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HareNet 6th Parenthood Expo 2010 Date: 20 – 22 August 2010 Venue: Hall 1 & 2, Mid Valley Exhibition Centre (MVEC) Time: Friday & Saturday (10:30am - 9pm); Sunday (10:30am - 8:30pm) Web: www.harenet.com.my/expo/6PE2010/index.html...
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2nd Motherhood Expo 2010 Date: 18 – 20 March 2011 Venue: Hall 1, Mid Valley Exhibition Centre (MVEC) Time: Friday & Saturday (10:30am - 9pm); Sunday (10:30am - 8:30pm) Web: www.harenet.com.my/expo/2MotherhoodExpo/index.html ...
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Home | Coocoomamapapa Blogs | Blog Topic | PAPA's Blog

Fertility hope for couples
September 10, 2010 (Friday)

PAPA

As many as 3,000 babies have been delivered following infertility treatment provided by the National Population and Family Development Board for childless couples, its director-general Datuk Aminah Abdul Rahman said.

The Women, Family and Community Development Ministry, through the board, has been offering infertility treatment since 1979. Treatment is also provided at government and teaching hospitals, she said.

“As such, help for childless couples is readily available,” she said in a press release yesterday.

Aminah was responding to a reader CSL, whose letter was published in The Star on Wednesday, asking the ministry to provide assistance to childless couples facing infertility.

Services such as Intrauterine Insemination (IUI), Gamete Intrafallopian Transfer (GIFT), In-vitro fertilisation (IVF) and Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) are available in three sub-fertility clinics in Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh and Johor Baru, Aminah said.

The services and treatment for infertility at government clinics are highly subsidised and clients only pay RM700 to RM800 per cycle for IUI and about RM8,000 to RM10,000 per cycle for IVF or ICSI, she added.

Counselling is also available for couples to help them cope with emotional stress, she said. Read more

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Learn about breast- feeding at bazaar
September 07, 2010 (Tuesday)

PAPA

Research has proven that optimal breastfeeding remains the best formula for babies as it helps build strong immune systems and forge closer ties between mother and child.

Despite the evidence on the benefits of mother’s milk, breastfeeding rates in Malaysia are far below the global rate, with only 14.5% of mothers breast feeding their child for the first six months.

To raise awareness on the importance and benefits of breastfeeding and also in honour of World Breastfeeding Week, local support group The Breastfeeding Advocates Network together with Tropicana City Mall have come up with the first ever Gift Of Love Charity Bazaar.

Gift Of Love Charity Bazaar provides a stepping stone for both mothers and fathers-to-be to learn more about breast feeding.

The weekend bazaar will be held from Sept 24 to Sept 26, on the second level of Tropicana City Mall, Petaling Jaya.

The bazaar will open from 10am until 9pm (closes at 6pm on Sunday). Read more

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Employers should provide freezers at the work place
September 05, 2010 (Sunday)

PAPA

Employers should provide freezers at the work place to enable working mothers to pump and store their breast milk, said Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) executive director Shamsuddin Bardan.

He said this was a more practical option for employers than providing 90 days of maternity leave.

“The main reason mothers want to take more than 60 days maternity leave is because they want to breastfeed the child. If employers provide freezers, ‘breastfeeding’ the child can continue because mothers can express the milk at the work place, keep it in the freezers and give it to the baby when they return home.

“I am sure employers will be willing to cooperate on this. If we encourage this on a national basis, we would meet the objective at minimal cost and still be able to enhance productivity. Mothers can even use the freezer for up to one or two years,” he said.

According to MEF statistics, an average of 216,614 employees give birth in a year and one day of maternity leave cost employers a total of RM36.8mil. The 30 extra days would then cost RM1.1bil, he said.

Shamsuddin said Malaysia’s productivity level was lagging behind Singapore, South Korea and Japan but declined to compare the levels with Indonesia and Thailand which offered working mothers 90 days’ maternity leave.

He also said the law should be changed to keep abreast of developments in the workplace.

In Singapore, he said, workers could log in as much work as possible for a year and once they had completed their contract of time for that year, they would not have to go to work for the rest of the year.

Shamsuddin said that using a time bank concept could also help working mothers get 90 days of maternity leave. Read more

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Baby dies after abuse by maid
September 02, 2010 (Thursday)

PAPA

A 15-month-old baby died after being allegedly abused by a maid.

It is learnt that the incident occurred at 4pm last Friday when a relative found the only child unconscious in his Puchong home.

The 25-year-old Indonesian maid was believed to have called the victim’s father to tell him that his son had fallen ill and was unconscious.

The father, a businessman, asked his relative who lived nearby to rush his son to a private hospital.

However, baby Tan Jin Yang was pronounced dead upon arrival.

Serdang OCPD Supt Abdul Razak Elias said the case was earlier classified as sudden death.

Following the results of the post-mortem done at the Serdang Hospital, police discovered several elements of foul play.

It is learnt that the child had strangulation marks on his neck; suffered internal brain haemorrhage and had bruises believed to be from being kicked or stepped upon as well as lung infection.

“We’ve re-classified the case under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder.

“We are on the lookout for the maid to help in investigations,” said Supt Abdul Razak.

He added that the maid had been working with the family for nearly two years. Source

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Parenting expo with star appeal
September 01, 2010 (Wednesday)

PAPA

SUPERMODEL and mother-to-be Amber Chia believes it is important to stay positive and happy throughout one’s pregnancy, as whatever the mother does and thinks would affect the baby.

Chia credited her positive attitude and luck to not having any morning sickness, cravings and mood swings.

“I also practise a healthy lifestyle and proper diet by going for maternity yoga and swimming, and ensuring I consume the right food during each trimester,” she said.

Chia was speaking at the 6th Parenthood Expo 2010 held in Kuala Lumpur that was organised by Harenet Communications Sdn Bhd.

The three-day expo, touted as the premier event dedicated to pregnancy, birth, babies, toddlers and parents, showcases products and services for growing young families.

Among the exhibits were diapers, furniture and toys; maternity and children’s clothing and accessories; nutrition and organic formula products; infant and toddler safety products; early education products; breastfeeding and parental groups; fitness and slimming beauty services, and financial and insurance options.

Some 60,000 visitors thronged the expo that covered the entire spectrum of childbirth issues, from conception through parenthood, and had a packed programme of educational seminars, interactive activities and contests.

Harenet Communications managing director Admen Kok said the event was the biggest child and parenting expo in Malaysia that focused on young parenting, and was targeted at those who were about to start a new family and those with children aged up to five.

“There are some 100 exhibitors here to showcase their products and services, in addition to introducing new innovations and offering the items at special rates,” he said.

Chia was on hand for a sharing session entitled Up Close with Amber Chia: My First Pregnancy Experience.

Chia, whose baby boy is due in October, said the expo was very timely as she would be able to learn more about what she needed for her baby and compare prices before making her purchases.

“It’s a good learning experience and makes it more convenient for motherhood,” she said.

“My expenditure on the preparations for my baby and his future has exceeded my expectations, but with the support of several sponsors, I have managed to save a lot on my expenses.”

Chia said she planned to breastfeed her baby, and that her mother would be on hand to help her during her confinement period and care for her baby for the long-term.

“My mother is thrilled as this will be the first male grandchild in my family.

“My family and husband have also been very supportive,” she said, adding that her husband pampered her more now.

“The confinement period is very important as it is the time to regenerate a new life for the woman.

“I plan to get back to work after that, but my work schedule will be less strenuous. While I will have to give up certain things, my priority now is for my baby’s welfare and future.”

Chia, who plans to have a second child within the next three years, said she hopes to write a book detailing her personal experience about pregnancy and being a mother after the second baby, which she hopes would be a girl. Source

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‘Rescued’ kids go to parents
August 18, 2010 (Wednesday)

PAPA

Two children “rescued” by police in an alleged baby-trafficking case have been returned to their biological parents who were remanded earlier in connection with the case.

The Children’s Court was told yesterday that the DNA of the children — a four-year-old boy and three-year-old girl — matched that of a 53-year-old man, who is the alleged “supplier” in the case, and a 23-year-old Indonesian woman.

The man’s remand order expired on July 26 and his partner on July 30.

