Category: Singapuraku

Malaysia’s Ministry Of Health Prompt Response In Debunking Fallacies; The Independent Singapore Retracts Its Inflammatory Post

Local socio-political news site The Independent Singapore on Sunday (Sept 3) took down an article claiming that a Singaporean had died after a Malaysian hospital demanded payment before treating him, and apologised “for the anguish and distress this incident has caused”.

Thanking all Malaysians who “supported and (stood) tall” with his ministry in a Facebook post on Sunday, director-general of Malaysia’s Ministry of Health Noor Hisham Abdullah said “our prompt response debunking fallacies (has) resulted in an otherwise arrogant Singaporean portal” retracting its post. He also said The Independent had initially defended its article and had blocked Malaysian IPs from accessing it.

Asked by TODAY about the incident, site publisher Kumaran Pillai said the article was taken down at 8.30am on Sunday to “defuse the situation”.

He added that “a wave of netizens from Malaysia” had flooded the site’s Facebook page last Saturday at around 10pm calling for the article to be taken down, which led the team to geo-block Malaysians.

Then, a “series of attacks” brought its site down, which could only be restored Sunday morning. The netizens also left comments, some of which were “inflammatory and racially explosive”.

Last Saturday, the Malaysian Health Ministry had said it would lodge a formal complaint with Singapore over allegations made in online reports on the death of 25-year-old Singaporean Justinian Tan which had hurt the country’s image as well as the reputation of its healthcare workers.

Tan and a friend, who were in Johor Baru for supper with four others, were injured in a hit-and-run accident on Aug 25. Mr Joshua De Rozario, one of those in the group, had told media that the ambulance took 30 minutes to arrive.

When they arrived at Johor’s largest hospital, the Sultanah Aminah Hospital, he said they were asked to pay RM2,700 (S$860) before the medical crew would conduct scans on the two men. The hospital then requested another RM1,350 for Tan’s operation, but the family asked for him to be transferred to Singapore General Hospital (SGH) after learning the brain operation would be conducted by a “medical officer” instead of a surgeon.

Tan was pronounced brain dead at SGH last Monday, and taken off life support early on Wednesday.

Malaysia had refuted the allegations, with Dr Hisham issuing a statement last Friday that a team at the hospital’s emergency department initiated the necessary X-rays and scans, as well as treatment such as intubation, “in a very timely and professional manner, without asking for any deposit since this is an emergency case”.

He also said the ambulance had responded in a “very timely” manner, with a “despatch time of two minutes and response time of 13 minutes”.

Source: http://www.todayonline.com

September 4, 2017
Tragic Fatal Accident Of 1 Singaporean; Friends Recounts Horror Caused By Malaysia Hit-And-Run Driver

The Johor traffic police chief said on Thursday (Aug 31) that “action will be taken” against the driver who allegedly knocked down two 25-year-old Singaporeans in Johor Baru.

Undergraduate Justinian Tan was killed, while his friend Brandon Yeo broke a bone in his thigh, in the Aug 25 accident. The duo and four other friends had driven across the Causeway for supper.

The victims’ friends had said earlier that the Johor police had told them that the driver was not arrested even though he had turned himself in.

In a telephone interview with TODAY, Superintendent Dzulkhairi Mukhtar said the driver involved in the accident “will be arrested”.

Tan, a student at Kaplan Singapore, was pronounced brain dead at Singapore General Hospital (SGH) on Monday, and taken off life support early on Wednesday.

At about 3am on Aug 25, the six friends, all from the same St Gabriel’s Primary School batch, were about to enter their car parked at Jalan Dato Abdullah Tahir — about a 15-minute drive from the Johor Baru customs complex — when another car swerved towards them, hitting Tan and Mr Yeo.

Mr Yeo, an insurance agent, broke his femur, but has since been discharged from hospital.

Mr Joshua De Rozario, a member of the group, said the errant car’s brake lights were not even on, and it “kept going straight” at them.

“Justinian flew about 15 to 20 metres (and started) choking and moving frantically with blood in his mouth,” said the 25-year-old medical imaging student, who tried to remove the blood and saliva from his friend’s mouth.

The driver then drove off instead of helping them, the friends said. The rest of them were not injured. The police and ambulance arrived about 30 minutes later. By then, about 100 people had gathered along the street.

The police then told the four friends to “clean up the blood”, Mr De Rozario said, adding that the area was not cordoned off.

FROM JB HOSPITAL TO SGH

When the victims arrived at Johor’s Sultanah Aminah Hospital, Mr De Rozario said they were asked to pay RM2,700 (S$860) first before the medical crew would conduct scans on the two men. The friends were told of the duo’s prognosis about four hours later.

The hospital then requested another RM1,350, as Tan needed an operation because he had severe bleeding and a blood clot in the left side of his brain.

His parents, who had arrived at the hospital by then, were told their son had a “50-50 chance of survival”.

However, when they were told that the brain operation would be conducted by a “medical officer” instead of a surgeon, the family asked for Mr Tan to be transferred to SGH, said Ms Jaslene Tan, 29, one of his three siblings.

