4
news without borders
briefs
Foreign doctors
to overcome
critical shortage
THE government will fill long-
vacant positions of doctors
and specialists in government
hospitals with professionals
from countries like Iran, Egypt,
Pakistan and Myanmar, as the
shortage of doctors is now
critical.
Speaking to reporters
after responding to questions
posed to his ministry during
the Budget 2009 debate and
during his winding-up speech
yesterday, Health Minister
Datuk Liow Tiong Lai disclosed
that only 53% of the vacancies
for specialist posts like on-
cologists and cardio-thoracic
experts and medical officers
have been filled.
“There are already 490 of
these foreign doctors serving
in government hospitals now
and we plan to increase this to
1,000,” he said.
Describing the shortage
as critical, Liow added: “Every
year, about 300 to 400 doctors
leave government service.”
For example, at the Sega-
mat General Hospital, only 16
of the 47 vacancies have been
filled.
Of CCTVs and
nepotism
AN exchange on the use
of CCTVs and their effec-
tiveness in curbing crime
disrupted the winding-up
speech by Housing and Local
Government Minister Datuk
Seri Ong Ka Chuan.
Lim Kit Siang (DAP-Ipoh
Timor) had asked Ong about
the installation of CCTVs
in various localities around
the country when Jamalud-
din Jarjis (BN-Rompin) stood
up and asked him about
the CCTVs in Penang and
if these were functioning
properly.
When Lim tried to
respond, Jamaluddin told
him: “You accused us of
nepotism in the past, now
you are defending your son
(Guan Eng, the chief minister
of Penang).”
“What did you do at the
hotel?” Lim shot back at
Jamaluddin as Teresa Kok
(DAP-Seputeh) and Chong
Eng (DAP-Bukit Mertajam)
joined in the exchange.
(It was in obvious refer-
ence to a police report
lodged by a waitress in a
hotel in Kuala Lumpur. Police
had taken a CCTV recording
at the hotel for investiga-
tions but the waitress later
withdrew the report.)
Jamaluddin continued to
accuse Lim of speaking up
for his son. “This is nepo-
tism,” he said.
Tian Chua (PKR-Batu)
interrupted to say he was
doubtful of the effective-
ness of CCTVs to capture
and prove a crime as the
footages were unclear.
“Rompin was saved
because the CCTV at the
hotel was not clear,” he said
cheekily.
Karpal slams
Bar Council
KARPAL SINGH (DAP-Bukit
Gelugor) called for the Bar
Council to be dissolved over
its “deafening silence” over
the issue of Chief Justice
Tan Sri Zaki Azmi’s reported
comment on Nov 7 about his
alleged experience in bribing
court officials when he was a
practising lawyer in 1987.
Karpal had recently called
for Zaki’s resignation, saying
there is a voice recording of
what Zaki had said, despite
the CJ’s denial that he bribed
anyone.
He asked whether the
council, despite claiming it
was independent of the gov-
ernment, has placed itself in a
position of indebtedness to the
executive for being sponsored
RM81,965.75 for a dinner in
April.
“The council has brought
ignominy not only on itself but
on its 13,000 members. The
legal profession is an honour-
able one. By placing itself in a
position of indebtedness to the
executive for a mere dinner, it
cannot anymore operate from
a high moral ground,” he said.
Have one school system: Mukhriz
At the Dewan Rakyat
by Husna Yusop and Maria J. Dass
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
THE government should have a
single national education system
to instill unity among the people
which has become increasingly
polarised now.
Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir
(BN-Jerlun) said it is timely
Court to think about having one
education system whereby
clears Bahasa Malaysia is used as the
royal, medium of instruction, except for
ex-aide of Mathematics and Science, which
are taught in English.
cheating “All schools should be
pg 9 absorbed under one system, the
Malaysian education system.
This is the best way to realise
the aspiration of the country to
create meaningful unity among
the different races,” he said at the
parliament lobby.
In addition, he proposed that
it should be made compulsory
for Chinese and Indian students
to learn their mother tongue in
the national schools while the
other races, including the Malays,
can take up these languages
optionally.