Magistrate Maris Agan granted the return of the children and ordered their parents to apply for late registration of birth certificates for them.

The parents were in tears when they hugged and kissed their children who had been put under the state Welfare Department’s custody for more than a month.

The girl seemed to be active and playful as she was surrounded by welfare officers and reporters but the boy appeared to be shy.

It was learnt that the couple are not married.

They met when the Indonesian girl came to Kuching to work as a maid for the man seven years ago.

The children were born in a rented house at Batu Kawah where they lived and the couple did not apply for birth certificates.

The man, who was arrested at his house at Jalan Chawan here on July 14, led the police to the Batu Kawah house where the children and their mother as well as her sister were picked up.

The mother, who has a valid social visit pass, was remanded and released on police bail; while her 19-year-old sister was charged under the Immigration Act and found guilty of entering the state illegally.

Three of them were among 17 people who were detained under the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act since the arrest of an Indonesian woman who tried to sell a baby to an undercover cop for RM10,000 on July 12.

Nobody has come forward to claim that baby yet. Read more

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Childless couple finds baby at doorstep but gives it up
August 18, 2010 (Wednesday)

PAPA

It was a short-lived joy for a couple who found a baby girl abandoned outside their house in Bukit Minyak near here.

The couple, who has been childless after 10 years of marriage, thought that it was a gift from God.

They kept the baby for 36 hours in their house but later handed her over the police following advice from neighbours.

Central Seberang Prai OCPD Asst Comm Azman Abd Lah said the baby believed to be a week-old was wrapped in a napkin and left on a table outside the house of a 38-year-old factory worker on Sunday.

The factory worker saw the baby after he returned home at 11pm after prayers at a nearby mosque.

“The couple wanted to adopt the baby as they have no children.

“But their neighbours caution them that it was an offence to keep the baby,” he told a press conference here yesterday.

ACP Azman said the couple surrendered the baby to the district police headquarters at Bandar Perda here at about 11am yesterday.

“The baby weighing 1.4kg was sent to the Bukit Mertajam Hospital. She is in good health,” he said. Read more

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Special MCA unit to aid young pregnant women
August 15, 2010 (Sunday)

PAPA

The MCA Public Services and Complaints Department has set up a special unit to aid young pregnant women.

"Young pregnant women at their wit's end are encouraged to come to us and we will do our best to assist them," department chief Datuk Michael Chong told reporters here Sunday.

The unit will help by providing advice and planning for them, he said.

"We will try to get their parents to understand the situation and plan on what to do next," said Chong.

He added that his department had received eight such cases since last year and most of them were four-to-five months pregnant.

"They came to me after trying drastic methods to abort their babies, such as eating pineapples with beer or jumping down the stairs.

"I strongly advise against doing this as it will not work and they might end up harming themselves," said Chong.

"The most important thing is to not abort the baby. Talk to people close to you if you are in a dilemma," he urged. Source

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OrphanCARE: Work on ensuring safety of mum and child
August 15, 2010 (Sunday)

PAPA

Instead of a life for a life, the authorities should work on ensuring that both parent and child can be saved.

This was the stand of OrphanCARE, the organisation running the country’s first baby hatch for mothers to anonymously leave their unwanted newborns to be put up for adoption.

“If mistakes are made, resulting in babies being born out of wedlock, facilities like the Baby Hatch nationwide would enable more babies to be saved, as they offer safety for the parent and the baby,” its president Datuk Mohd Adnan Tahir said.

“The hatch is not there to encourage pre-marital sex, it is about saving an innocent baby’s life,” he explained.

On Thursday, the Cabinet agreed to the proposal made by the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry to impose the death sentence on those who dumped their babies resulting in death.

Woman’s Aid Organisation (WAO), Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) and various other parties have come out against the capital punishment.

Mohd Adnan said that no mother would intentionally abandon her own baby and that the women involved were usually young and unmarried.

“These girls could be anyone’s daughters. They dump their babies for fear of being disowned by their families,” he said.

Since the launch of the hatch on May 29, six babies have been adopted.

Four other babies and nine older children from an orphanage were also successfully put up for adoption by OrphanCARE.

For more information, visit www.orphancare.org or call 03-78761900.

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Murder charge for baby dumpers
August 13, 2010 (Friday)

PAPA

The Cabinet has decided to classify baby dumping that leads to the death of babies as a crime that warrants the death sentence.

This was needed to nail those responsible for the deaths of the babies, said Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil.

“The Cabinet has decided that the Home Ministry through the police, investigate these cases as murder when a baby dies,” she said.

Police would be asked to conduct DNA tests to identify the parents of dead babies, she said in a statement.

Under Section 302 of the Penal Code, the punishment for murder is death.

Before this, cases of baby dumping which led to death were mainly investigated under Section 317 (abandonment), Section 318 (concealment of birth by secret disposal of body), Section 309 (infanticide) or Section 31 of the Child Act (abandonment), said a ministry’s legal officer.

Jail sentences ranged from 10 to 30 years and offenders were also liable to fines.

Shahrizat said the ministry had raised the issue on Aug 11 in the Cabinet, which agreed to take drastic steps to address the problem.

The Government had no choice in the matter as such acts were tantamount to baby killing, she said.

The ministry’s legal advisor Salahudin Shariff said as many as 241 babies were abandoned since 2008 and 60 babies were reportedly abandoned so far this year. A total of 25 of the babies dumped this year were boys, 21 were girls, 14 could not be identified due to decomposition while one baby was badly mauled by dogs. Read more

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Pregnant Amber Chia launches modeling academy
August 12, 2010 (Thursday)

PAPA

Amber Chia is a sight for sore eyes - she not only looked radiant in a flowy red dress whilst carrying her baby boy, she even trotted around in four-inches high heels - a model never leaves her heels behind, we reckon.

The Amber Chia Academy is located at Jaya One, Petaling Jaya, and is primarily led by fashion veterans Amber Chia (Principal), Benjamin Toong (Catwalk Guru) and Desmond Yoi (Make-up Guru). Amber said at the press conference, "This is truly an important day for Amber Chia Academy as we're not only launching a new academy, we are introducing a new concept to the public. Amber Chia Academy aims to share a wealth of experience and knowledge in an upbeat and creative style that will transform the way models model, and re-invent the way makeup artists do makeup."

She added, "There is a fine art in modeling and makeup, it is the ability each of us has within ourselves to express art-form in an individualistic style. Amber Chia Academy strives to enhance this ability into a creative outlet that will bring a wave of new style and beauty creators to the world."

Spotted at the launch were Datuk Jimmy Choo, fashion maestro Gillian Hung, Dato Anna Lim, Daphne Iking, Dennis Lau, Daniel Tan, Jojo Goh, Kelly Jagan and more. Read more

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Mums give their best to babies in one-minute feeding
August 08, 2010 (Sunday)

PAPA

It was a joyous atmosphere when a group of 17 mothers gathered here to simultaneously breastfeed their babies for a minute in an event to promote breastfeeding.

Their 40-odd family members sang “give your best to your baby, give your breast” to the tune of popular song “If you’re happy and you know it”.

Another 158 mothers in the northern region also took part in the “One-Minute Simultaneous Breastfeeding” event which took place at 3.30pm

The World Breastfeeding Week 2010 event was organised by Mother-to-Mother-Peer-Support (MMPS) group at Disted College here yesterday.

MMPS adviser Dr Balkees Abdul Majeed said the event, which was held for the third year, was aimed at creating awareness on the “10 Steps To Successful Breastfeeding Programme.”

She said the programme was an international guideline for all maternity hospitals.

“Among the 10 steps are helping mothers to initiate breastfeeding within a half-hour of birth and to give newborn infants no food or drink other than breast milk unless medically indicated,” she said in her speech at the event.

Among the participants at the event were Tasha Lee, 31, and her two-month old baby girl Joey Tan.

The mother of two said breastfeeding helped her to slim down after she gave birth.

“After delivering my first baby, I lost the extra weight within six months. I was even fitter than before my pregnancy,” the yoga facilitator said. Read more

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Parents given a month to claim three babies
August 06, 2010 (Friday)

PAPA

Please come and claim your babies within 30 days or they will be put up for adoption.

The district welfare department here is trying to locate the parents of these three babies allegedly abandoned after being delivered at a government hospital and a private clinic near here.

