DG of Health gets award |
- DG of Health gets award
- Strong relationships a boon
- 'Removing diesel subsidy only way to save costs'
- Heart disease No. 1 killer of women
- PM: Boost KL, Hanoi investments
- 'No US, Russia war over Crimea crisis'
| Posted: 05 Apr 2014 09:01 AM PDT 06 April 2014| last updated at 12:06AM PEKAN: DIRECTOR-GENERAL of Health Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah received the Sri Sultan Ahmad Shah Pahang Award (SSAP), which carries the title "Datuk Seri", at an investiture ceremony at Istana Abu Bakar here yesterday. The award was conferred by Tengku Mahkota of Pahang Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah in conjunction with Sultan of Pahang Sultan Ahmad Shah's 83rd birthday last year. Also receiving their SSAP were Federal Police Commercial Crime Investigation director Datuk Wira Mortadza Nazarene; 3A International Group executive chairman Anuar Abdul Aziz and Sonstar Engineering Works Sdn Bhd director Lim Chen Tong. Eleven people were awarded the Darjah Sultan Ahmad Pahang (DSAP) while 103 were bestowed with Darjah Indera Mahkota Pahang (DIMP). Both awards carry the title "Datuk". Among the DSAP recipients were the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Intelligence Division director Datuk Azam Baki and Asian Football Confederation general secretary Datuk Alexander Soosay. The DIMP recipients included Immigration director-general Datuk Aloyah Mamat and Menteri Besar's press secretary Abdul Wahab Mohamad Ali. Also receiving the DIMP yesterday were Utusan Malaysia editor Mohd Hassan Mohammed Noor and Kosmo editor Baharom Mahusin. Tengku Abdullah also presented Setia Ahmad Shah Pahang award to one recipient, Setia Mahkota Pahang (10), Ahli Ahmad Shah Pahang (18), Ahli Mahkota Pahang (AMP) (26), Pingat Khidmat Cemerlang (5), Pingat Kelakuan Terpuji (PKT) (11) and Pingat Jasa Kebaktian (10). Among the AMP recipients were the New Straits Times Pahang bureau chief M. Hamzah Jamaludin, Berita Harian Pahang bureau chief Abdul Razak Ra'aff and TV3 cameraman Bazaie Ahmad, while NST journalist T.N. Alagesh and Bernama journalist Nurazira Rashid were among the PKT recipients.  Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah (right) conferring the Sri Sultan Ahmad Shah Pahang Award on Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah at Istana Abu Bakar in Pekan yesterday. Bernama pic Related Articles  |
| Posted: 05 Apr 2014 09:01 AM PDT 06 April 2014| last updated at 12:28AM HANOI: THE immediate deployment of assets by 25 countries in the search for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 is due to the goodwill and strong relationships that Malaysia has with them, said Datuk Seri Najib Razak. The prime minister said this was despite the fact that under international convention laws, it was Malaysia's responsibility to search for the jetliner that lost contact after entering Vietnamese airspace in the wee hours of March 8. "The countries were also willing to commit themselves without asking us to pay for their services and this is because our caring policy of helping other countries when they need help," Najib said in his speech at a dinner with Malaysians here on Friday. Present were his wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, Foreign Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman, International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed Agriculture, Agro-Based Industry Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob and Malaysian ambassador to Vietnam, Datuk Azmil Zabidi. Najib said Malaysia had been seen as a very caring country by other nations as it had been involved in so many humanitarian aid missions. Citing examples of Malaysia's caring policy in helping other countries, Najib said Malaysia was quick to offer assistance to the Philippines when the country was hit by Typhoon Haiyan and when Aceh in Indonesia was struck by a tsunami. "Whenever a country was hit by an earthquake or other tragedy, we were there to help. Now, it is our turn. "When I called the leaders of the countries to ask for help, some of them said, 'Look, just tell us what we can do for you. Because Malaysia has been good to us in the past, because when we were in need, Malaysia helped us, because we like you, we like Malaysia'." Najib, who was on a three-day official visit to Vietnam, arrived on Thursday from Perth, Australia, where he had a first-hand look at search efforts for the jetliner. He said his visit to Perth was also to personally express his gratitude and appreciation to Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbot and all personnel involved in the search operations. "I could have issued a statement to thank them from Kuala Lumpur, but I decided to go to Perth because I wanted to look into their eyes, shake their hands and say thank you for helping us." Najib said this was an example of what Malaysian entrepreneurs should do in foreign countries. "You need to build goodwill and strong relationships with the people and government of the country they are operating in. "We must understand that this will make us successful in doing business. "When you build good relationships, then you will understand how to make the system work for you and you can overcome obstacles."  