It's mass as usual at church

It's mass as usual at church

It's mass as usual at church

Posted: 05 Jan 2014 08:01 AM PST

KLANG: SUNDAY mass at the Our Lady Of Lourdes Church here went on as usual, free of disruptions, amid debates over the use of the word "Allah" by non-Muslims.

Less than a kilometre away, a peaceful protest held by a coalition of Muslim non-governmental organisations at the Sultan Sulaiman Stadium was contained.

The church congregation sat through the services, conducted in English, Tamil and Bahasa Malaysia, from start to end as police stood guard to ensure the safety and security of churchgoers.

They were taken by surprise when activist Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir arrived at 9am, bearing flowers as a show of support for the church and Christians.

Marina, a member of the newly established National Unity Consultative Council, came with about 50 people, mostly part of a Facebook initiative called "In The Name of Allah".

They waited for the service to end before meeting with the priest, Father Michael Chua.

Marina passed him a white and a red rose as a sign of peace.

Chua said he felt "truly supported, encouraged and respected" by the gesture.

The estimated 150 protesters at the stadium, who were under police scrutiny, were protesting against Catholic priest Father Lawrence Andrew's remarks that Catholic churches would continue to use the world "Allah" in referring to God during mass.

They repeated their demand for Lawrence to apologise for the statement that he allegedly made to an online portal.

The protesters also expressed their support for the raid by the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) against the Bible Society of Malaysia on Thursday, saying it was in accordance with the law.

The coalition had earlier planned to protest in front of the church. Heeding the advice of police, Selangor Umno, as well as Perkasa, they decided on Saturday to relocate their protest to the stadium, a move they said was done in respect of Christians' right to practise their religion.

Perkasa vice-president Zulkifli Noordin, in forbidding them from protesting in front of churches, had said the onus was on the Selangor government to make a clear stand on whether the use of the word "Allah" should be allowed by non-Muslims.

The mass at St Anne's Church, Port Klang, where Lawrence was the priest, went on as usual yesterday.

Lawrence said he was happy with the turnout and thanked police for monitoring the situation.

He said he would be meeting state police chief Datuk Mohd Shukri Dahlan today and state Islamic Affairs, Agricultural Modernisation and Rural Development Committee chairman Sallehen Mukhyi tomorrow.

"I am not sure what the meetings are about, but I am sure it has something to do with the 'Allah' issue."

Also at the mass were Klang member of parliament Charles Santiago and Seri Andalas assemblyman Dr Xavier Jayakumar.

In Kuching, Dayak National Congress deputy president Datuk John Tenewi Nuek said racial and religious harmony, as well as peace and stability, were crucial in ensuring that Malaysia remained progressive.

State opposition leader (PKR) Baru Bian said Sarawak was a peaceful multiracial society, despite differences in culture, religion and beliefs.

"We are fortunate as the Barisan Nasional leaders in the state are aware of the people's rights in freedom of religion," he said to a statement by Assistant Minister (Islamic Affairs) Datuk Daud Abdul Rahman, who reiterated the state government's assurance that no Bibles from Christian organisations or churches in Sarawak would be seized. Additional reporting by Goh Pei Pei

Some of the protesters at the Sultan Sulaiman Stadium in Klang yesterday. Pic by Asyraf Bokhar

Checks on ice makers, stationers

Posted: 05 Jan 2014 08:00 AM PST

06 January 2014| last updated at 11:49PM
By ROZANNA LATIFF | news@nst.com.my

KUALA LUMPUR:  THE government is  investigating suppliers   that collectively  raised prices of goods, as part of an immediate step to cushion   subsidy cuts.  

 Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs  Minister Datuk Hasan Malek said the Malaysia Competition Commission (MyCC) had launched a probe into the increased cost of stationery and ice, following allegations that their suppliers and manufacturers had colluded to fix prices.

  "Price hikes by themselves are not anti-competitive in nature.

  "But if the prices were raised through a cartel or agreement between any associations or groups of sellers, suppliers or manufacturers, then that would be considered a violation of the law," he told the New Straits Times yesterday.