If the biological parents cannot be traced within 30 days, the babies would be put up for adoption, said Central Seberang Prai district welfare department child protector Mohamad Zarir Mohamad Khozali.

The babies are Muhammad Muaz, a baby boy delivered at a private clinic in Juru near here on April 14; and two baby girls born at the Seberang Jaya Hospital on April 16 and June 30.

Muhammad Muaz’s mother is believed to be a Myanmar national who left the hospital immediately after the delivery.

Mohamad Zarir said the mother of the baby born on April 16, an Indonesian known only as Retno Asih, went missing from the hospital four days after delivery.

The mother of the baby girl born on June 30 disappeared two weeks after giving birth.

Her name is Zainab Wa Daud, 26, and her last known address was 12B, Kampung Ulu Tawar, Baling, Kedah. Read more

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130,000 malnourished kids in one decade
July 28, 2010 (Wednesday)

PAPA

More than 130,000 children in Malaysia were malnourished between 2000 and last year.

Deputy Health Minister Datuk Rosnah Abdul Rashid Shirlin said of the 130,888 children, 2,882 were found to be undernourished last year and given food baskets with 45.9% of them being orang asli.

She said that RM2.4mil was allocated to provide nutritious food to 77,659 malnourished children aged below five years.

Rosnah said the allocation was part of the programme to ensure that children obtained the right food intake to ensure good growth.

“Of the number, 53,229 cases have been provided with food baskets and 24.3% of them have shown good progress,” she said, at a food basket distribution programme in Kampung Penderas in Kuala Krau here on Monday.

Her speech was read by the ministry’s management division deputy secretary-general Datuk Ahmad Shafii Saidin.

Rosnah also said the country’s children food status for those aged five and below was found to be good registering 93% and of normal body weight.

As for the orang asli children from the same age group in Kuala Krau, Rosnah said they were medium-sized with 73% having normal body weight.

“Since there are means to improve their condition, the ministry has put in place programmes and activities to enhance their awareness and knowledge on the importance of providing nutritious food to the children.

“The programme is conducted for orang asli nationwide,” she added. Source

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Malaysia mulls pregnant teen school to curb dumping
July 27, 2010 (Tuesday)

PAPA

A Malaysian state is considering establishing a school for pregnant teenagers, to curb an alarming epidemic of "baby dumping", a report said Monday.

The chief minister of Malacca state, Mohamad Ali Rustam, said according to the New Straits Times that the school was among strategies including encouraging pregnant girls to marry.

Only married teens will be allowed to attend the school.

"For unmarried teenagers, they also can be part of the school but with one condition -- they must marry the baby's father," Ali said.

Authorities in Muslim-majority Malaysia are grappling with the problem of rising numbers of abandoned infants, often dumped dead or dying in the streets or on rubbish dumps.

"This problem has become a disease of sorts. We cannot just turn our backs and think that this is not our problem," Ali said according to the English-language daily.

"Baby dumping cases usually happen among the Muslim community as teenagers were desperate to conceal their pregnancies. Some of the girls were also disowned by their families," he said.

"They do not perform abortions as this is prohibited in Islam. So, they take the shortcut to solve their problem by dumping their newborns. We do not want this to continue. It has to be stopped."

The chief minister said Malacca was considering establishing a special school for pregnant girls to encourage them to continue with their education and to protect their unborn children.

"In the event normal schools cannot accept pregnant girls, we are going to build a school just for them," he reportedly said, adding that youngsters from other states could also attend.

"This school will cater to those who are legitimately married." Source

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Datuk, wife and six others held in baby trafficking probe
July 16, 2010 (Friday)

PAPA

KUCHING: A luxury car dealer who is a Datuk, his wife and six others involved in a suspected baby trafficking ring have been remanded for six days as two more children were rescued yesterday.

Magistrate Nelson W. Angang granted the remand order after considering the request by the police to carry out investigations under the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act, 2007 and to identify the children involved.

Police yesterday found a three-year-old toddler and 12-year-old girl in a house in Batu Kawa. This brings the number of rescued children to six.

The children were all brought to court yesterday and some of the babies were crying uncontrollably.

It is learnt that they were initially supposed to be sent to a shelter in Kuala Lumpur but were later placed under the custody of the state Welfare Department.

Police believe the 43-year-old Datin could be the mastermind of the alleged syndicate.

She and her husband, who is 65, were detained at their house at Jalan Stampin Tengah on Wednesday morning when the police “rescued” three children at their residence.

All three children have documentation; one infant girl was registered with a couple, while two boys were registered under another couple.

The two couples, who were also remanded, are believed to be the Datin’s relatives. Red more

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Kids 'rescued' in suspected baby trafficking case
July 15, 2010 (Thursday)

PAPA

KUCHING: Barely 48 hours after rescuing a three-week old baby, police here “rescued” three more children in a suspected baby trafficking case.

A 27-day-old girl, a seven-month-old boy and another 35-month-old boy – were found in a house here during a raid yesterday morning.

A well-known local businessman and his wife have been called in to give their statements together with five others.

Sarawak CID chief SAC II Huzir Mohamed said all three babies found yesterday had documentation.

“The children all have birth certificates and a check with the National Registration Department confirmed it.

“However, we want to be very sure and will conduct a DNA test to ascertain if the couple detained are the biological parents,’’ he said, adding that if they were the real parents, they would be released.

SAC Huzir said initial investigations revealed that the 27-da old girl was registered with a couple while the two boys were registered under another couple.

The two couples and another man who were at the scene were taken to the police station to facilitate investigations.

“We are still investigating whether any crime was committed. We need to investigate and wait for the DNA results to establish if there is any link among the suspects,” he said.

On the involvement of the prominent businessman and his wife, Huzir said they had come voluntarily to clarify certain issues. Read more

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Baby hatch boy gets new home
July 07, 2010 (Wednesday)

PAPA

The baby boy abandoned at the baby hatch last week has been adopted.

“The adoptive couple was carefully selected from some 80 shortlisted eligible parents,” said OrphanCARE president Datuk Adnan Mohd.

The baby hatch, set up on May 29 by OrphanCARE, received its first baby on June 27 when an unmarried couple in their early 20s left the newborn there.

“The baby’s parents were counselled and they decided that the baby would be better off with OrphanCARE,” Adnan said in a statement yesterday, adding that the baby was released to the adoptive couple yesterday.

To maintain the confidentiality of both the biological and adoptive parents, no other information pertaining to the adoption and the baby would be released, he said.

Adnan said Welfare Department officers would make regular visits to the adoptive family to ensure the well-being of the baby.

The baby hatch, located at 6, Jalan SS1/24A, Kampung Tunku here, is run by OrphanCARE, a partner of the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry.

It is a non-profit organisation whose objective is to give orphans and abandoned babies the love, care and security of a family in line with its tagline “Every Child Needs a Family”.

With the establishment of the baby hatch, Adnan hoped there would be a reduction in the number of babies being dumped.

OrphanCARE’s aim is to discourage women, especially young unwed mothers, from abandoning their newborn and instead have them placed with caring parents. Source

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Safe haven for unwanted babies welcomes first infant
July 01, 2010 (Thursday)

PAPA

OrphanCARE, the country’s first baby hatch set up on May 29, received its first baby – a new-born boy who was brought in by his parents.

The one-day-old baby was born to a young, unmarried couple in their early 20s yesterday.

“The couple, who concealed the pregnancy from their families, were at a loss whether to keep the baby but decided that he would be better off with OrphanCare.

“However, they will come to a decision soon whether the baby should be put up for adoption,” OrphanCare president Datuk Adnan Tahir said in a statement yesterday.

He said the centre had over 300 potential adoptive parents and he was confident of finding good parents for the baby should his biological parents decide not to keep him.

He appealed to other couples facing a similar predicament to approach the centre for counselling and assistance. OrphanCARE is a non-profit and non-governmental organisation whose objective is to give orphans and abandoned babies in Malaysia the love, care and security of a family in line with its tagline “Every Child Needs a Family”.

Located at 6, SS1/24A, Kampung Tunku here, the hatch is run by OrphanCARE, a partner of the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry.

