Thesun 2009-06-26 Page03 Health Ministry Freezes Leave Of 100000 Staff

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| FRIDAY JUNE 26 2009

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PUTRAJAYA: The Health Ministry has frozen the leave of 100,000 staff nationwide until further notice to contain the Influenza A(H1N1) outbreak. As of 8am yesterday, Malaysia has 91 confirmed cases – 77 imported and 14 locally-transmitted. Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said yesterday the noleave order applies to all officers in government hospitals, public health departments and laboratories. “No holidays for them during this pandemic,” he told reporters after attending the Excellence in Service award presentation ceremony to 535 staff in the ministry. Liow said the freeze will increase the number of staff on duty during the A(H1N1) outbreak, especially with the rising number of cases in the Klang Valley. He said all medical staff should be in full force to curb the pandemic, whether in disseminating information on preventive measures or treating infected patients. “All MOH officers are well-trained to face the pandemic. They all have been trained a few years back to be prepared to face such pandemics,” he said.

Health Ministry freezes leave of 100,000 staff He advised the medical fraternity to be “always ahead of the issue” and be able to provide detailed information. “There is a great need to create more awareness among the public, not only on the virus but also the measures that need to be taken,” he said. Urging those who may have had contact with the confirmed cases to come forward, Liow said the government cannot possibly trace all the contacts without the cooperation of the public. “Don’t hide as it would endanger yourself and others around you. You have to come forward to obtain treatment. It is for your own good and the good of the nation,” he said. He also urged the people,

KUALA LUMPUR: All schools have been asked to set up a special unit to check the spread of Influenza A(H1N1). D e p u t y is doing and there Health Minisis no need to (as of 8am, June 25) ter Datuk Wee close all schools Ka Siong said New cases: 11 in the same area yesterday the Imported cases: 8 (Malaysians 5, Irejust because of unit would land 1, Australia 1, the Philippines 1) one school with monitor the Local transmissions: 3 (Malaysians 2, A(H1N1) cases. situation in Yemen 1) “We will only the school, Total local transmissions: 14 close all schools b e s i d e s Total no. of cases: 91 (35 discharged, in a particular organising 56 under treatment) area if there is suscampaigns tained community like talks transmission in that on personal area,” he said. hygiene, distributing leaflets and In the 24 hours up to 8am yesputting up posters. terday, 11 new cases were recorded. “The ministry will also set up an Eight were imported, involving five operations room in the Day School ManMalaysians and one each from Ireagement Division to help overcome the land, Australia and the Philippines, spread of the disease,” he told reporters and three were local transmissions, at the Parliament lobby. involving two Malaysians and one Wee said all programmes involving case from Yemen. the participation of other countries or held outside Malaysia, such as the Asean Schools Championship in Thailand, would be cancelled or postponed. eration was reported to – Bernama have said that paid leave A(H1N1) H would only be given to ZA Deputy CM’s those quarantined if they returned from family in work-related trips self-quarantine from the affected KOTA KINABALU: Sabah countries. Deputy Chief Minister Datuk It said those who 3Peter Pang En Yin and his returned from holidays /3 88 family have imposed self-quar810200 would have to use their antine after his son returned from annual leave or have their Melbourne. pay deducted. His political secretary, Jason Tan, said: “Datuk Pang’s son just got back from Melbourne last week and he is in stable condition. Being a responsible leader, Datuk Pang wanted to have self-quarantine as a precaution.” Pang was supposed to represent Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman at the state-level Students Forum Contest here yesterday. The chief minister’s speech was read out by state Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun instead. – Bernama

A(H1N1) statistics

Liow: Give unrecorded leave for quarantine Service award presentation ceremony in his ministry. Liow said those who show symptoms of the A(H1N1) infection can immediately notify the ministry to obtain a certified document to confirm that they are under home quarantine for seven days. “They can submit the document to their employers for confirmation and obtain paid or unrecorded leave for the seven days,” he said. The Malaysian Employers Fed-

Rais suggests media revert to ‘swine flu’

No fever... Pahang Chinese Assembly Hall president Tan Sri Pheng Yin Huah checks the temperature of a pupil during a visit to SRK(C) Kwang Hwa in Kuantan yesterday.

Unemployed man gets death for brutal murder of girlfriend KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court here yesterday sent an unemployed man to the gallows for murdering his girlfriend. The court was told that the victim was found naked and tied up with electric wire, and her head was so badly injured that blood even seeped through the hotel room door. Judicial Commissioner Azman Abdullah passed the death sentence on Cheong Kam Kuen, 44, after he said Cheong failed to raise any reasonable doubt on the prosecution’s case when his defence was called.