Sultanah Aminah Hospital could not be reached for comment.

The family also sought help from the Singapore Consulate-General in Johor Baru for the cross-border hospital transfer, and it arranged for a Malaysia-operated private ambulance.

Ms Tan said the ambulance ride back to Singapore took an hour and 15 minutes. The ambulance personnel told the family that they could not use the ambulance siren as they might be issued with a traffic summon.

By the time Mr Tan was admitted to SGH, it had been almost 10 hours since the accident. Doctors at the hospital said that too long a time had passed, and “Justinian’s injuries were too severe”, said Mr De Rozario.

The incident is now treated as a coroner’s case in Johor, said Mr De Rozairo, who filed a police report on Tuesday upon hearing that the car had been identified.

“The matter is currently in the magistrate’s hands,” he said.

DIFFERENT PROCEDURES

Several lawyers told TODAY that accident procedures are handled differently in Malaysia. Mr Peter Ong, director of Templars Law LLC in Singapore, said in a hit-and-run case, the Malaysian police would typically “find the plate number and go to the (driver’s) house” to complete a report.

“They might not arrest on the spot, but they may charge the person when investigations reveal (more) later … (It’s not unfair in the sense that) they are still investigating the incident. It is not letting him (the driver involved in an accident) off,” said Mr Ong, a Malaysian who used to practise law in his country.

“But in Singapore, they would arrest first, then (the driver) would be let out on bail.”

Mr Richard Tan, from Johor-based P L Tan & Tan, said that while the “prudent thing” to do is to make an arrest, detain the vehicle and make sure “no evidence is tampered with”, a lot of these procedures are carried out at the discretion of the police.

The police might have felt that it was not necessary to make an arrest “if the person cooperated and said what exactly happened, (and) it was consistent with what the witnesses saw”. “The only explanation he has to give is why he sped off,” said Mr Tan.

One common explanation that drivers often give is that they “are fearful because they might get bashed up for being negligent”, he added.

Mr Ong said there is a mentality among some Malaysian drivers that if they knock somebody down, it would be better to drive away in case bystanders turn on them and attack them.

Under Singapore laws, motorists who are involved in an accident in which a person or animal is injured, or where another vehicle or structure is damaged, will have to stop their vehicles. They must also provide the necessary assistance.

The penalty for hit-and-run accidents is a fine of up to S$3,000 or up to 12 months’ jail.

Source: http://www.todayonline.com

September 1, 2017
(Reader Contribution) Rakyat Malaysia Ditindas Oleh Orang Luar

This reader, a Malaysian, mentioned that foreigners like those from Singapore and Australia are taking advantage of the good exchange rate for Malaysian currency by purchasing properties and assets in Malaysia, not just one or two, but more than that. Do you agree with him?

***

Maaf, saya nak berkongsi rasa. Saya join group keluarga Singapura. Group ni terdiri dari saudara mara saya di Singapura dan Australia. Baru sempat baca whatsapp mereka petang tadi. Hari ni mereka upload gambar penduduk singapura dan australia reramai keluar beratur panjang beli duit ringgit kita sebab duit kita jatuh teruk. Berita tentang negara kita memang panaslah kat negara luar.

Penduduk luar sangat gembira dengan kejatuhan ringgit ni termasuklah saudara mara saya. Saudara mara saya banyak beli aset di Malaysia. Saudara mara saya bukan beli aset satu dua aje di Malaysia tapi lebih. Hampir setiap dari mereka ada aset di sini. Rumah, tanah, rumah kedai yang tak mampu kita termasuk saya miliki, mereka mampu beli.

Saya rasa sedih sangat. Bukan sebab cemburu or dengki tapi kesian pada nasib kita rakyat Malaysia ni. Saya guru sejarah, paatriotik saya terusik. Saya bimbang satu hari nanti kita hanya bangga sebagai rakyat Malaysia tapi kita dhaif tak punya apa-apa di negara kita sendiri. Keadaan itu sudah hampir jadi realiti. Bila kita kejar keuntungan, kita jugak yang rugi akhirnya. Adik saya jurutera di putrajaya holdings, buat rumah semi d, harga rm6 juta.

Saya tanya habis tak terjual. Adik saya kata habis, dibeli oleh orang luar singapura, taiwan, australia. Sedih kalau kita terpaksa merempat di bumi kita sendiri. Nak salahkan mereka? Tepuk dad, sesamalah kita renungkan. Saya tak salahkan mereka bila kita sendiri yang membuka ruang, peluang dan kesempatan untuk mereka.

Source: Bukhari

August 31, 2017
Halimah Yacob: “The idea of doing good is something that is so expansive”

Addressing criticism of her ungrammatical campaign slogan for her presidential bid, Madam Halimah Yacob said that she settled on “Do Good Do Together” because “it’s catchy, it’s easy to understand, easy for everyone to relate”. She was speaking to the media after submitting her application forms to the Elections Department (ELD) to stand in next month’s Presidential Election (PE) — the last of three aspirants who have publicly announced their intention to take part in the race. On Tuesday, the former Speaker of Parliament unveiled her campaign slogan — “Do Good Do Together”. Touted as a call to action, she said that the tagline embodies her goal to create an inclusive society for all. It has since received criticism from netizens for being ungrammatical.