Adnan had said women who dropped off their babies were encouraged to sign a consent form and leave their identification card numbers, which would be kept confidential.

The forms are placed outside the centre next to the hatch, he said.

“The mothers’ details are important for the future of the babies,” he added. Source

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Parents should guide children to prevent child mothers
June 27, 2010 (Sunday)

PAPA

Parents should realise the importance of sex education and give their children guidance to avoid unwanted pregnancies, said MCA vice-president Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen.

“Youths and teenagers are confused and cannot differentiate between love and physical lust. Most of the time, they are misinformed as they can easily source for information online.

“With the right education, children will become responsible. We must not presume that all the teenagers are aware of their actions,” she told reporters during the 2010 Convocation ceremony for the Penang UTAR branch campus here.

Dr Ng was commenting on The Star’s report that teenage pregnancy was on the rise.

She added that the public must understand that sex education does not mean encouraging teenagers to have sex.

“It will educate the students to be more responsible,” she said.

Dr Ng added that it was important to look at the issue in an objective manner and not blame teenage girls for getting pregnant.

“We have to find ways and means to educate our children on the issue. Parents must give them support and help in whatever ways they can.”

She said that as a medical practitioner, she had seen many tragic cases of underaged girls getting pregnant in the 70s.

“They were either chased out of their houses or villages. They were ostracised. It was tragic,” she said.

State Youth, Sports, Women, Family and Community Develop-ment committee chairman Lydia Ong Kok Fooi said sex education was needed to arrest the increasing trend of young girls getting into trouble.

“I believe the reported cases are just the tip of the iceberg. Many do not report teenage pregnancies, particularly in rural areas,” Ong said after launching the inaugural Penang Durians Masters bowling championship at the Penang Bowl here yesterday.

Wanita MCA secretary-general Chew Lee Giok said there was a need to review the present education system to emphasise on preventive measures to the social problem.

“They are still very young and should be given a chance to move on without any stigma.”

Wanita MCA, under its Wanita MCA Women and Children Aid Bureau, has 31 centres to help women and children in distress.Source

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Families feeling the pinch due to higher costs
June 14, 2010 (Monday)

PAPA

Administrative clerk Zainab Suboh wants the Government to take into consideration the reality on the ground when formulating policies as the rising cost of living is putting a heavy constraint on her household budget.

“Every time I go to the supermarket I find that I can only buy less and less items with my RM200 monthly budget for groceries,” she said.

Zainab, 32, said the Government must put the rakyat first when implementing policies.

“The interest of the people should come first. Right now we are not feeling it because we are overwhelmed by financial constraints because of the rising cost of living,” she said.

Zainab and her husband Md Fadzli Adnan, 33, earn a total of RM4,000 a month.

“We live in a low-cost flat with three children aged two, nine and 10. I also have to spend RM300 a month on diapers and baby formula,” she added.

She said that the baby formula was quite expensive, adding that the Government should look into providing subsidy for baby formula because infants need good nutrition for healthy growth.

Lawyer Ron Tan, 44, said he and his wife Tan Su Yin, 40, who is a bank officer, find that their monthly savings keep decreasing by the year.

“This is because of the higher inflation rate. We have to pay for essential goods and that substantially cut into our savings.

“We are spending RM200 a week on groceries. Comparatively, we paid less than RM100 about 18 months ago for the same number of items,” he said.

Su Yin said people could not cope with a minimal increase in salary, high inflation rate and low interest rate.

“We are opting to invest rather than putting the bulk of our savings in fixed deposits,” she said, adding that their combined income totalled RM25,000.

“We are investing for our retirement. Most of the working class people will have no money for their retirement,” she added.

A single mother, who only wants to be known as Mellycka, 43, is feeling the pinch even with earning RM5,000 a month.

Mellycka, a writer with two children aged three and eight, said the bulk of her salary went to housing loan and car instalments, and children and household expenditure including utility bills.

She said she hardly had money left and found herself resorting to using credit cards after settling her bills.

Mellycka finds it an arduous task to cut down expenses because prices of goods had gone up by 15% to 20%.

“I just can’t afford to go out. Once I step out of the house, I have to pay for everything from petrol to parking fees to meals.”

Vivek, a human resource manager, said despite having a household income of RM7,000, he and his wife were feeling the pinch.

“We have to service loans for two cars and a house, which account for 45% of our total monthly income. We spend about RM1,200 on groceries,” said the 43-year-old father of one child. Source

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Missing toddler needs medication
June 11, 2010 (Friday)

PAPA

An anxious mother is pleading for information on the whereabouts of her two-year-old daughter who is suffering from epilepsy.

Wong Lai Lan, 21, said her daughter Nisha Chandramohan (pic) required medication twice a day.

“I plead with whoever who has seen or taken my daughter to return her immediately as she had not taken her medicine for the past six days.

“Her condition may worsen if she continues to miss the prescribed medication,” she said yesterday.

She said Nisha was unknowingly brought out of the house by a relative who was suffering from mental illness on June 4.

A police report was lodged on that day when the relative was found by passers-by at 10pm but Nisha was nowhere in sight.

She said her husband M. Chandramohan, 24, and her could not sleep thinking of their daughter.

”We have spent over RM1,000 travelling all over Temerloh and Mentakab looking for Nisha.

”My husband even skipped work and went to Karak and Bentong and printed posters of her to be distributed to the people.”

Although the family’s plight was reported widely on Thursday, Wong said there had been no telephone calls from the public.

“Please return her to us as we miss her so badly. I promise not to ask any questions upon her return,” she said, adding that she could not offer any reward for information as she was not from a rich family. Her husband works as a contractor.

Wong, a clerk, said she could be contacted at 016-932 3803. She lives in No 2, Jalan Bukit Bendera 20, Taman Bukit Bendera. Source

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Saving unwanted babies
May 30, 2010 (Sunday)

PAPA

Credit: NORAFIFI EHSAN / The Star

A non-profit organisation has set up the country’s first baby hatch for mothers to anonymously leave their unwanted newborns to be put up for adoption.

The hatch has a small door which opens to an incubator bed.

Once a baby is placed inside it and the door is closed, an alarm bell will alert the staff.

Located at 6, SS1/24A, Kampung Tunku here, the hatch is run by OrphanCARE, a smart partner of the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry.

OrphanCARE patron, the Sultanah of Pahang Sultanah Kalsom, said she hoped the establishment of the hatch could protect newborn babies and ensure that they would be placed in suitable families.

“Frequently, we read about cases of newborn babies being left on the streets or on a stranger’s doorstep.

“It can only come from an act of a mother’s desperation. Saving even a single life would make our efforts worthwhile,” she said in her speech at the launch of OrphanCARE’s administration and operation centre as well as the baby hatch.

Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil said the increase in cases of babies being abandoned was a disturbing trend.

Between 2005 and 2009, the police reported 407 such incidents in the country and 24 cases were recorded as of April this year.

Shahrizat said fear of punishment and disapproval of those around them usually compelled women or couples with unwanted babies to abandon them.

However, she stressed that the baby hatch was not an end-all solution to the problem.

“Such initiatives are part of the solution, a necessary stopgap measure to provide desperate mothers with an alternative to abandoning or taking the life of their child,” she said.

Shahrizat, who wept during her speech, said: “When I saw the baby hatch, I was heart-broken.”

She said the Government alone could not solve the problems and that parents should understand their responsibilities as well.

OrphanCARE president Datuk Adnan Mohd Tahir said women who dropped off their babies were encouraged to sign a consent form and leave their identification card numbers, which would be kept confidential.

The forms are placed outside the centre next to the hatch, he said, adding that the mothers’ details were important for the future of the babies.

So far, the organisation has nearly 200 parents on its list waiting to adopt unwanted babies, he added.

At the event, Shahrizat also announced a RM100,000 allocation from her ministry for OrphanCARE’s baby hatch programme.

Plans are afoot to set up more baby hatches in other areas. Source

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Asha Gill is the hottest mum
May 17, 2010 (Monday)

PAPA

Television host Asha Gill, 38, has been voted the Hottest Malaysian Mum by readers of The Daily Chilli.

Read more on other hot mums in www.dailychilli.com.

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Parents can be held accountable over 'home-alone' mishaps
May 17, 2010 (Monday)

PAPA

Parents can be held accountable for leaving children home alone, resulting in mishaps that cause deaths.

Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil reminded parents that neglecting their children was a crime punishable with a RM20,000 fine or 10-year jail sentence under Section 31(1) of the Child Act.

“In the past, such cases were naturally sensitive and difficult to handle, given that parents had just lost a child. However, it is time to highlight that parents and guardians can be held accountable for such incidents,” she said yesterday. Commenting on a recent case in George Town, Penang, where 10-year-old Kuhesri Nadarajah accidentally hanged herself at her flat after being left alone, Shahrizat said parents must realise that a child should never be left at home alone under any circumstance.

Shahrizat wanted police to give priority to investigations of cases involving children.

She said the welfare department and the National Population and Family Planning Board had been asked to organise more awareness campaigns to prevent such incidents from happening.

She added that reasons given for leaving children at home alone, such as job commitment, were unacceptable.

“Seek other options such as placing children in nurseries or day-care centres,” she said. Source

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NS trainee gives birth in Sabah camp toilet
May 12, 2010 (Wednesday)

PAPA

An 18-year-old National Service trainee has given birth to a healthy baby boy in a toilet at Camp Ovai in Papar, some 30km from the city.

The birth was discovered by fellow trainees who heard the infant crying in the toilet at about 2.30am yesterday.

Papar district police chief Deputy Supt Nik Zaidi Nik Zakaria said upon hearing the baby's cry, the fellow trainees entered the toilet and found the baby still covered in blood and the umbilical cord attached.

He said the trainee and her 2.6kg baby were taken to the Papar district hospital where they were reported to be in good condition.

DSP Nik Zaidi said initial investigations showed that the trainee from the interior Keningau district had been in a relationship with a 20-year-old man from her hometown.

The trainee had been at the camp since March.

DSP Nik Zaidi said the National Service authorities should consider requiring all future female trainees to undergo pregnancy tests to avoid any untoward incidents. Source

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Four more H1N1 cases identified in Ampang
May 04, 2010 (Tuesday)

PAPA

Four more Influenza A(H1N1) positive cases have been confirmed in Ukay Perdana here, health director-general Tan Sri Dr Mohd Ismail Merican said.

The new cases raised the total so far to 13,748 people until 8.30am yesterday, he said in a statement.

He said three were admitted to private hospitals and another received outpatient treatment.

All four were given anti-viral medication.

Individuals suffering from fever, cough and cold, pregnant women, diabetic patients, the obese or those with symptoms of the H1N1 must seek treatment.

The public are encouraged to take preventive measures by getting vaccinated at 104 centres throughout the country, he said.

“Most deaths related to the H1N1 infection were those with high-risk factors.

“When they suffer such complications, they are vulnerable to bacteria infection that can cause death in some cases,” he added.

Meanwhile, there was joy for the Malaysian Thomas Cup and Uber Cup squads as they were free from H1N1.

National Sports Institute director-general Datuk Dr Ramlan Aziz said the squads received the all-clear from a second test conducted jointly by the institute and the Federal Territory Health Department during a training stint at Juara Stadium, Bukit Kiara this morning.

“Despite the all-clear scan, the institute and the health department will continue to monitor the squads to avoid any risk of infection,” he added.

He said a medical team would also be stationed at a hotel where foreign players were putting up to check on their health condition.

The Chinese badminton squad is scheduled to arrive tomorrow while others on Friday. — Bernama

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Family wonders if baby could have been saved
May 04, 2010 (Tuesday)

PAPA

The family members of accident victim Linda Gayathiry Fernandez, 29, are questioning if the life of her full-term unborn baby Princess Mabel could have been saved.

Linda’s mother Ispiry Raman Fernandez, 54, questioned whether efforts could have been made to save the life of the baby, who was removed from Linda’s womb at 10.30am on Saturday, nearly 10 hours after the accident.

She said an official from the Penang Hospital contacted the family after her daughter’s funeral yesterday and that the family would meet with the hospital’s representative today.

“The accident happened at 12.45am on Saturday. When my family was contacted at 3.25am, we rushed to the hospital.

“At the emergency unit, we asked about Linda but were told that no such person had been admitted there.

“We then asked about her husband Prince Emmanuel Edore, and only then were we told that Linda’s body had been sent to the mortuary,” said Ispiry.

The family had expressed their suspicions to Bukit Bendera MP Liew Chin Tong who attended the funeral with Pulau Tikus assemblyman Koay Teng Hai.

Liew said he contacted Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai who promised to investigate.

He also said that state Health, Welfare, Caring Society and Environment Committee chairman Phee Boon Poh had instructed that an inquiry be carried out.

State Health Department director Datuk Dr Teh Lei Choo said there was an ongoing investigation. Source

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Malaysians take too much salt
April 21, 2010 (Wednesday)

PAPA

The salt intake by Malaysians is 25% higher than that set by the World Health Organisation, said Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.

He said the Malaysian Dietary Guidelines 2010 stated that the salt intake should not exceed one teaspoon or 5gm a day, which is equivalent to 2,000mg of natrium a day.

“However, the Food Intake Among Malaysian Adults Research 2002/2003 study stated that the natrium intake for adults is 2,575mg a day,” he said at a campaign on reducing sugar intake here yesterday.

Liow said Malaysians should make amends as high salt consumption was closely related to high blood pressure.

“The National Health and Morbidity Survey III (2006) found that the prevalence of hypertension among Malaysian adults is 43%,” he said.

Liow added that in Malaysia, labelling was not required for nitrate as the focus of nutritional labelling catered only to four key nutrients – energy, protein, carbohydrate and fats.

“However, we do monitor the contents in processed food and encourage manufacturers to produce low-salt food,” he said, adding that canned luncheon meat and sardines had high salt content.

“We urge the public to take more fresh food instead,” he added.

On sugar intake, Liow said obese adults increased from 4.4% in 1996 to 14% in 2006.

“Studies also showed that the prevalence of diabetes among those above 30 years old has increased from 8.3% in 1996 to 14.9% in 2006,” he added. Source

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Four-year-old girl from Sibu is latest victim of A(H1N1)
April 20, 2010 (Tuesday)

PAPA

A four-year-old girl from Sibu died on Sunday after catching the Influenza A(H1N1) virus.

Her death was classified under Category 2 — described as deaths indirectly caused by the virus.

Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said the girl died from pneumonia and blood poisoning with an underlying H1N1 infection.

There were 31 new H1N1 cases detected as of yesterday, bringing the number of people admitted into hospitals with influenza-like illnesses to 550.

To date, 13,158 patients have been diagnosed with H1N1.

“Out of this number, 66 have tested positive for H1N1 and 13 are in intensive care. Ten of those in ICU are patients in the high-risk group,” Liow told reporters at a press conference after visiting the 12th Defence Ser—vices Asia (DSA) exhibition at PWTC here yesterday.

Liow reiterated this was not the second A(H1N1) wave.

“We are also monitoring if the virus has mutated to a more deadly form.

“So far, it has not, although the transmission rate is still high because we have not built up immunity to the virus yet,” he said.

Liow urged those in the high-risk group to get vaccinated as other complications could arise if they caught the virus.

He added that anti-viral medication did not kill the virus but only slowed down its reproduction rate while human antibodies killed the virus.

In Putrajaya, Health Ministry director-general Tan Sri Dr Ismail Merican said only one cluster case – involving two students from SMK Bukit Sentosa 2 in Rawang – was alerted to health authorities between Sunday and yesterday morning.

He said one of the students was admitted to the hospital while another received outpatient treatment, adding that both were given anti-viral medication.

The ministry was waiting for the results of their laboratory tests.

“Parents and teachers should keep a close eye on the health status of students,” he said. Source

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H1N1 survivor baby to grow up in large family
April 18, 2010 (Sunday)

PAPA

The baby girl who was delivered by Caesarean section even as her mother lay dying of Influenza A(H1N1) earlier this month is doing fine.

Baby Noralia Qalisyia Mustazah, who is 17 days old, is being looked after by her father Mustazah Sarmat’s family in Kampung Teluk Rimba near here.

Mustazah, 29, said his mother, Jamilah Lebar, asked him to bring the baby and his other three-year-old daughter, Noraina Batlisyia, from Malacca where he was living.

