4œ theSun | MONDAY MAY 25 2009

news without borders

REUTERSPIX

Chinese tourists become

victims of snatch thefts Lumpur recently. complaints on the matter with the
Press Digest Commenting on the latest case on
Friday, he said the embassy was tak-
police, Chinese tourists continued to
be victimised.
by Kong See Hoh
ing a serious view of Chinese tourists Su told the daily that on top of
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
becoming targets of snatch thieves losing an average of 2,000 renminbi
and urged the authorities to do the (about RM1,000) each, the victims
THE Chinese Embassy in Malaysia same. also lost their passports and other
has expressed concern over the “The Malaysian Tourism Minister important documents.
number of Chinese tourists falling Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen has just “The Chinese visiting Malaysia
victims to snatch thieves. been to China to promote Malaysia’s have not been affected by the A(H1N1)
According to a report in Nanyang tourism industry. I hope the Malay- virus, but some fall victim to snatch
Siang Pau yesterday, counsellor Su sian authorities will pay attention to thieves and robbers,” he said.
g ...
Safe shoppin
Qiang of the embassy disclosed that snatch thefts in which Chinese tour- Su said these tourists were faced
it had received reports from five to ists are the victims,” Su said. with inconveniences such as having
six of its nationals who had been He said that although the visa to get replacement passports and
relieved of their belongings in Kuala unit of the embassy had lodged visas.
W omen wear protective masks as
they shop in Tokyo on Saturday.
Japan relaxed rules for dealing with
the H1N1 flu on Friday, concerned
Ex-farm pig prices spiral, govt urged to step in that strict regulations could harm the
economy and needlessly restrict the
public, given that most of its nearly
HIT BY a double whammy of A (H1N1) flu and spiral- or Duan Wu Jie, pork sellers are crying foul over the Pork sellers at 300 cases have been mild.
ling ex-farm prices of pig, pork sellers are calling for unprecedented quantum of increase. the Pudu market said Eighteen US
the government to intervene. On Saturday, a group of Pudu pork sellers unfurled they would increase troops in Kuwait
According to reports in the Chinese press yester- a banner protesting the steep price hikes. the retail prices of pork by
day, pork sellers already experiencing a sharp drop Selangor and Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur RM1 to RM2 a kg in a day or two, but would reduce these after
with H1N1
in sales in the wake of the new flu pandemic were Pork Sellers Association president Lee Bing Fu has the dumpling festival, which falls on Thursday. KUWAIT: Eighteen US soldiers
having to deal with another round of increases in the hit out at the Federation of Livestock Farmers As- Meanwhile, the federation’s pig unit chief Beh Kim Hee here have influenza H1N1, the
ex-farm price of pigs. sociation of Malaysia for raising the ex-farm pig price said pig farmers were unfazed by the association’s threat of first cases in the Gulf Arab
The latest increase of 60 sen a kg means the without informing the Domestic Trade and Consumer a boycott. He said many farmers had started selling pork oil-exporting region, a govern-
price has risen by RM1.20 a kg in less than a month. Affairs Ministry or consulting pork traders. themselves. “If pork sellers launch a nationwide boycott, we ment official said yesterday.
The price went up 30 sen a kg at the end of last He urged the ministry to intervene and warned will ask farmers to sell the pork themselves.” “(The troops) were con-
month and again early this month. that if the federation does not reduce and stabilise Beh advised pork sellers not to drag consumers into the firmed with the virus upon
Although it is not unusual for pork prices to go the price, the association would initiate a boycott by issue, saying the threat of a boycott which the association has their arrival from their country
up in the two weeks before the dumpling festival pork sellers throughout the peninsula. so often resorted to no longer works. at the military base (in Kuwait),”
He said hikes in the ex-farm price of pigs were due to Ibrahim al-Abdulhadi said.
increases in pig feed prices. On Saturday, the state
Beh also suggested that pork be made a controlled item to news agency Kuna had quoted
put a stop to disputes between farmers and sellers. a government official as saying
“We will call on the ministry to look into the big gap bet- the virus had been detected
ween the ex-farm price of pigs and retail prices. At present, in an unspecified number of
the ex-farm price of pig is between RM6 and RM7 a kg. But US soldiers passing through
look at the retail prices of pork.” Kuwait.
According to a report in China Press, pork is retailed Kuwait is a logistics base
between RM10 and RM17 a kg (depending on parts) in Kuala for the US army in support of
Lumpur and between RM10 and RM18 a kg its troops in Iraq.
outside the federal territory. “We are aware that H1N1
A(H1N1) influenza cases have been
ZA tentatively confirmed among
INFLUEN

HO

US military personnel assigned

TLINE

Students had abroad, including soldiers tran-

siting via US military bases in
Kuwait,” the US embassy said
seasonal flu in a statement on Kuna.
03

00

-8
8
810200 /3 “They have not come into
KUALA LUMPUR: The Health Minis- any contact with the Kuwaiti
try yesterday said two students from the population,” it said.
Mara Science College in Kuantan, Pahang and the The United Arab Emirates
Bukit Jerlun Special School in Kedah had been classified said on Thursday it had placed
as having the influenza A (seasonal) virus and not H1N1. an air passenger from Canada in
“Some 199 students from the science college were isolation over concerns he might
placed in isolated rooms in the college after complaining have the H1N1 flu. – Reuters
of fever, cough and headache,” health director-general
Tan Sri Dr Mohd Ismail Merican said in a statement yes- 2 more cases in
terday.
“A medical team visited the college twice daily and Australia, 1 more
provided the students with treatment. They should be out in Philippines
of isolation on May 25.” MELBOURNE: Australia con-
He said 35 Kedah students were admitted to the Sul- firmed two new H1N1 flu
tanah Bahiyah Hospital and as of yesterday, 17 had been cases yesterday, taking its
discharged, also found to have the seasonal virus. total number of infections to
The Crisis Preparedness and Response Centre (CPRC) 16, as Health Minister Nicola
had to date received notifications of 226 suspected cases Roxon highlighted concerns
of influenza A (H1N1) nationwide. over how easily the virus
Ismail said two people tested positive for H1N1 on May was spreading.
15 and 16, while 224 others had tested negative. Authorities in Victoria
“Sixteen people suspected to have H1N1 who had been state said a 27-year-old
admitted to the isolation ward of five hospitals – twelve at man and 15-year-old boy in
the Sungai Buloh Hospital, and one each at Kuala Lumpur Melbourne tested positive
Hospital, Malacca Hospital, Tuanku Jaafar Hospital, Serem- for the virus and the boy’s
ban and Penang Hospital – had tested negative,” he said. school would be closed for a
Ismail said 18,052 people had been screened at various week as a precaution.
entry points to the country. In Manila, Philippine
The World Health Organisation has listed Honduras health authorities said yes-
and Russia as the latest countries to be infected with terday a 50-year-old woman
H1N1, with one case each, bringing the total number of has become the second
affected countries to 44. Laboratory tests have confirmed patient to test positive for
12,149 positive cases of H1N1 – an increase of 156 from the flu in the country.
yesterday. The death toll worldwide remains at 86. Health Secretary Fran-
Countries which recorded an increase in the number cisco Duque said the patient
of cases were Australia (2), Brazil (1), Canada (86), Chile arrived in the Philippines
(5), Costa Rica (6), Italy (5), Japan (27), Panama (3), China from Chicago, US on May 20.
(3), Hongkong (2), Taiwan (1), Peru (11) and Britain (5). – Agencies
– Bernama