Malaria cases under control

A nurse taking the temperature of an Orang Asli boy in Sungai Rual, Jeli, yesterday.

Foreigners caused outbreak in Orang Asli settlements

JELI: The malaria outbreak in the district last month, which affected more than 100 Orang Asli in several settlements in Sungai Rual, here, was believed to have been caused by foreign workers living in the area.

Jeli member of parliament Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed said this was the finding based on analysis and research by district health officers recently.

He said the situation was under control now as the officers had managed to stop the disease from spreading to other areas.

However, Mustapa said the officers had failed to locate the foreigners working in logging areas who were suspected to have caused the disease.

"The health officers told me that they had solved the problem and were taking precautionary measures to prevent further outbreaks.

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‘Don’t go out to Straits of Malacca at night’ .Haze is getting very worst

Marine police here have warned all barter-trading vessels plying the Straits of Malacca to refrain from navigating the waterway at night due to the haze.

Its chief Asst Supt Nordin Osman said the stretch of the straits between Pontian and Malacca was covered in “very thick haze”.

He said the condition could worsen in the next few days due to the westerly monsoon season.

“This would push the haze from Sumatra to the peninsula,” he warned.

The sea and coastal areas here were covered in thick haze until about 11am yesterday.

“The visibility was very low this (yesterday) morning and motorists had to switch on their headlights when travelling along several roads here,” he said.

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Lata Bayu park reopens after man's death

The Lata Bayu recreational park, which is a favourite among picnickers, was closed for a month following the death of a visitor who had contracted leptospirosis after taking a dip in the ponds there.




It's is free of deadly leptospirosis disease, says health department director

ALOR STAR: THE Lata Bayu recreational park in Baling near here is open to the public again.

After a month-long closure, the Kedah Health Department has allowed the park, which is a favourite among picnickers, to be opened again after it has been certified clean of rats, which are the carriers of the deadly leptospirosis disease.

Department director Dr Ismail Abu Taat said test results of water and soil samples taken from the ponds at the park showed that they were free of the bacteria responsible for the disease, known as black jaundice.

"We have taken steps to rid the place of rats that carry the bacteria.

"The park is open to the public again."

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"Doctors gave me three weeks to live"

This is a story of stage four lung cancer survivor Norliyana Abu Bakar, who battled the disease through courage, hope and sheer will to have a normal life.

Subramaniam in stable condition after brain surgery

Former MIC deputy president Datuk S Subramaniam is reported to be in stable condition after undergoing five hours of brain surgery which lasted until 2am today.

R Balakrishnan, his former secretary and close friend, said the doctors managed to stop the bleeding in his brain and draw out blood from his thrombus.

"Overall, his blood pressure, heart and pulse are stable," he told Bernama when contacted here today.

Double-diabetic shocker With 1.5 million to three million sufferers in five years, Malaysia can become top 10 diabetes-hit nation, says minister

There were 1.5 million diabetics in Malaysia in 2006.

That number has since doubled.

As of last month, more than three million people are suffering from diabetes.

If that’s not alarming enough, two million more are suspected to be suffering from the disease but are unaccounted for.

Deputy Health Minister Datuk Rosnah Abdul Rashid Shirlin said the ministry is concerned with the increase and urged Malaysians to look after themselves.

“The increase is very drastic. The number of diabetics has now doubled within a span of less than five years!

“At the rate we are going, we could easily be in the world’s top 10 list for the highest number of diabetics,” she told The Malay Mail recently.

Warning over E. coli outbreak

Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai says visitors to Europe who are down with diarrhoea are advised to seek treatment.

NS trainee in coma after stint

Several days before 18-year-old A. Tamilarasi reported for national service (NS) training in January, she repeatedly told her mother to look out for advertisements for nursing courses at local institutions.

But today, the once bubbly teenager lies in an isolation ward at the Tuanku Ja'afar Hospital (TJH), dependent on a ventilator to help her breathe and is tube-fed.

Tamilarasi, a former SM Taman Desa Cempaka, Nilai student, had always aspired to be a nurse as she wanted to care for the sick.

“Doctors have told me that the chances of her recovering are remote. They say that it would be a miracle if she recovers.

“She is still unable to talk and doesn't recognise any of us.

Help little Cai Wai lead normal life

Chai Mui Lee holding her daughter, Teo Cai Wai, who needs RM40,000 to undergo heart surgery.

It was smooth sailing for Chai Mui Lee during her first year of motherhood.

However, the 34 year old had been living a nightmare in the past few months because her 19-month-old toddler had poor appetite and was often panting while being fed.

Teo Cai Wai has also barely grown compared with other children her age as she weighs only 6kg.


Chai took her daughter to Sultanah Aminah Hospital in Johor Baru for a check-up and initially, doctors diagnosed her as having a feeding problem.

After their second trip to the hospital, Teo was referred to Gleaneagles Kuala Lumpur and was diagnosed as having congenital heart defect with two holes in her heart.

"I was speechless when the doctor told me and my husband that our baby will not be able to have a normal life without surgery."