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PUTRAJAYA: Employers have been urged to allow their workers who are under home quarantine to take unrecorded leave during the quarantine period. This is in the interest of the nation, Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said yesterday. “The matter will be proposed and discussed in the cabinet next week to make it mandatory for employers to do so,” he told a press conference after attending the Excellence in

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KUALA LUMPUR: The universities are not taking any chances with the Influenza A(H1N1) pandemic with new students scheduled to register for the 2009/2010 academic session. They have put in place several measures to prevent local transmission of the A(H1N1) virus among the students and the academic staff. Universiti Malaya (UM) vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Ghauth Jasmon said the university was monitoring its 27,000 students, including 3,000 international students, and especially those from the high-risk countries such as the United States, Canada, the Philippines, Australia, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore and Thailand. In a statement, he said the university would make it compulsory for all new students to complete a health declaration form. It had also set up an H1N1 task force to prepare an action plan. Ghauth also said the student health clinic and University Malaya Medical Centre were on standby to receive H1N1 cases. Students who had to be quarantined would be sent to the UM International House, UM staff quarters and the 11th residential college. He said the staff and students had been advised not to travel abroad unless it was necessary to do so. The university would curtail any outdoor activities and gatherings to prevent local transmission of the disease. Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) has announced that it would require all new students for the 2009/2010 session to undergo screening for A(H1N1) before registration at their respective residential colleges. Its head of corporate communications, Abdullah Arshad, said in a statement the screening would be conducted tomorrow and on Sunday at the Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Cultural and Arts Centre in the university.

Special unit to be set up in all schools

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Varsities not taking chances with new intakes

especially the parents of affected schoolchildren, to “stop blaming or pointing fingers at others” as it would not solve the problem. “Teamwork is important. We all have to work together to curb the spread of the infection,” he said. Warning those who send or forward SMS rumours on the pandemic, Liow said the police have been asked to take action against those responsible. “I urge the public not to believe in any rumour spread through SMS. Those who receive the SMSes could contact the ministry to verify the facts,” he said, stressing that the ministry is the only accurate source of information on the pandemic. On the closure of schools, Liow said the government knows what it

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INFLUEN

by Karen Arukesamy

In his judgment, Azman said that based on the witnesses’ testimony, Cheong was aware of his action and knew that his assault on Liew Pai Sea, 27, a guest relations officer, could cause her death. He said the injuries were severe, especially on her face and head, and even her neck was broken. “Based on the evidence, the accused had intended to kill the victim. He knew that his action was dangerous,” Azman said. “The court had heard the accused’s testimony that he was angry

and under the influence of drugs, but looking at the expert evidence (from the post mortem), there were too many injuries on the victim, who was also found tied with electric wire.” Cheong was charged with murdering Liew in a room at Hotel Fugisan on Jalan Imbi between 11pm on Feb 22 and 7am on Feb 23, 2005. He appeared sad and turned to look at the public gallery a few times when the death sentence was passed on him.

During the trial, the prosecution had called 12 witnesses, and Cheong was the only one who testified when his defence was called. Before the sentence was passed, Deputy Public Prosecutor Ahmad Fuad Othman said Cheong had previously been convicted for a firearms offence in which he was sentenced to three months jail and given six strokes of the rotan in 1990. Ahmad Fuad hoped the death sentence would serve as a lesson for society. – Bernama

KUALA LUMPUR: Information Communication and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim yesterday suggested that all media return to using the terminology “swine flu” instead of Influenza A(H1N1). He said this was to ensure that the people realised the danger of the disease and to get the message across to them more accurately. It is also easier for (radio and television) announcers to state “selsema babi” (swine flu) than H1N1 in Bahasa Melayu, he told reporters after an official visit to Pos Malaysia, here. – Bernama

US soldier quarantined in Kuantan KUANTAN: A United States soldier taking part in the Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training 2009 military exercise here has been put under quarantine at a military camp nearby for suspected Influenza A(H1N1) infection since yesterday. Pahang local government, environment and health committee chairman Datuk Hoh Khai Mun said the soldier showed symptoms of H1N1. “Anybody who shows symptoms will be quarantined while his blood sample tested. This is normal procedure. So far, Pahang is still free from H1N1,” he said. – Bernama