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Daughtry
Chua pleads
for chance
to serve
by Giam Say Khoon
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
KUALA LUMPUR: MCA deputy
president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek
faced the party’s disciplinary board
yesterday over his sex DVD scandal,
pleading to the party leadership to
give him a chance to perform the
responsibilities mandated to him.
The inquiry was to probe a com-
plaint, since withdrawn by Simpang
Renggam division chief Eng Cheng
Guan last week, that Chua’s involve-
ment in the scandal last year had
tarnished the party’s image.
After an almost three-hour inquiry
by the board chaired by Ng Cheng
Kiat, Chua told a press conference
that he had resigned his party vice-
president and health minister posts
on Jan 2 last year so that the incident
would not tarnish the party and the
government’s image.
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HMs need nod to
close schools
UTRAJAYA: School heads can
P
no longer exercise the discre-
tion to close the school or a
classroom if students fall sick
with flu-like symptoms, but must
instead get the green light from the
state health department to do so.
They have also been told to con-
duct health checks on students at the
start of school daily to isolate those
who are unwell so that lessons can
continue.
Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri
Muhyiddin Yassin said the inter-
ministerial committee on the H1N1
pandemic decided yesterday the
Member of Audit Bureau of Circulations (Malaysia)
TELLING IT AS IT IS
National Security Council will issue
guidelines on closing of schools and
institutions due to A(H1N1).
“Closing down of schools must be
made only upon the advice of health
officers or directors. Headmasters or
principals must wait for their deci-
sion. This will be done as soon as
possible on the same day,” he said.
Speaking to reporters after chair-
ing the committee meeting, Muhyid-
din, who is also education minister,
said: “We have decided on this; so
there is no blanket directive that if
there is one case, the whole school
is closed.”
BERNAMAPIX
Chua faces the
cameras after the
disciplinary hearing.
2009 AWARDS
Award winning newspaper
for excellence in
investigative reporting
No. 4817 PP 2644/12/2009 (023092)
Wednesday
August 5, 2009
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He said as of now, there are no worsens, additional intervention steps
plans to bring forward the August may have to be taken, like providing
school holidays or re-schedule this adequate beds in the ICU.
year’s public examinations like UPSR, He said it is important for Malay-
PMR and SPM. sians to always take care of
“Those who are sick There is their personal hygiene and
can take the exam from adhere to advice from the
hospitals. And if a par-
no blanket health authorities.
ticular school happens directive that if Elaborating on the deci-
to be closed during the there is one case, sion to increase anti-viral
exams, those involved the whole school stockpile to cover 20% of
in the exams can come is closed.” the population, from 10%
to school while others now, Muhyiddin said it
remain at home,” he – Muhyiddin would involve an addi-
added. tional allocation of RM20
A total of 41 schools in the country million. The additional
had been closed for one week each stockpile is needed so that private
since June 22 due to H1N1 cases. clinics and hospitals can get their
Asked about a World Health supply from the ministry.
Organisation (WHO) report that the On Monday, minister Datuk Seri
worst case scenario would see be- Liow Tiong Lai said all high-risk
tween 5,500 and 28,000 H1N1 deaths groups (pregnant, obese, asthmatic,
among Malaysians, Muhyiddin said chronic lung disease, diabetic and
the government acknowledges it. low immunity level) with influenza-
According to the report too, for the like illness (ILI) will be given anti-
country’s 27.7 million population, if viral treatment immediately within
20% were at risk and exposed, some 48 hours of onset.
5.5 million people would contract the Muhyiddin explained that they
H1N1 and based on other serious flu need not take the H1N1 test, unless
statistics, if 2% to 9% requires hospi- they are hospitalised because at the
talisation, some 110,000 to 500,000 moment, 95% of ILI cases in the
people would need hospital care. country are caused by H1N1.
“If the estimate is at 30%, it means On a recent report in Mexico
some 8.319 million Malaysians will about cases of Tamiflu resistance,
be infected with the disease,” Muhy- Liow said these were isolated cases
iddin said, adding that, however, the and in Malaysia, all H1N1 cases were
government is prepared and had not resistant to Tamiflu.
rolled out intervention programmes. “The Institute for Medical Re-
While he admitted the projec- search conducts surveillance and
tions are “big”, he said the govern- confirmation every day. We always
ment hopes to at least maintain the monitor this. So far there has been no
current situation with intervention such case,” he said.
programmes in place.
However, he said, if the situation » More stories on Page 5