photo by Australian Defence shows Phoenix International personnel deploying a towed pinger locator off the deck of Australian Defence vessel 'Ocean Shield' in efforts to pick up signals from flight MH370's black box. AFP pic |
| 'Removing diesel subsidy only way to save costs' Posted: 05 Apr 2014 09:01 AM PDT 06 April 2014| last updated at 12:18AM PUTRAJAYA: HARD-HITTING enforcement is not enough to curb the smuggling of diesel fuel to neighbouring countries, said Minister in Prime Minister's Department Datuk Paul Low Seng Kuan. He said the country would continue to lose millions of ringgit a year to the siphoning of the commodity as long as fuel prices here were cheaper compared with elsewhere. Low, an appointed senator in charge of the implementation of transparency in the government, said although enforcers had been mounting operations against syndicates, it was still "not enough to plug the leakages". "All-out enforcement is not effective, as our borders are too big and we cannot have people stationed everywhere. "There are so many ways to smuggle diesel and petrol," he told the New Sunday Times yesterday. Low said that beefing up enforcement to prevent the smuggling would prove to be just as costly, which was why he believed it was better to match local diesel prices to international rates. "Remove the subsidy. "When you remove the subsidy we can tackle the problem more effectively," he said, adding incentives and other forms of assistance could be channelled to specific target groups. He said the government could consider providing grants to the target groups to minimise the financial impact on them in the absence of subsidies. "The public will complain (about the removal of subsidies), but they must also realise that the country is losing money when there is a large price differential in the (fuel) market." It was reported yesterday that a total of RM1.2 billion in diesel and petrol subsidies had been lost to smuggling syndicates over the last five years. Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry deputy director (development) Datuk Iskandar Halim Sulaiman said there were still massive "leakages" in diesel subsidies as annual government spending had unreasonably doubled over those periods. The leakages, he said, had been significant even after considering the actual increase in the usage of fuel and rising costs because of currency exchange rates. In 2010, government diesel subsidies alone stood at RM4.03 billion. The figure has more than doubled to RM9.92 billion last year.  A school van modified to smuggle diesel. Minister in Prime Minister's Department Datuk Paul Low says enforcement alone will not curb diesel smuggling. |
| Heart disease No. 1 killer of women Posted: 05 Apr 2014 09:01 AM PDT KUALA LUMPUR: MALAYSIANS are unaware that cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the main cause of death among Malaysian women for the past two decades. It is 21/2 times higher than the proportion of deaths from all cancers combined, said Dr Jeyamalar Rajadurai, cardiologist, and chairman of the Women's Heart Health Organisation (WH20). "Between 1990 and 2010, it accounted for about 25 per cent of all medically certified deaths. CVD, especially strokes, is an important cause of disability. About one in four women died from either a heart attack or stroke." Established three years ago under the National Heart Association of Malaysia, WH2O aims to educate women about CVD risk and promote a healthy lifestyle in keeping with its slogan "Healthy Heart, Happy Woman". "Many women are not aware that heart attacks and strokes affect them." CVD is due to narrowing of the arteries supplying the heart and brain by atheromatous plaques. If the plaque build-up is small, it does not give rise to any symptoms. As the heart artery becomes progressively narrowed, one develops chest pain (angina) on exertion for example, walking or doing heavy work. Sometimes the artery can become blocked rapidly within minutes or hours. "This gives rise to a heart attack if it is an artery supplying the heart or a stroke if it is an artery supplying the brain. There are several reasons why one develops these plaques, and these