  The ministry, he said, was also planning to meet  several manufacturing and supply associations tomorrow  in a bid to limit cartel-like behaviour and avoid excessive price hikes.

 The government's probe had been launched in response to the decision by several ice manufacturers to raise the price of edible tube ice supplies by 50 sen per bag and RM2.50 per block of ice beginning this year.

 The Federation of Stationers and Booksellers Association of Malaysia had also announced on Dec 27 its decision to raise stationery prices by the first quarter of 2014.

  Public concern over rising costs has risen in recent months, following the government's move to cut subsidies on a number of essential items, such as petrol, sugar and electricity.

  The decision, aimed at reducing the national deficit, however, resulted in a cascading effect, which caused the prices of other goods and services to spike.

 Hassan said while increased costs were inevitable, the ministry would go all out to clamp down on exorbitant price hikes, and act against errant manufacturers, suppliers and traders.

 He also called on the public and consumer groups to report specific instances of rising prices to the ministry for  action to be taken.

Review inspection fee on imported fish, govt urged

Posted: 05 Jan 2014 08:00 AM PST

06 January 2014| last updated at 11:48PM

   Its chairman, Datuk Yusoff Ismail, said the five sen per kilogramme of imported fish fee should be discontinued to prevent price increase, especially in Klang Valley, Ipoh and Penang.

   Yusoff, who is also  Consumer Association of Kedah  chairman, said the charge burdened the importers as they  now had to pay an additional RM15 to apply for an import permit from Jan 1.

"Normally, 40 importers would share a container but each still needs to pay RM15 for a permit. It burdens the importers and can affect the seafood price in the market.

   "The rising cost of importing seafood items can lead to a price hike  between 10 and 20 per cent," he told reporters at a press conference here yesterday.

    Yusoff said other than the inspection charges, the Fisheries Development Authority of Malaysia  subsidiary company Majuikan Sdn Bhd was also collecting RM18 to check consignments to avoid smuggling activities, RM60 for warehouse charges and RM20 for entrance fee.

"I hope the  Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Ministry will review the charges on  importers and lift the unnecessary charges. This is necessary as there is inadequate local seafood supply to meet the daily demands of the market."

Govt aims to create 3m jobs by 2020

Posted: 05 Jan 2014 08:00 AM PST

06 January 2014| last updated at 11:57PM
By ADIB POVERA | news@nst.com.my

KUALA LUMPUR: THE government  aims to create more than three million jobs by  2020, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said.

In a Facebook post yesterday, Najib said the target was in line with the country's vision to emerge as a high-income nation within the next six years.

Najib, who is also finance minister, said more than one million jobs were created from economic initiatives since 2011.

"The government has fixed a target to create more than three million job vacancies by the year 2020, which is parallel to the country's status as a developed and high-income nation," he said.

He also shared a post by "Friends of BN -- Barisan Nasional" via its Facebook showing the number of jobs created between 2011 and 2012.

In 2011, 313,741 jobs were created. The number rose to 800,000 the following year.

Najib had announced last month that the Economic Transformation Plan, which was introduced four years ago, had generated RM220 billion in investments.

He had said that the investments from 195 projects launched under the National Economic Key Areas had created 435,000 jobs and contributed RM144 billion to the country's gross national income.

Public Services Commission chairman Tan Sri Mahmood Adam had announced last week that more than 100,000 vacancies in government departments and agencies would be available this year. Mahmood said the commission received 2.1 million applications for jobs in the civil service last year, compared with one million the previous year.

He said the number of applicants among the Chinese and Indian community last year increased, with 44,633 applications and 75,361 applications respectively.

Man held over drugs

Posted: 05 Jan 2014 08:00 AM PST

06 January 2014| last updated at 11:37PM

District police chief Superintendent Kamaruddin Mohd Zakaria said a team had raided the house at 11am and seized a vial containing white powder weighing 3.02g, seven straw tubes containing white powder weighing 0.7g and a straw tube of red powder weighing 0.9g hidden in a case in the suspect's bedroom.

