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We have
contingency plans
for school exams,
says Muhyiddin
PERTH: The government has contin-
gency plans in handling school public
examinations if the Influenza A(H1N1)
pandemic worsens, said Deputy
Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin
Yassin.
“If it needs adjustment to the
dates (of school government ex-
aminations), I, as the minister, will
study (all the) possibilities. Only if the
situation is not managable. I hope we
won’t reach that situation,” he said
when asked about the matter at the
end of his five-day working visit to
Perth yesterday.
However, Muhyiddin, who is also
education minister, hoped the situa-
tion would not reach that stage.
“We cannot make predictions. The
situation may be better next week. I
don’t want to make any unnecessary
forecasting,” he said, adding all public
exams were to go on as planned.
Asked about the possibility of
patients taking exams at their respec-
tive homes, Muhyiddin said he would
discuss the matter with the education
ministry director-general.
He said the government was
taking the necessary measures to
control the pandemic and followed
the World Health Organisation’s
(WHO) rules.
Among the measures include
the decision to increase the anti-
virus stock from 10% to 20% which
involved an additional allocation of
RM20 million and the guidelines
on the influenza released by the
Health Ministry, through various
channels, such as the media.
Muhyiddin said out of 10,000
schools throughout the country
only a small number had been hit
by the pandemic.
He said the public should also
know all the precautions to take,
for example, not to attend any
gathering which is not important.
He said instructions had been
given to the relevant ministries and
agencies to increase the aware-
ness campaign on H1N1, and also
to all states and districts.
He said the government
would provide the necessary assist-
ance, such as pamphlets and other
campaigning materials, adding that
measures such as self-quarantine
must be followed strictly.
Muhyiddin said the number of
deaths was not only increasing in the
country but also in other countries.
He said the government had
taken preventive measures from the
beginning. “If such measures had not
been taken, the situation could have
been worse.”
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Datuk
Seri Najib Abdul Razak said he would
meet Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow
Tiong Lai today to discuss whether
the government needs to take more
stringent and drastic measures.
He said he was very worried and
will be looking at all possibilities
including cancelling of public gather-
ings. “If it is necessary (to cancel public
gaherings). we have to take such dras-
tic measures,” he told reporters after
opening the Ampang Umno division
delegates meeting. – Bernama
theSun | MONDAY AUGUST 10 2009
Eight more deaths
confirmed INFLUENZA A(H1N1) HOTLINE
» 03-88810200/300
» 03-88834414/415
KOTA KINABALU: Eight more deaths relating The other case involved a 74-year-old man
to influenza A (H1N1) were confirmed yesterday, suffering from chronic heart disease with a
bringing the death toll in the country to 26. history of month-long difficult breathing and
Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said fever, who was admitted to Queen Elizabeth
yesterday seven deaths were from the high-risk Hospital on Aug 3, for just one day. He died on
group and that some cases were only confirmed af- Aug 6.
ter the post-mortem to confirm the cause of deaths. A 20-year-old female student treated as outpa-
One death occurred on Aug 3, followed by two tient for influenza-like illness on Aug 1. She was
more on Aug 5, four on Aug 6 and another on Aug found dead in a hostel room five days later.
8, he told reporters at a ceremony to re-name Hos- Other cases include a 48-year-old man with
pital Likas to Hospital Wanita dan Kanak-kanak asthmatic and hypertensive history from Sarawak,
I didn’t Sabah. Two of the cases were from Sabah. and a 37-year-old obese man from Johor.
attack He said the first involved an obese 24-year-old Liow said at present there were 62 patients
woman who was warded at the Ranau Hospital on receiving treatment in hospitals and another 13
or insult Aug 1, with fever and cough for four days. at intensive care units, while an additional five
Islam, She was referred to the Queen Elizabeth Hospi- suspected H1N1 cases were also at intensive care
says tal here on Aug 5 and died on the same day. units waiting for results. – Bernama
Jeff Ooi
pg 6
Unconventional methods to prevent H1N1
KUALA LUMPUR: Believe it or not, avoiding masturba- that could neutralise excess acid in the body.
tion and homosexual activities are among preventive He said coconut water, which is alkaline, can be
measures one can take against influenza A (H1N1). used as a herbal medicine for the prevention of H1N1.