“My parents’ house has seven bedrooms. Several of my sisters and a sister-in-law are living in the house.

“There will always be people to look after my children.

“My first daughter also likes living here as there are many people in the house,” he said yesterday.

Mustazah, a lorry driver, said that although his wife Sumarni Mah Nor died, God gave him a beautiful daughter and he thanked the doctors at the Malacca Hospital for saving the baby.

Jamilah, 56, has 10 children and several of them are living with her along with their families.

She said Noralia Qalisyia would not be neglected.

She added that it was very tragic for Mustazah to have lost both his wife and his mother-in-law within three days.

However, Jamilah said life had to go on.

“We all will share our responsibility in looking after his children from now,” she said. Source

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Couple held over toddler’s death
April 15, 2010 (Thursday)

PAPA

A three-year-old girl believed to have been abused for over a month by her stepfather has died, prompting police to arrest the man and the mother.

The stepfather, 27, and mother, 24, were arrested by police soon after the girl was taken to Poliklinik Komuniti Seri Kembangan. The stepfather had taken the child, identified as Jasmine Lee, to the clinic after he found her unconscious at their apartment unit in Bukit Serdang at 7.45am yesterday.

A doctor who examined the child found more than 30 bruises on her body, arms, legs, back and head. She was pronounced dead during a medical examination at the clinic.

Sources said the girl was beaten on several occasions by the stepfather and the injury marks on her body pointed to constant abuse.

The doctor, who suspected something amiss when the stepfather could not explain how the girl had suffered such injuries, then alerted the police.

Selangor deputy CID chief Asst Comm Khaw Kok Chin said the stepfather was detained at the clinic while police picked up the mother at their home at 12.45pm.

“Jasmine was not sexually abused and there were no cuts on her,” he said.

A post-mortem was conducted at the Serdang Hospital. ACP Khaw said the stepfather, a mechanic, lost his job at a workshop last month and claimed that he married the woman about a year ago after she separated from her husband.

“After being jobless, he spent most of his time at the apartment with the woman who is a housewife,” he said, adding that the couple were being detained at the Subang Jaya police headquarters.

ACP Khaw urged those with information to assist police in their investigations by calling (Selangor Rakan COP hotline at 03-2052 9999, SMS to 32728 or the Subang Jaya police headquarters at 03-8948 48220).

A nearby resident, who only wanted to be known as Sham, said he had heard the girl crying constantly and screaming for several weeks. Source

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Public urged to take precautions as H1N1 claims another victim
April 14, 2010 (Wednesday)

PAPA

A 42-year-old lawyer died of Influenza A(H1N1) on Monday, barely two weeks after two women died from complications from influenza-like illness.

Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Ismail Merican said the man died at a private hospital in Johor Baru where he was admitted on April 4, after showing symptoms for nine days.

Laboratory test showed that the victim, who was in the high-risk category, was infected with A(H1N1) and suffered from several complications such as acute kidney failure and sepsis.

“He was treated at the Intensive Care Unit but his condition took a turn for the worse and he died on April 12. The cause of death was H1N1 pneumonia with acute respiratory distress syndrome,” Dr Ismail told a press conference yesterday.

Dr Ismail said the two earlier deaths reported were not “part of the statistics as their deaths were not directly related to H1N1”.

Early this month, it was reported that a 29-year-old pregnant woman and her elderly mother from Malacca had died of Influenza A(H1N1).

According to the Health Ministry, 678 cases of influenza-like illness were treated at hospitals nationwide as of Monday, with 66 people confirmed to have been infected with A(H1N1). Five were warded in the ICU.

Dr Ismail stressed that the country was not experiencing a second wave of A(H1N1), adding that if that was to happen, it would be different with a more virulent virus.

“Even though we are not facing a second wave, the ministry has already prepared for it since the A(H1N1) pandemic broke last year.

“The public, however, can reduce the possibility of getting infected by taking the necessary precautions, including taking care of their health and personal hygiene,” he said.

Meanwhile, family members of the lawyer tried their best to save him and, as a last resort, transferred him to a hospital in Singapore.

A close family member, who declined to be named, said the victim, Harith Fansuri Abdul Rahman, 42, was first admitted to a private medical centre in Johor Baru but transferred to the island republic when his health deteriorated.

She said Harith initially only showed flu-like symptoms but later complained that he could not stand the pain and wanted to be admitted to a hospital.

“He was coughing blood when he was admitted to the hospital,” she said, adding that the doctor had initially told the family there was nothing to worry about.

“He died at the hospital in Singapore even before they had a chance to treat him,” she said after attending Harith’s funeral at the Kebun Teh Muslim cemetery yesterday evening. Source

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H1N1 meeting to ensure agencies ready for the worse
April 13, 2010 (Tuesday)

PAPA

The Health Ministry will call a technical committee meeting this week to ensure that all relevant agencies get the latest on the Influenza A(H1N1) and to prepare for any eventuality, said its minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.

“They are also to keep the public informed so that the public understand the situation clearly,” Liow said after launching the Healthcare Tourism Congress 2010 at the KLCC Convention centre here yesterday.

Liow said the growing number of A(H1N1) cases had yet to reach the stage of the first wave which occurred last year. “According to surveillance, clinics received only 1.14% of outpatients that had influenza-like illness (ILI).

“Compared to last year, it shows a 10% increase of outpatient ILI. This number shows that we will (have to) continue to increase surveillance and treatment in hospitals and awareness programmes for the public.

“The technical committee is called so that all relevant government agencies are active and ready for any outbreak,” he said. Source

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Many children die in road accidents
April 10, 2010 (Saturday)

PAPA

Road accidents claimed the lives of 410 children aged between one and 15 years in the country in 2008 while another 2,797 suffered slight to serious injuries, according to the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros).

The highest number of fatalities involved children between the ages of 11 and 15, with a total of 213 fatalities nationwide, it said in a statement Friday.

Forty-three percent of these road fatalities occurred on motorcycles where the children were either directly responsible for riding or fell victim as pillion riders.

Another 24% were involved in car collisions while 18% of the fatalities were made up of pedestrians.

iven the high rate of accidents involving children in Malaysia, Miros hopes to promote greater understanding and appreciation for good road safety awareness at the Smart Kids Education Fair at the Putra World Trade Centre from Friday until Sunday.

Miros has lined up a number of activities and games designed to teach children the positive values of road safety and how they can better protect themselves on the road.

Miros also hopes that parents and adults will play a more active role in inculcating basic and good road safety values in their children.

"It is imperative that children, especially those who are schooling, have a good basic foundation and understanding of what is road safety. This is also precisely why road safety is currently being actively pursued and taught in schools," said Miros Director-General Prof Dr Ahmad Farhan Mohd Sadullah.

He said one could not expect children to absorb and remember everything about road safety.

Dr Ahmad Farhan said much of their behaviour as road users was more often than not the result of emulating their parents and the conduct of other adults.

"This is something that is both potentially advantageous and dangerous. What this essentially means is that parents and adults must lead by example, from displaying the correct attitude on the road to abiding by the traffic regulations.

“Over time, it is these values that are more effectively absorbed."

He also cautioned parents against permitting children, particularly unlicensed teenagers, from taking to the roads on motorcycles and, at times, cars as these acts are potentially dangerous.

He added that while these children or underage teenagers might possess the desired skills to commandeer these vehicles, they were most likely to be unaware of traffic regulations and the proper road etiquette which ultimately exposed them to a higher risk of being involved in an accident.

These acts also endangered other road users, he said.

Similar to inculcating other values in children, Dr Ahmad Farhan stressed that a good understanding and appreciation of road safety awareness from a young age would help to shape a more responsible society of motorists in the future. - Bernama

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Give citizenship for babies born overseas
April 10, 2010 (Saturday)

PAPA

Children born overseas to Malaysian women married to foreign spouses should be granted citizenship.

This is one of the pressing issues the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry is pushing the relevant ministries and Govern-ment agencies to address.

“It is time for this issue to be resolved to achieve gender equality.

“The initiative will overcome the difficulties faced by Malay-

sian women married to foreign spouses,” said Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil in a press statement yesterday.

She added that Malaysian women, who faced problems in securing citizenship for their children, might leave the country to seek a more secure future for their children.

