theSun | TUESDAY JUNE 16 2009 9

news without borders

Press Digest
by Kong See Hoh
newsdesk@thesundaily.com

Mixed reaction to
China maids
HOME Ministry secretary-general Datuk
Mahmood Adam’s remarks that if the Chinese
community no longer has any objection, the
ministry will reconsider allowing Chinese na-
tionals to be brought in as domestic helpers to
overcome problems between employers and
their Indonesian maids have drawn mixed
responses from women’s organisations.
While some quarters are against the idea,
expressing fears that these maids may become
“home wreckers”, others have no objection,
China Press reported yesterday.
However, most of them felt that to over-
come the problems of maid abuse or maids
getting violent with their employers, the
government should treat the cause, not the
symptoms.
They said the government should
look into ways to help families who
need domestic helpers or draft legisla-
tion to protect the welfare of maids,
instead of looking at bringing in maids
from a particular country.
Following cases of maid abuse, Mah-
mood said the government may again
propose bringing in maids from China
for Chinese employers, hoping that by
removing the communication barrier,
there would be less friction between
employers and their maids and fewer
cases of maid abuse.
It has been found that many Malaysian
women are wary of their counterparts
from China as past cases showed that
Malaysian men have a soft spot for these
foreign women.
But some human rights groups beg to
differ, saying China maids should not be
denied the right to work in Malaysia.
Wanita MCA chief Datin Paduka Chew
Mei Fun said Mahmood did not under-
stand the real problem as maid abuse had
nothing to do with race.
No one can guarantee that China maids
will not be abused, she said, adding that the
removal of the language barrier may make
it easier for the maids to shout back at their
employers when they are reprimanded.
“Don’t create another social problem
while trying to solve one. MCA remains
firm against maids from China,” she said.
DAP women’s wing chief Chong Eng
said the movement neither encourages nor
rejects maids from any particular country.
As long as there is a need, maids from any
country should be allowed to come to work
in the country through the proper channel,
she said.
Some say China maids are potential home
wreckers, but maids of other races, too, can
pose a similar threat, she added.
“The government should treat the cause
of the problem, such as understanding family
needs and helping to relieve the burden of
single mothers.
“Giving incentives to companies offering
home-cleaning services for them to lower
their charges to benefit lower-income groups
is another option,” she added.
Teacher under
probe for
sex with pupils
A PRIMARY school teacher reportedly forced
four pupils aged between eight and 10 to perform
oral sex on him on separate occasions while he
took pictures of them in the act.
According to reports in the Chinese press
yesterday, the incidents occurred in the teachers’
restroom in a boarding school in Bintulu between
May 14 and 19.
The reports, quoting police sources, said the
incidents came to light only after the victims
related their ordeals to their classmates, who
informed the hostel matron.
One of them, a Year Four girl, was forced to
gratify the 24-year-old teacher’s lust on three
occasions while the other three – two in Year
Two and one in Year Four – had their modesty
outraged once.
On all occasions, the teacher sent for the
victims on the pretext of wanting them to col-
lect exercise books for their classes, and took
them to the restroom where he stripped them
and outraged their modesty.
The reports said police are investigating the
case following a report lodged by the school’s
headmaster on Saturday night.

Police: Suspect dies of infection

by Charles Ramendran
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
PETALING JAYA: Police
said yesterday a post mortem
carried out by University Ma-
laya Medical Centre (UMMC)
mortuary showed that a 53-
year-old theft suspect who
was found dead in police
custody on Sunday died of an
intestinal infection.
Selangor police chief DCP
Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar said
the post mortem revealed
that due the condition, A.
Gnanaprakasam had suf-
fered blood poisoning which
led to his death.
He said no bruises were
found on his body except for
the black eye the man had
sustained while struggling
with policemen during his
arrest on Wednesday.
“We have a civilian wit-
ness, who saw what hap-
pened during the arrest when
the suspect tried to escape
from police.”
Meanwhile, Kapar MP S.
Manikavasagam, who turned
up at mortuary at about 8pm
with Gnanaprakasam’s fam-
ily and friends, said hospital
authorities have issued the
man’s death certificate and his
body will be claimed today.
Manikavasagam, who was
also accompanied by Bukit
Lanjan MP Elizabeth Wong,
declined to comment on the
outcome of the post mortem
report until the pathologist
explains it in detail to the
deceased’s family today.
Gnanaprakasam, who
had nine previous records
for drug-related offences,
was found dead in his cell
at the Damansara police sta-
tion three days after he was
arrested for trying to break
into a house.

Fomca seminars to empower consumers

KUALA LUMPUR: The
Federation of Malaysian Con-
sumers Associations (Fomca)
will hold 125 seminars nation-
wide to empower consumers
under its smart partnership
with Petronas, Fomca presi-
dent Datuk N. Marimuthu said
yesterday.
The seminars, to be held in
community centres and public
halls, will provide wide-ranging
information to consumers, from
the lodging of complaints to
how to handle price increases
and avoid over-buying to keep
demand low, he said.
Marimuthu told Bernama
yesterday any organisation
which wanted to participate in
the seminar could register with
the Fomca office.
Fomca is also partnering
Cuepacs, the National Council
of Women’s Organisations
(NCWO) and the Malaysian
Youth Council in disseminat-
ing information on consumer
awareness and consumer
rights, he said.