4 theSun | MONDAY JULY 13 2009

news without borders

Storm brings
flash floods
to Penang
by Himanshu Bhatt
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
GEORGE TOWN: Strong winds
lashed parts of Penang, causing
flash floods and damage to houses
on Friday night and early Saturday
morning.
State environment, health,
welfare and caring society com-
mittee chairman Phee Boon Poh
said the unusually strong winds
were brought about by currents
influenced by a tropical storm that
hit the coast of Vietnam.
He said the Fire and Rescue
Department and other agencies
were put on alert throughout the
weekend.
The flash floods affected several
areas, with Jalan P. Ramlee being
the worst hit. The water reached
knee level. The affected residents
were provided meals by emergency
response units from the Penang
Welfare Department.
A few families had to be evacu-
ated from their houses in Perma-
tang Rawa when the water level
rose but the situation returned to
normal soon after that.
Phee said that according to the
Meteorological Department, the
storm was brought about by the
early transition between the South-
west Monsoon and the Northwest
Monsoon.
Earlier, he visited a house in
Balik Pulau, where the roof caved
in after a coconut tree fell on it dur-
ing a storm at midnight on Friday.
House owner Chong Chun Loy,
50, said none of his nine family
members who were in the house
was injured. His brother, Siew Pin,
42, a contractor, who usually sleeps
in the room where the tree tore
through the roof, was not home at
the time.
Phee said the municipal coun-
cils had the right to cut down trees
that its officers certified were too
weak or old to stand, even on
private land.
Phee was accompanied by state
assembly speaker Datuk Abdul
Halim Husin.
Helmet drive sees 7% drop in deaths
MASRY CHE ANI/THESUN GEORGE TOWN: A safety helmet cam-
paign by the Road Safety Department
succeeded in reducing motorcyclist
fatalities by 7% in the first five months
of the year.
The department’s director-general
Datuk Suret Singh said about 60% of
fatal road accidents involved motorcy-
clists, and that about 58% of fatalities
among motorcyclists were the result of
head injuries.
“Previously, the number of motor-
cyclists wearing helmets was only 20%
in rural areas, 40% in semi-urban areas
and 68% in urban areas, but after this
campaign, the figures have increased to
about 60% in rural areas, 90% in semi-
urban areas and 100% in the city,” he
told a press conference after represent-
ing Transport Minister Datuk Seri Ong
Tee Keat at the launch of a safety helmet
campaign for pupils in primary schools
here.
“We are happy this campaign has
been effective and has had a major
impact on encouraging more people
to wear Sirim-approved helmets,” he
said.
Suret Singh reminded motorcyclists
to buy only Sirim-approved helmets or
those of an internationally recognised
standard to ensure their own safety.
“It is also illegal to wear helmets
Village ceremony that are not approved by Sirim such as
half-shell helmets, and motorcyclists
wearing these could be fined.”
He said motorcyclists with half-shell
J UST three weeks before their
eviction deadline expires, the
villagers of Kampung Buah Pala in
helmets could have these replaced with
new Sirim-approved helmets at any of
the department’s offices.
Penang held a ceremony to usher Suret Singh said the safety helmet
in a sixth generation member of campaign for pupils is jointly organised
their historic community. The entire by the department, the Road Safety Mar-
village gathered to take part in shall Club and Road Safety Council, and
the Tamil ritual of “Walakappu” for is running at primary schools in nine
resident S. Nalani, 30, who is eight states – Selangor, Perak, Terengganu,
months pregnant. Nalani’s husband, Penang, Sarawak, Sabah, Pahang, Johor
technician Sashi Kumar, 29, said he and Kedah.
was confident nothing would happen In Penang, about 500 pupils from 32
to the century-old village. “We pray schools took part in the campaign.
that next year, we will be celebrating
our daughter’s first birthday here,” he
said. The viillagers, numbering some
300, have been given until Aug 2 by
developer Nusmetro (P) Sdn Bhd to
vacate the land to make way for a
Docs violating confidentiality,
development project.
claims union
PETALING JAYA: Some unethi- tor to reveal the workers’ ailment, of doctors.
cal doctors are working with some including present and past medical “The worst was that the employ-
banks to violate the confidentiality of history, with copies to the banks,” he ees were asked to reveal the nature

RazakSAT set for liftoff their workers’ medical records, the

KUALA LUMPUR: The RazakSAT
satellite is all set for a liftoff as
scheduled tomorrow from Kwa-
jalein Atoll on the Marshall Islands.
Science, Technology and Inno-
vation Minister Datuk Dr Maximus
Ongkili, the ministry’s deputy
National Union of Bank Employees
(NUBE) claimed yesterday.
secretary-general (Policy), Datuk Its general secretary J. Solomon,
Dr Sharifah Zarah Syed Ahmad, and said this was done through the
senior officials arrived in Guam yes- issuing of conditional guarantee
terday to witness the launch, via letters by the banks to their panels
live webcasting, a statement from of doctors.
the ministry said. – Bernama “Employees seeking medical
treatment were issued with guar-
antee letters which required them
to sign consent authorising the doc-
told Bernama.
“If the employees refused to sign
the consent they were denied treat-
ment.
“Once consent was obtained and
treatment was provided the doctors
passed on the records to the man-
agements.”
Besides this, the banks required
the employees to seek approval for
medical leave even if they were
certified unfit for work by the panel
of their sickness publicly before the
medical leave was approved and
the number of medical chits was
recorded on the workers’ pay slip,”
Solomon said.
“This is not only a form of har-
assment but also a clear violation
of basic human rights and infringes
on their privacy as medical ailments
are regarded confidential and per-
sonal, which should be respected.
– Bernama