include both non-modifiable and modifiable risk factors, Dr Jeyamalar explained. "With increasing age, both men and women develop these plaques. Women develop these atheromatous plaques about 10 years later than men, but since women have a longer life span than men, the CVD burden is higher among women." She said while it is generally true that female sex hormones provide some protection to women against CVD, occasionally women might develop CVD before menopause. "By maintaining a healthy lifestyle, exercising regularly and eating sensibly, Malaysians can prevent CVD." Dr Jeyamalar said the most common symptom of a heart attack is chest pain. However, women, diabetics and the elderly may not have chest pain and instead, experience a vague ache in the left side of the neck, shoulder or arm. "Sometimes they may only have a feeling of indigestion, difficulty breathing or a faint. If the symptom is unusually severe or associated with difficulty breathing and/ or sweating, seek medical attention as soon as possible. "Get someone to send you to the nearest hospital or call for an ambulance. Do not drive yourself. If the symptom, however mild, occurs only on exertion when walking fast or climbing up the stairs, and gets better once the activity is over, it may be angina," said Dr Jeyamalar. If the symptom is sudden numbness or weakness affecting the arm and leg on the same side at the same time, then it could be a stroke. Again one must seek medical attention as quickly as possible so that the appropriate therapy can be given to stop the stroke from developing further. "Time is of the essence when it comes to treating heart attacks or strokes, because the earlier the appropriate treatment is administered to the patient, the better the long-term results and survival." For more information, log on to www.facebook.com/pages/Womens-Heart-Health/321280074666801.  WH20 volunteers explaining the dangers of cardiovascular disease to women during an awareness campaign. |
| PM: Boost KL, Hanoi investments Posted: 05 Apr 2014 09:01 AM PDT HANOI: MALAYSIAN and Vietnamese entrepreneurs and companies should take advantage of the good bilateral ties between the two nations to explore investment opportunities, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak. He said the countries had agreed to boost ties through partnerships in the economic sector, which would open up vast investment opportunities. Describing his first official visit as prime minister to Vietnam as successful, Najib said he had a fruitful bilateral meeting with his Vietnamese counterpart, Nguyen Tan Dung, with both agreeing to expand cooperation between the countries in the areas of agriculture, banking, education, oil and gas, defence, security and intelligence sharing. "As for strategic partnership, the foreign affairs ministers of the two countries have been asked to hold discussions to formulate the framework. Once it is ready, we will invite the Vietnamese prime minister to Kuala Lumpur to sign it," he said after chairing a meeting with Malaysian and Vietnamese industry captains here yesterday before leaving for Kuala Lumpur. Najib, accompanied by his wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, was on a three-day working visit to Vietnam, starting Thursday. His visit was at the invitation of Tan Dung. Joining him were Foreign Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman, International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed, Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob and senior officials from the three ministries. Najib said based on the current investment trend, Malaysia and Vietnam were on the right track to achieve the targeted total trade of US$11 billion (RM36 billion) by 2015. Both nations have been enjoying good ties, with total trade valued at more than US$9 billion (RM29.25 billion), a 67 per cent increase in the past three years. On Thursday, after concluding the meeting, Malaysia and Vietnam inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in agriculture, the 20th accord signed between the nations in the last 31/2 decades. "During the dialogue with industry captains, I was informed that Vietnam is in the midst of privatising 500 state-owned enterprises. This will open up many business opportunities for Malaysian entrepreneurs and companies," said Najib. He advised Malaysian companies to fully understand the Vietnamese business culture and system, and find the right partners, so approvals could be easily obtained. "The regulations and laws here are different. Malaysian entrepreneurs and companies must follow them." He said the enthusiasm shown by businessmen and investors from both countries was encouraging, adding that Malaysia was