Kit Siang calls for more tolerance
LIM KIT SIANG (DAP-Ipoh Timur) yester-
day hit out at Umno vice-president Tan Sri
Muhyiddin Yassin for “threatening” former
minister in the Prime Minister’s Department
Datuk Zaid Ibrahim for attending Parti Keadi-
lan Rakyat’s (PKR) national congress over
the weekend.
He said that being the international trade
and industry minister and the favourite in the
contest for Umno deputy president, Muhyid-
din should be an example of inclusive think-
ing and greater openness and tolerance.
“Is loyalty to Umno so brittle and fragile
that it must be invoked against any Umno
member for attending an opposition func-
tion?” he said at Parliament lobby.
Lim said he attended the official opening
of the new Umno building at Putra World
Trade Centre in the 1980s but his “loyalty to
“Most countries in the world,
almost 99%, practise this. We are
among the very few who have so
many systems. My concern is that
polarisation has become more
obvious now,” Mukhriz said.
“It is getting a little bit out of
control with statements coming
from even our own leaders, who
should know better.”
He said he has not discussed
this with anyone yet but felt the
urge to make the suggestion
“looking at the present
circumstances”.
He was referring to the
conflicting statements openly
made by BN component leaders
on the ketuanan Melayu (Malay
supremacy) issue.
Mukhriz said he is not too
concerned about the objections
that would ensue as there are no
hidden motives, except to unite the
people.
On whether the Chinese and
Indians are willing to give up the
vernacular schools, he said that
since they would still be taught
their respective languages, it would
be good as they are encouraged to
master all three languages.
On the system taken in bad light
by BN leaders, Mukhriz said they
should explain themselves as it
DAP” was never questioned.
Muhyiddin reportedly said Zaid must
explain his action to the party disciplinary
board before action is taken against him,
adding it was not the first time he had at-
tended an opposition gathering.
Lim said fortunately the question of “loy-
alty to Umno” was not raised when Minister
in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk
Seri Nazri Aziz accepted his invitation to
a DAP seminar on “Agenda for First-World
Parliament” in May 2004.
Lim also expressed surprise over Umno
Youth chief Datuk Seri Hishammuddin
Hussein’s statement when criticising MCA
deputy president Datuk Seri Chua Soi Lek
and MCA Wanita chief Datin Chew Mei Fun
on the Malay supremacy issue.
“What is this ‘BN transformation in March’
theSun | TUESDAY DECEMBER 2 2008
would not be possible to talk about
unity and equal rights and, at the
same time, want separate school
systems.
“You cannot have your cake
and eat it, too,” he said.
He said it is a concept which
must be considered seriously as he
is worried there is a certain lack
of understanding of history among
the leaders when they themselves
talk about issues that polarise the
society.
“More saddening for me is that
some people are taking advantage
of the situation and try to be a hero
for their community. I don’t think
this is the right time for that. It is
never the right time,” he said.
Saying the term ketuanan is
interpreted differently by different
communities, Mukhriz pointed
out that it is not a term used to
denote a relationship of “master
and slave,” as suggested by MCA
deputy president Datuk Seri Dr
Chua Soi Lek.
“I do not feel like a tuan,” he
quipped.
He said that if the non-Malays
continue making statements about
Malay supremacy, they should
not be surprised if the Malays
started talking about the economic
supremacy of the non-Malays.
that the new MCA top national leadership
and other BN component parties are com-
pletely ignorant about?” he said.
On another issue, Lim asked whether
Public Accounts Committee chairman Datuk
Seri Azmi Khaled will emulate the example
of Indian Home Minister Shivraj Patil who re-
signed over the terror rampage in Mumbai.
He was querying about Azmi’s state-
ment on Nov 11, saying the PAC report on
its inquiry into the Eurocopter deal would
be tabled in parliament “in two or three
days,” but until now, there was no sign of
the report.
He also asked about Azmi’s announce-
ment that PAC would be investigating two
other scandals, namely the Bank Interna-
tional Indonesia and the High Speed Broad
Band deals.