"The suspect, 40, tested positive for opiate," he said.


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Early detection, treatment key

Posted: 05 Jan 2014 08:00 AM PST

KUALA LUMPUR: EARLY detection of poor mental health among    students and early treatment are  important to prevent further complications and  the  higher risk of developing mental illnesses.

The Health Ministry's Mental Health Promotion Advisory Council member Datuk Dr Andrew Mohanraj Chandrasekaran said children and adolescents not only suffered from stress, anxiety and depression, but were also prone to severe mental illnesses, like schizophrenia.

He said such conditions could be caused by personality traits, stressors, substance abuse and family factors.

"If undetected or left untreated, it can lead to difficulty in treating certain psychological conditions in adult life. It can also lead to poor self-esteem, jeopardise interpersonal relationships or lead to substance abuse."

He said there was also debate on the existence of bipolar disorder among children, adding that the symptoms of poor mental health among them might be difficult to detect and treat, as compared with adults.

"Intense temper tantrums, defiant behaviour, refusal to attend school and bed-wetting are tell-tale signs that a psychological assessment may be necessary.

"Some conditions may also be masked by periods of hyperactivity, withdrawal or unusual lethargy," said Dr Andrew, who is also Malaysian Mental Health Association deputy president.

He said many psychological conditions, particularly depression and schizophrenia, could be caused by genetics.

"If there is a family history of schizophrenia or mood disorders, like bipolar disorder or major depression, there is a greater chance that the offspring may acquire them. However, we must also recognise the role of the environment in precipitating and perpetuating psychological distress."

Dr Andrew said higher expectations from parents and schools in terms of academic performance could place an unrealistic burden on school-going children.

Urbanisation and loss of the extended family environment, he added, also resulted in poor supervision and lack of emotional support from the family.

He said depression was linked to problems or imbalances in the brain, involving neurotransmitters, or chemicals, such as serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine.

He said serotonin was involved in regulating many important physiological functions, including sleeping, aggression, eating, sexual behaviour and mood.

"A decrease in the production of serotonin in the brain can cause depression in some people and, more specifically, a mood that can cause some to feel suicidal."

Dr Andrew said if a student had mild stress, his or her condition may improve with the help of a school counsellor. If there was no improvement, then he or she should be referred to a clinical psychologist.

He said if the student's stress level was high and led to clinical depression, the counsellor may make an assessment and note important findings, such as poor sleep, irritability, poor appetite death wishes or suicidal thoughts in older children, intense temper tantrums, defiant behaviour, refusal to go to school and bed-wetting in younger children.

The case should then be referred to a psychologist, who would seek the assistance of a psychiatrist if medications like anti-depressants were required, he said.

"Teachers and counsellors must be trained to detect this and make the necessary referral. There may be other pervasive developmental disorders like autism, Asperger syndrome or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

"Sometimes, students with such symptoms are punished for being 'naughty'. With training, counsellors and teachers will be able to make referrals to psychiatrists."

Perdana University's visiting psychiatrist, Dr Geneva Massiello, from Johns Hopkins Hospital in the United States, said anxiety, ADHD, depression and conduct disorders were common in children.

"Worldwide, suicide is the third leading cause of death among adolescents. We know that early detection of mental illnesses and proper treatment can prevent mental health problems from worsening and save many lives.

"I commend the health minister of Malaysia for recognising the importance of identifying and treating mental illnesses among Malaysian youth."

Dr Wan Salwina Wan Ismail, from the Department of Psychiatry in University Kebangsaan Malaysia, said children were born with a certain temperament, with some being easy-going, while others were difficult to please.

However, she said, parenting, upbringing and other life experiences helped shape their personalities.

"Proper parenting that allows children to learn the right expression of emotions, appropriate limit-setting and good role-modelling in emotional control contribute positively to the regulation of emotions."

Dr Wan Salwina said parents and teachers must be alert to changes in children's behaviour because they may be indications of poor mental health.