Eminent practitioner of complimentary therapy For example, those who feel feverish and develop a
Dr VM Palaniappan said such activities caused the burning sensation while attending to a call of nature
body to develop friction heat which in turn, produced because of extreme acidity, can neutralise it by drink-
acid and makes the body hyper-acidised. ing coconut water, twice a day, for three days.
“Thus, the body becomes an easy target for H1N1 He also recommended orange, lemon and pomelo
infection,” he told Bernama, emphasising, however, which, despite containing citric acid, are very rich in
that normal sexual union between members of the potassium and will not disturb the body’s immunity.
opposite sex was absolutely safe. According to him, excessive physical activity like
The former associate professor of ecology at Uni- running a marathon should be avoided as it produces
versiti Malaya has authored several books on a comple- acid due to excessive metabolic activity.
mentary therapy called Ecological Healing System. Similarly, keeping late nights without adequate sleep
Palaniappan said his 33 years of research showed and working without proper rest can also increase
that high acidity in the body resulted in loss of im- the body’s acidity which in turn, lowers immunity and
munity, making people more susceptible to viral dis- makes the body vulnerable to viral attacks.
eases like influenza A(H1N1). Thus, to prevent acidity, More on his theory can be found on his blog
it is essential to consume alkaline food and drinks ecohealingsystem.blogspot.com – Bernama
DG defends school’s decision to disallow EGM
PETALING JAYA: Education director-
general Tan Sri Alimuddin Mohd Dom
yesterday defended the decision by
SMK Sri Hartamas not to allow its par-
ent-teacher association (PTA) to hold an
extraordinary general meeting (EGM).
“A PTA cannot hold an EGM without
the permission of the school head,” he
told theSun when contacted.
“In the case of SMK Sri Hartamas,
the principal as the PTA adviser did not
encourage the EGM because the agenda
of the meeting had nothing to do with
educational development.
“(Switching) the teaching and learning
of science and mathematics in English
(PPSMI) to the new policy named Uphold-
ing Bahasa Malaysia and Strengthening
English is final. It is a policy matter which
has been decided by the government. It
is a non-issue.
“There is no point to discuss it further.
It is just a waste of time. The principal’s
decision was right and according to
procedure,” he said.
For an EGM to be convened, it must
have a quorum of at least one third of PTA chairman Salmah Abu Bakar school should be continued beyond the
its members, a 14-day notice must be said the association had adhered to the policy’s 2012 end-date.
issued and permission from school must rules which required seven days’ notice Of the 538 parents who voted, 553
be granted, Alimuddin said, adding an to hold an EGM by issuing a notice on said “yes” to continuing PPSMI in SMK Sri
EGM is usually held to select new com- July 31. She claimed the PTA had earlier Hartamas, and 15 voted “no”. Although
mittee members or when there was obtained permission to hold the EGM the PTA comprises about 2,100 individu-
an urgent matter in relation to school at the school, but it was withdrawn on als, the survey was conducted on a one-
development such as educational activi- Friday. child-one-vote basis.
ties or programmes. “We cannot hold an EGM, because Salmah said while PPSMI may not
“In this case, the principal felt an EGM we have been blocked by the ministry” have worked for students in the rural
was not necessary, so it was not given PTA deputy chairman Datin Noor Azimah areas, many urban students were enjoy-
permission.” Abdul Rahim told reporters outside the ing it and doing well.
On Saturday, about 70 parents found school on Saturday, She said the results of the poll would
themselves locked out of the school However about 75 parents l gathered be forwarded to the prime minister and
when they tried to convene an EGM outside the school gate at 9am, and ob- Education Ministry, along with an appeal,
to discuss the teaching of science and served the counting of votes (pix) from asking for schools to be allowed the free-
mathematics in English which will be an eight-day survey of whether parents dom to select the medium of instruction
abolished in 2012. agreed or disagreed that PPSMI in the which would benefit their students.