) will launch a national public toilet cleanliness campaign in three weeks in light of the A(H1N1) outbreak. “The campaign will give information related to the A(H1N1) flu and proper ways to use toilets. Posters and pamphlets will be handed out,” Housing and Local Government Deputy Minister Datuk Lajim Ukin said yesterday. He said maintaining the cleanliness of public toilets is important as it was one of the contributing factors to the spread of the A(H1N1) infection.

Pilot and tourist warded JAKARTA: Indonesia reported its first two cases of Influenza A(H1N1) yesterday, both imported and now under treatment. Health Minister Siti Fadilah Supari said one of them was a pilot who had flown to and back from Australia on June 14 and to and from Hongkong on June 18 and the other was a British woman who had entered Bali from Australia on June 19. “Both are imported cases,” she was quoted as saying on the detikcom news website. – Bernama

116 deaths in Mexico WASHINGTON: Mexican officials said on Tuesday 116 people have now died from swine flu in the country where the virus was first detected in humans. A total of 8,613 people in Mexico are thought to have contracted the A(H1N1) virus, an increase from figures contained in a press statement last week that cited 113 deaths since June 16 and 7,624 cases of infection since June 18. – AFP

More than 200 cases in S’pore SINGAPORE: Singapore’s Influenza A (H1N1) cases have breached the 200 mark when another 26 new confirmed cases were reported yesterday. The Health Ministry said the latest cases, comprising 11 local cases and 15 with travel history, had brought the total number of confirmed cases in Singapore to 220. – Bernama

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H1N1 statistics (as of 8am, June 24)

» New cases: » Imported cases: ( Malaysians 7, Yemen 2, Indonesia 1)

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» Local transmission: 2 » Total no. of cases: 80 Hospitals offering throat swabs and screening Selayang Hospital, Serdang Hospital, Ampang Hospital, Putrajaya Hospital, University Malaya Medical Centre, Hospital Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (HUKM), Seberang Jaya Hospital, Sungai Petani Hospital, Sultan Ismail Hospital (Pandan, Johor), Sultan Ahmad Shah Hospital (Temerloh, Pahang).

UiTM bans travel by staff and students

an H1N1 action committee in accordance with a directive of the Ministry of Higher Education to all institutions of higher learning. The conference has attracted the participation of universities and industries from 18 countries, including Germany, Japan, the United States, India and Iran. – Bernama

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Wear these Health DirectorGeneral Tan Sri Dr Ismail Merican hands out face masks to reporters covering his press conference at Putrajaya.

reflect the decision of the whole party but only (the decision of) some leaders. Asked to comment on AirAsia’s RM65 million arrears in airport tax owed to Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB), Najib said a consultant has been appointed to study the situation and the government will not take sides. He said “any negotiations must be based on principles”.

No need to replace classes if requirement met KUALA LUMPUR: The four schools closed for a week need not have to replace the classes if they have fulfilled the 190-day minimum number of school days. Deputy Education Minister Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong said yesterday that if they have not met the requirement, they have to replace the school days that have been cancelled. “If they have exceeded the requirement, it is up to the school management whether they want to replace the classes,” he said at the Parliament lobby. “The question whether the affected pupils are deprived of their lessons does not arise as the schools would make up for the lost periods.” Seri Cempaka International School in Cheras, SRK Assunta 1 and 2 in Petaling Jaya, and SJK(C) Jalan Davidson in Kuala Lumpur are shut for a week. On the wearing of masks in schools, Wee said the the Education Department would enforce it if the Health Ministry felt it was necessary. “We will also not stop schools from encouraging their students to wear masks if the parent-teacher associations feel that they ought to do so,” he said. – Bernama

Malaysians working longer hours, survey shows by Hemananthani Sivanandam [email protected]

PETALING JAYA: More than half of Malaysia’s professionals work overtime, clocking between one and 10 hours a week, according to a survey conducted by an international recruitment consultancy. The online survey, conducted by Robert Walters, involved 2,600 professionals from 17 countries

who were asked if they were working harder as a result of the economic downturn. At least 25% of the respondents said they clocked between eight and 10 hours of overtime a week. However, 42% of those surveyed said they were working the same number of hours. “You might expect people to work harder during a recession but what is interesting is the

amount of extra hours professionals are working,” Robert Walters Malaysia country manager Ross Mckenzie said in a press release. Mckenzie said the fear of unemployment has had an effect as many people feel that by putting in more hours, they will be less likely to lose their jobs. “In addition, where job cuts have already taken place, those left are inevitably required to take on more work,” he said.

Singaporeans follow closely behind Malaysians as 23% of the professionals said they work between eight and 10 hours of overtime a week. Professionals in Thailand seem to be working the hardest as 92% of the candidates clock between one and 10 hours overtime a week in the office. This is followed by China, where 68% of the candidates also clock in between one and 10 hours a week.

ANWAR FAIZ/ THESUN

KUALA LUMPUR: The government has no intention to shut down schools yet despite the rising number of Influenza A(H1N1) cases. Closing schools now will only create panic among the public, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak said yesterday. “If we close down the schools, it will create panic. On the other hand, we have to ensure stringent measures are taken to contain the flu,” he said after officiating at the National Baitulmal Convention at the Federal Territory Mosque. “Closing down (the schools) is the Where’s last resort but it is not something we everyone? won’t do. If other measures fail, then A pupil turns up we have to close them down.” for school at SRK Four schools in the Klang Valley Assunta 2 yesterday have been closed for one week folalthough it has been lowing cases of the A(H1N1) influclosed for a week. enza, and another three have closed down one class each. On another matter, Najib said the talks with Umno, Najib priorities of Muslims and non-Muslims will be protected under the 1Malaysia con- said he was still open to the idea of holding cept “as the concept is beyond politics”. “We would not reject non-Muslims such talks with PAS as because their priorities will always be pro- it was beyond politics and was a question of tected by the government,” he said. He also said the unity government national importance. He also said there concept will not run against the 1Malaysia was no conspiracy by concept. “Many Muslims are of the same opinion Umno behind the unity because unity and efforts to fight for Islam talks. “They (PAS) are the ones who came up are an obligation,” he said. “If Islam promotes that, then we should with the idea,” he said. Najib said the lastfollow its way. Don’t let politics become the minute about-turn by PAS obstacle from achieving this.” Commenting on PAS’s rejection of unity on the unity talks did not

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SHAH ALAM: Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) has imposed a temporary prohibition on travel abroad by its staff and students. Vice-Chancellor Prof Tan Sri Dr Ibrahim Abu Shah said yesterday approval for travel abroad would only be given on a case-by-case basis. There have already been complaints over the ruling because many academic staff had made preparations to go abroad, he told a news conference after the opening of the two-day International Conference on Advances in Mechanical Engineering (ICAME) 2009 organised by the university’s Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. Ibrahim said he had to be firm in the matter to prevent closure of the university should any of the more than 100,000 students be infected by the A(H1N1). He also said UiTM had set up

A(H1N1) ZA

TLINE

Keep updated with the latest developments in the mass media.

by Tim Leonard

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Minimise direct contacts or communications with family members or friends. Obtain names, telephone numbers and addresses of visitors. Use face mask at all times if you have fever, flu or cough. Practise self-hygiene by covering nose and mouth when coughing and sneezing, and washing hands with soap. Ensure there is good ventilation in the room. Monitor symptoms and seek treatment immediately.

Shutting down schools only as last resort, says PM

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Be at home throughout the quarantine period. Stay away from class, duties, functions or public events, and public places. Separate yourself from those who are not quarantined. Get help from relatives or friends to provide your daily needs if living alone.