“The ministry has requested the Home Affair Ministry to consider the amendments to the existing legislation,” said Shahrizat.

In the meantime, she suggested the Government introduce administrative measures to facilitate the application of citizenship for children born overseas by Malaysian women married to foreign spouses. Source

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Pregnant woman dies but docs save baby
April 04, 2010 (Sunday)

PAPA

A 29-year-old pregnant woman with Influenza A(H1N1) has died but doctors have been able to save her baby.

The baby, confirmed to be H1N1 negative, is now in the intensive care unit.

“She is in a stable condition,” said Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.

The woman, who was in her 36th week of pregnancy, died two days after her 54-year-old mother died of H1N1 complications.

They were admitted last Tuesday.

Liow said in a statement yesterday that the woman had earlier shown signs of foetal distress syndrome. She died of “adult respiratory distress syndrome” on Friday.

Her mother faced uncontrolled diabetes which led to severe metabolic acidosis caused by infections (sepsis) and kidney failure.

“A lung x-ray did not show signs of pneumonia which was related to H1N1. The elder woman’s death on Wednesday was caused by complications from diabetes,” he said.

At a press conference after a function as the Kuala Kubu Baru Hospital, Liow stressed that the two cases were due to H1N1 complications and not direct H1N1 deaths.

The two deaths, he said, showed how crucial it was for people with chronic diseases such as asthma, diabetes and lung illnesses to seek immediate treatment if they were suffering from symptoms of influenza like illness such as high fever (more than 38˚C), coughing and headaches.

He urged the public not to panic following the two new H1N1 related cases.

“This is not a second outbreak of H1N1 but just a sign of increasing cases in influenza like illness or H1N1 related cases,” he said.

The ministry, he said, would issue a statement or call for a press conference every Wednesday to provide an update on the situation in the country.

He also reminded hospitals and medical officers to put more attention to any H1N1 suspected cases.

“The first three to four days are crucial. I want all hospital officers to take note and take immediate action on any such cases,” he said, adding that as of 5pm on Friday, there are 351 patients with influenza like illness being treated in hospitals nationwide.

Out of the number, 28 cases were confirmed H1NI, added Liow. Source

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Malaysian minister rejects reform to curb child marriages
March 17, 2010 (Wednesday)

PAPA

Malaysia's religion minister on Tuesday defended Islamic laws that allow girls under 16 to marry, amid a controversy over two youngsters who were married off to middle-aged men.

The issue has flared in Malaysia after reports that two girls aged 10 and 11 were wed in the conservative northern state of Kelantan last month. They have now been removed from their husbands.

Rights groups have called for the reform of Islamic laws that allow marriage under the age of 16 if religious officials give their consent. Sharia law runs in parallel with civil law in multi-ethnic Malaysia.

"There is no need to amend the law," Jamil Khir Baharom, a cabinet minister in charge of religious affairs, told reporters.

"The law already exists... marrying someone aged 16 and below requires the consent of the court. The court does not simply grant the consent," he said.

"Maturity is a subjective question. It depends on the development of the person. Maturity is not based on age solely."

Pressure group Sisters in Islam has called for an end to child marriages, saying the practice was "unacceptable" but continued in Malaysia because of a "belief that Muslim girls can be married off once they reach puberty".

"The minimum age of marriage for Muslim girls must be raised to 18 to be in compliance with the Child Act which defines children as those below the age of 18," it said in a statement.

Other citizens in the multicultural country -- where the population is dominated by Muslim Malays -- are not permitted to marry before the age of 18.

Malaysian authorities are investigating the case of the two girls in Kelantan, both linked to a man who is accused of leading an Islamic cult.

He is accused of marrying the 11-year-old girl and giving away his 10-year-old daughter to a family friend.

Sharia court officials told the New Straits Times Tuesday the 11-year-old's marriage was not approved in court.

The girl was found outside a mosque in the nation's capital over the weekend and is now being treated in hospital.

Women, family and community development minister Shahrizat Abdul Jalil has spoken out against the practice.

"A child of that age does not have the choice or capacity to give her full consent and, as such, child marriage is viewed within the context of force and coercion," she said in a statement to AFP. Source

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Manhunt on for kindergarten attacker
March 10, 2010 (Wednesday)

PAPA

Johor police have launched what they described as a “massive manhunt” for a man who attacked a kindergarten on Wednesday morning, injuring three children with a hammer before fleeing.

Johor police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Mohd Mokhtar Mohd Shariff told reporters that “all the department’s resources” would be deployed towards nabbing the attacker, whom they believe was of unsound mind.

“We believe he is mentally unstable as no one in their right mind would want to hit or hurt children with a hammer.

“I have also directed our intelligence unit and special branch members to collect all information regarding the attacker.

“We have also directed the Muar police to work with the Ledang and Batu Pahat police on this case,” he said.

The three six-year-old pupils, including a girl, were seriously injured when the man wearing a crash helmet rushed into their kindergarten centre and hit them on the heads with a hammer.

The pupils from Tadika Sinario along Lorong Haji Ali near Jalan Junid here were rushed to the Sultanah Fatimah Specialist Hospital at about 10.20am.

According to the kindergarten operator Voon Siew Kuin, 45, the attacker jumped over the fence and kicked open the grill door of the kindergarten before attacking the pupils.

She said when the man entered the kindergarten she had asked him what he wanted, but he threw pepper powder at her before attacking the pupils.

He hit two boys and a girl on their heads with the hammer before running out and fleeing on his motorcycle.

“We rushed the three pupils to the hospital as they were bleeding heavily from their head wounds,” Voon said at the kindergarten.

She said there were about 20 pupils at the kindergarten when the incident happened.

The three children -- Vincent Tey, Alex Tan and Nur Nadrah Nabilah Mohd Yusri -- underwent emergency treatment.

According to Nur Nadrah Nabilah’s father Mohd Yusri Mukhlis, she had suffered some cracks on the skull and had a concussion but her condition was not critical.

He said someone had earlier told him that his daughter had been killed at her kindergarten and he passed the message to his wife Farah Asyikin Abu Samah.

“I was shocked and scared when I heard my daughter had died and my wife went limp when she heard the bad news.

“However, after I went to the hospital and met with the doctors, I was relieved,” he said at the hospital, where his wife later joined him.

Hospital director Dr Ahmad Pauzi Abu said the three children were in stable condition. Source

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Beng Hock is the dad
February 25, 2010 (Thursday)

PAPA

Teoh Beng Hock’s family had another reason to rejoice when he was officially recorded as the father of Er Jia, his newborn son, by the National Registration Department.

“We are so happy and relieved that our request was granted today when the National Registration Department in Putrajaya issued the baby’s birth certificate with Beng Hock recorded as his father,” Beng Hock’s sister Lee Lan told reporters here yesterday.

She said the family was also grateful to the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak for personally looking into the matter.

Beng Hock, 30, was the political secretary to Selangor executive council member Ean Yong Hian Wah. He was found dead in Plaza Masalam, Shah Alam, on July 16 last year, hours after he was questioned by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission.

Soh, 29, was two months pregnant at the time and there had been questions over the legality of Beng Hock being named as the unborn child’s father as the couple had yet to register their union.

Several appeals were made by the family including a personal request to Najib who assured them that he would look into their request.

Lee Lan said the family was also thankful to the Prime Minister’s wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, who had said that it was only right that the child bear the father’s name.

Adding that it was a much appreciated Chinese New Year gift for the family, Lee Lan said the family had been anxious over the last few months as they did not know if the authorities would allow Beng Hock to be recognised as the baby’s father in the birth certificate.

She said she received a call from the Home Minister’s special officer Datuk Lau Yeng Peng on Chinese New Year eve informing her of the authorities’ decision.

“I immediately told my parents the good news and then called my sister-in-law Cher Wei. However, we were told not to make any media statements about it until the birth certificate was issued,” she added.

Lee Lan said Er Jia means “offspring of Teoh.”

Meanwhile, Teoh’s father Leong Hwee, 62, said he was happy with the outcome as Er Jia would be his first grandson to carry on the family name. Source

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Polygamy on the rise in Malaysia
February 19, 2010 (Friday)

PAPA

Rohaya and her family, which has produced 17 children aged between seven and 21, are among growing numbers of Malaysians entering into polygamous marriages, a phenomenon that observers say is linked to rising "Islamisation".