IGP recovering well and jogging at hospital

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar, who was warded on Friday, is recovering well.

Deputy Inspector-General of Police Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar, who disclosed this yesterday, said the IGP needed a good rest.

“He has gone through all the necessary checks but nothing is wrong with him. In fact, he went for a jog around the hospital this morning,’’ he told reporters at the Selangor police contingent headquarters yesterday.

“Actually there was no need for Ismail to be warded. I was the one who told the doctor to make the boss stay there so that he could rest,” he said.

Khalid said Ismail had given him a lot of instructions through SMS.

Ismail was admitted to Pantai Hospital in Kuala Lumpur after he was reported to be feeling unwell while attending the monthly assembly in Bukit Aman.

Gutsy teen refuses to let the pain take over her life

Chia Wei Yin may have suffered from constant pain and immobility as a child but the gutsy teenager refuses to let Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) stifle her life.

The 19-year-old has, since the age of two, been living with JIA which affects the joints or connective tissues in children below the age of 16.

Chia Wei Yin, 19, is determined to lead a fulfilling life despite living with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) since the age of two. With her are (from left) her mother, Leow Mee Ling, 41, father Chia Woon Loon, 52, and brother Chia Wei Yang, 10, who are looking at her inspirational story in the MY WIRA coffee table book.

Aussie scientists in bid to wipe out dengue fever

Australian scientists have developed a bacterium that will wipe out dengue fever.

The bacterium acts as a vaccine for mosquitoes, which could in turn stop the disease spreading in humans, the Australian Associated Press (AAP) reports.

Professor Scott O'Neill, from the University of Queensland, said he is "incredibly excited" as a 12-week field trial starts in the Cairns suburbs of Yorkeys Knob and Gordonvale in Queensland.

Leper fate and lucky lorry drivers.Survive for today to continue life.

Survive Crash

HAVOC: The lorry accident caused traffic congestion on the NKVE this morning

A lorry driver and his assistant cheated death when their three-tonne lorry rammed into a divider near the Subang exit of the North Klang Valley Expressway (NKVE) at 9.10am today.



The driver, Abdul Ali, 36, lost control of the lorry when its right front tyre exploded as the lorry was approaching a bend near the exit. The lorry crashed into the divider and it was put to an abrupt halt.

The accident caused a massive traffic jam heading towards Damansara.

Abdul said when the accident took place, his 27-year-old assistant, Safar Ismail, was sleeping.

The lorry was heading towards Port Klang from Bukit Minyak, Penang, and was carrying metal hardware and clothing apparels.



Leper hard life.At 72 mute and deaf find strength to carry on life.



DESPITE losing his speech and hearing, leprosy sufferer, who wants to be known only as Ah Tong, 72, decided long ago not to give up on life.

Like many others in this small "leper" community near the Sungai Buloh Hospital, Ah Tong supports his livelihood by selling crafts and agricultural produce, mustering whatever strength and skills he has to make ends meet.

Ah Tong is seen here making a basket out of wires, which will be sold to an agent who periodically comes over and collects his work.

Despite financial aid from the government and the sale of his handicraft, lepers like Ah Tong find it hard to survive in a metropolis like Petaling Jaya. But as they say, life goes on.

Nik Aziz in hospital for fatigue , but he will attend the PAS seminar today

Kelantan Mentri Besar Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat

Kelantan Mentri Besar Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat has been hospitalised at the National Heart Institute (IJN) but will attend the PAS political seminar today.

His private secretary, Rosdi Abdullah, said Nik Aziz, 78, was admitted into the IJN at about 10.30am on Thursday due to fatigue as a result of not getting enough rest over a week.

“His condition is stable and he is expected to leave the IJN and will continue with his duties as usual,” said Rosdi.

Kelantan exco member Datuk Husam Musa, who visited him yesterday, said the PAS spiritual adviser was resting and that his hospital stay had nothing to do with his heart condition.

“Don’t listen to rumours, he did not cough up blood or anything like that. In fact, he told me that he intended to attend the seminar if he was well by then.

“He may turn up for one or two hours because he needs to return to Kota Baru to rest,” said Husam.

Nik Aziz, also the party’s supreme leader, is scheduled to make the closing remarks at the one-day seminar held at the party’s former headquarters in Taman Melewar.

The seminar was a result of a call by him to hold a special muktamar to discuss issues caused by “problematic leaders.”

He had been unhappy with the pro-Umno stance of these leaders and wanted the party to make a clear stand regarding its role in Pakatan Rakyat.

Nik Aziz has been in Kuala Lumpur since Monday for the Rulers’ Conference.

Husam, who spent about 30 minutes with Nik Aziz, said the Mentri Besar complained of feeling unwell after dinner on Wednesday at Kelan­tan House where he was staying.

“I told him some jokes to cheer him up. I also told him he should recover quickly and hold a joint ceramah with Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah. I think he liked the idea very much,” he added.

Party president Datuk Seri Hadi Awang will deliver the keynote address at the seminar.

This will be followed by political papers presented by two university lecturers, after which the session will be open to questions and debate.

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