the eighth-largest investor in Vietnam, with total approved investments of US$10.4 billion, involving 455 projects. Recapping the meeting, he said Malaysia had, among others, proposed to Vietnam to increase the number of students and tourists to the country. "We agreed to review the MoU on workforce to ensure that the wellbeing of Vietnamese workers in Malaysia is taken care of." He said both nations also agreed that the territorial disputes in the South China Sea should be resolved peacefully. Najib said it was agreed that the two countries would work together to ensure the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement was reasonable to all, especially emerging economies and developing nations. "We agreed that the centrality of Asean should be given priority to settle disputes." He said Malaysia expressed its gratitude to Vietnam for supporting Malaysia's nomination as one of the non-permanent members of the United Nations Security Council for the 2015-2016 term.  Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak meeting Malaysians in Vietnam after a dinner event with them in Hanoi yesterday. Bernama pic |
| 'No US, Russia war over Crimea crisis' Posted: 05 Apr 2014 09:01 AM PDT 06 April 2014| last updated at 12:16AM KUALA LUMPUR: RUSSIAN ambassador to Malaysia Lyudmilla Vorobyeva yesterday said there will not be a war between Russia and the United States over the Crimean crisis. Speaking at a forum here, she said the disagreement between Russia and the West over the annexation of the Crimean peninsula was more or less resolved. "There is no way back. Crimea has become part of the Russian Federation and I think everyone is aware of this new geopolitical reality. The next issue (for Russia) is the political crisis in Ukraine. I stress once again that it is in the interest of Russia to have Ukraine as a prosperous and peaceful state." She was responding to a question from the audience at a forum, titled "The Crisis in Ukraine: What it means to the world", organised by the International Movement for a Just World (JUST) here yesterday. The Crimean crisis was sparked on February in the aftermath of the Ukrainian Revolution, which resulted in the ousting of its president, Viktor Yanukovych, and the installation of an interim government prior to a presidential election on May 25. The Crimean peninsular, populated by an ethnic Russian majority, declared independence from Ukraine and was subsequently annexed by Russia after a referendum. The referendum's validity was heavily disputed and criticised by the US and its allies, and led to sanctions against Russia. Another panelist, Institute of Strategic and International Studies senior fellow Bunn Nagara, said stronger sanctions were unlikely to be imposed unless Russia took steps to extend its influence beyond Crimean borders. "The fear is that Russia will go into other parts of Ukraine, or other areas in the region where there is a Russian majority. But I do not believe this will happen." He argued that while Crimea's secession from the Ukraine might have been constitutionally illegal, it did not necessarily mean a violation of international law. "International law is neutral on this issue. The UN Charter accepts the principle of self-determination which, like it or not, is the right of the Crimean people to exercise." JUST president Dr Chandra Muzaffar said the Ukrainian constitution had already been violated before the people of Crimea decided to join the Russian Federation. "That violation came from the new rulers of Ukraine, who overthrew a democratically-elected president (Yanukovych) with the support of the West." He said the Ukrainian crisis should be seen in the context of global politics and the challenge to a unipolar world, where the distribution of military, cultural and economic power was currently dominated by the US. Western media coverage of the crisis, he said, had been heavily-skewed in favour of US interests. "Russia and its president (Vladimir Putin) play a great role in creating a multipolar world, where power can be distributed across multiple centres. Right now, global politics is changing. While Russia's military grows, China will soon dominate the world's economy. We are also seeing rising powers in other parts of the world. The multipolar world may not guarantee justice, but it is a step towards equality, due to the diffusion of power."  (From left) Russian ambassador to Malaysia Lyudmilla Vorobyeva, Institute of Strategic and International Studies senior fellow Bunn Nagara and JUST president Dr Chandra Muzaffar at a forum on the Ukraine crisis in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. Pic by Azhar Ramli |
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