Critics say that the practice, legal for Muslims who make up 60 percent of the multi-ethnic population, is out of step with modern times and that it degrades the lives of women and children.

But Rohaya and her fellow wives say the arrangement works just fine for them, allowing them to easily juggle childcare, domestic duties and careers in their busy households.

The undisputed head of the family, 43-year-old husband Mohamad Ikram Ashaari, shuttles between the women's separate homes, spending a night with each in rotation before they join up on the weekends for family time.

He has taken a new wife every five years, starting with Juhaidah Yusof, a softly spoken 41-year-old who takes care of all the youngsters, and concluding with pretty 30-year-old Rubaizah Rejab, an Arabic language teacher.

His second wife, divorce lawyer Kartini Maarof, introduced him to number-three Rohaya -- who had sought the lawyer's services while divorcing her first husband, with whom she had seven children.

"She could see how busy I was so she offered me her husband. Initially I said no as I didn't want to hurt her... and my dad was really against it because polygamy has never been seen in a positive light," she says.

The family, part of the controversial Ikhwan Polygamy Club which says its mission is to improve the reputation of multiple marriage, believes it is a cure for social ills like adultery and pornography.

"Men by nature are polygamous, they have girlfriends and mistresses, they visit prostitutes -- it is normal," says Rohaya. "God has made men like that."

"But in Islam there is a way out which means you must be responsible for the women you want to be involved with."

They shrug off criticism that the club has its roots in Al-Arqam, a group banned by the Malaysian government which called it an illegal Islamic sect.

There has been particular controversy over plans to spread the club abroad, with branches in Indonesia to add to its network of 1,000 members across Southeast Asia, Australia, the Middle East and Europe.

Mohamad Ikram is a director with Global Ikhwan, a company whose diverse activities include restaurants and noodle manufacturing and which also manages the club.

"We want to say that polygamy works if you follow the rules of God. We don't expect people to follow but we want to change the mindset," says Rohaya.

The women say that in such a big household, friction is inevitable but they have learned to resolve their problems.

"It's a big family so it's normal that sometimes we argue, sometimes we get on, sometimes we get jealous," says Kartini.

The four wives seem to have an easy rapport with each other and their offspring, who troop in from school dressed in traditional flowing outfits before touching their foreheads to the hand of a visitor in a polite greeting.

But sociologist Norani Othman from pressure group Sisters in Islam says that these educated women and thriving children are not the typical polygamous family.

She says the practice's original purpose has been warped, and that the strict conditions to ensure women are fairly treated are routinely ignored.

"The Koran speaks of polygamy under certain circumstances -- for example, a war where you have lots of war widows and orphans. Historically a kind of emergency or welfare measure," she says.

These days, men can rarely afford to properly care for multiple wives and hordes of children, particularly in Malaysia's urban areas where the practice is becoming increasingly popular.

Her research has found that first wives, who often refuse to sanction the new marriage, are cut off financially and emotionally -- plunging them into poverty and depression.

Noraini says that up to five percent of marriages in Malaysia are polygamous, a figure that has risen as rules limiting multiple marriage have been watered down over the years.

"Over the past 15 years you can see a gradual increase... coinciding with the rise of Islamic revivalism, of Islamic fundamentalism," she said, adding it was likely there had been a further steep rise in the past few years.

"The impact of conservative Islam is that it gives an impression to ordinary faithful Muslims to just practice polygamy without seriously thinking of its repercussions."

But Mohamad Ikram and his family insist that polygamy can work well if those involved adhere to the rules laid out in the Muslim holy book, the Koran.

"I consider myself lucky that I have four wives, it reduces the temptation to commit sin," he says.

"Even though it's already enough, there's always the desire to have more -- one isn't satisfied with just four," he adds with a smile. Source

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Baby girl sets record
February 05, 2010 (Friday)

PAPA

A baby girl has officially set a Malaysian record by the unique circumstances of her birth.

One-year-old Wong Wai Jing and her mother, June Tan, 47, were listed in the Malaysian Book of Records (MBR) on Jan 19, 2010, after a one-month survey conducted by MBR confirmed that the 10-year-old frozen embryo used to conceive Wai Jing was indeed frozen for the longest time to successfully produce a child in the country.

“There are other embryos that were stored for longer periods in Malaysia, but they have not been used or were discarded,” said Dr Chung Chow Cheang, the fertility specialist who performed the in-vitro fertilisation procedure on Tan in 2008.

“This is the first time a 10-year-old embryo has been used to successfully conceive a child in Malaysia,” he added.

Worldwide, there were limited cases of successful births using frozen embryos stored for long periods of time due to concern that the quality of the embryo might decline over time.

The birth here may indicate that embryos frozen for a long time could still be used safely to help couples conceive, Dr Chung said.

Met at her house, Tan, accompanied by her husband, K.K. Wong, 48, said she was exhilarated to find out about the new record.

“I never thought of applying for the record, until my friend commented that my baby is a miracle baby because no one in Malaysia had attempted it before,” she said.

Asked whether she still wanted another baby, Tan said she would keep her options open but would prefer to conceive naturally. Source

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More than half a million babies born last year
January 22, 2010 (Friday)

PAPA

Malaysia welcome the birth of 516,645 babies last year, an increase of 3.9 per cent or 20,231 from 2008.

Selangor continued to record the highest birth rate with 80,110 babies, followed by Sabah (60,190) and Johor (58,597), according to statistics compiled by the National Registration Department.

In 2008, Selangor was ahead with 76,932 births, Johor 58,517 and Sabah 51,773.

A total of 129,922 deaths were reported last year compared with 123,335 in 2008, which is an increase of 5.1 per cent or 6,587.

Selangor also recorded the highest number of death at 16,494, followed by Johor (15,749) and Perak (15,467).

According to a report by the Department of Statistics in its website, Malaysia's population in 2007 was 27.17 million and increased to 27.73 million in 2008 and was expected to increase to 28.31 million last year.

Since the past few years, those in the 15 to 64 age category made up 63 per cent of the country's population, below 15 years (32 per cent) and the remaining were those above 65 years old.

A lecturer at the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Marshitah Mohd Radzi, when contacted, said Malaysia had been having a healthy birth rate for the past 10 years.

She said that based on the National Population Policy 1985, Malaysia's population was expected to grow to 70 million people in 2100.

"The growing family size will result in higher expenditure for the family. So, a positive growth in population will be achieved when the elements on family size and income grow in tandem," she said.

She said the birth rate in the urban and rural areas should also be uniform.

According to demographic analysis, Marshitah said the family size of the Chinese in Malaysia was the smallest, followed by Indian.

The Malays still had a big family, she added.

A population and family census is expected to be conducted again this year. Source

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Surprise bundles of joy for couples
January 02, 2010 (Saturday)

PAPA

Early delivery: Noorbaizura and her baby girl at the Seberang Jaya Hospital.

The stork arrived early for a couple in Butterworth, who greeted New Year’s Day with their bundle of joy.

Laboratory technician Mohd Yusoff Hashim, 34, and his wife Noorbaizura Rosidi, 25, had been told by doctors to expect a baby boy on Jan 8.

However, Noorbaizura went into early labour at 3pm on New Year’s eve and delivered a 2.53kg baby girl by Caesarean just after midnight at the Seberang Jaya Hospital.

“I’m grateful anyway for having a daughter. She is our first child after four years of marriage,” said Mohd Yusoff, who confessed to having bought everything in blue to prepare for their baby’s arrival after being told to expect a boy from two ultrasound results.

“Now, we don’t have any clothes for a baby girl,” he said.

It was also an early delivery for clerk Shahmizan Shaikh Kassim and his wife Noorazila Muhiddin, both 25, who celebrated the birth of their baby girl Aryssa Myazarra at the KPJ Penang Specialist Hospi-tal in Bandar Perda at 12.12am.

Shahmizan said Aryssa’s birth was takdir (fated) because she had been due only on Jan 12.

She is the second grandchild in the family to be born on New Year’s day as Aryssa’s cousin Muhammad Shahrein Danish was born on Jan 1, 2007. Read more

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