Defending her choice of words on Wednesday, Mdm Halimah, 63, said: “I do know that there are also people who support it. (They) find it very good, very impactful. The idea of doing good is something that is so expansive. It covers many things — wanting to see Singapore doing better, Singaporeans doing better, getting the collective support of everyone to stay united so that we can progress together.” Arriving at the ELD building at Prinsep Link in a black Toyota car at 10.40am on Wednesday, Mdm Halimah, clad in a yellow headscarf, orange blouse and black slacks, was accompanied by five members of her campaign team. They included Mr Lawrence Leow, former president of the Association of Small and Medium Enterprises and Mr Bob Shaw, Marsiling Citizens’ Consultative Committee chairman. The submission process ended in 20 minutes, and she had left the building by 11.05am.

So far, two other potential contenders for the PE have emerged: Mr Mohamed Salleh Marican, 67, chief executive of Second Chance Properties and Mr Farid Khan Kaim Khan, 62, chairman of marine services provider Bourbon Offshore Asia Pacific. Mr Marican was the first to drop off his forms at the ELD on Aug 23, followed by Mr Farid the next day. This PE has been reserved for the Malay community, following changes to the Elected Presidency passed by Parliament in November last year. The writ of election was issued on Monday, giving presidential hopefuls five working days, until Sept 4, to apply for a certificate of eligibility and a community certificate.

Nomination Day is on Sept 13 and Singapore will head to the polls on Sept 23 if there is more than one eligible candidate. In a press release on the campaigning rules issued on Tuesday, the ELD stressed the need to maintain the dignity of the presidential office during the campaigning period. This was a timely reminder for all potential candidates to conduct themselves properly throughout the election, Mdm Halimah said on Wednesday. Asked for her thoughts on the lead-up to Nomination Day, she said: “So far I think the (process) has been pretty good … From the time the candidates announced their intention to take part in the election till now, I think it’s gone on very well.” More details about her campaign strategy will be unveiled later.

Source: Today

August 31, 2017
Salleh Marican: “I Have Never Worked For Anyone In My Life… I Am My Own Man”

As a young boy, Mohamed Salleh Marican was already looking to earn his own keep. When he was eight, he asked his mother to pay him S$0.90 to collect bread from the bakery instead of having it delivered to their home. At age 12, he walked 2km to and from school every day to save money on transport. He wanted to follow in the footsteps of his father, a textile merchant. That aspiration did not sit well with his mother, who had to raise six children single-handedly after her husband died of illness when Mr Marican was only 15. She was furious when he rejected an offer to sign on as a Lieutenant in the army as he would rather run his own business.

“My mother said to me: ‘Do you think it’s easy to be a businessman?’” the 67-year-old recalled. “She said: ‘Look at your father. His 50 years of running a business had many ups and downs. Why give up a good job with a good position?’” But Mr Marican stuck to his guns and set up a tailoring shop in 1974, when he was in his early 20s. M Salleh Enterprise was located in Peninsula Shopping Centre. After an unsuccessful stint, Mr Marican sold the store for S$15,000. He bought it back five months later for half the price, and named it Second Chance. By 1988, Mr Marican had opened 25 clothing stores in Singapore and Malaysia. But the good times did not last. He had to close 21 stores in four years.

“It caused a lot of uneasiness and fear, in my family, my directors, my management team. I realised how much many people depended on me. I began to feel more for people in trouble, people who are down and out,” Marican said. Still, he was undeterred and Second Chance later became the first Malay-owned firm to be listed on the Singapore Exchange in 1997. These experiences, said Mr Marican, have helped him become more compassionate. “I went through the school of hard knocks. This is when you learn much more about life, about interacting with all types of people. I have never worked for anyone in my life. I never had to answer to any superior or boss. I am my own man. I’ve never been affiliated to any political party or (been) backed by any business or organisation. This is what I can bring to the table.”

“MY MALAY IS YOUR EVERYDAY MALAY”

Despite his successes in business, Mr Marican is well aware that running for the Presidency will not be easy. When he announced in June his intention to contest the election – reserved this year for candidates from the Malay community – many criticised him for his poor command of the Malay language. This was after a video of him stumbling over a Malay word made its rounds on social media. “Actually, I can speak Malay. But my Malay is your everyday Malay,” Mr Marican claimed. “What happened that day is I did not realise they were recording it on Facebook Live. I thought it was done a normal way, that it will be edited later on. So I wanted to use a better Malay word. That is what happened. I learnt a thing or two about the media.”

Mr Marican has since been taking classes to improve his Malay. But that isn’t the only aspect of his life that’s changed since he started preparing for his campaign. He now has less time to read the newspapers, and only recently bought his first mobile phone. “There are so many things to think about and there are so many messages coming in from my team members. Now I realise why they say I must have a handphone … Now I cannot leave home without the handphone,” he said. The businessman’s priorities have also shifted over the years. While making money was the main goal in his younger days, the father of four – three daughters and a son – said he now wants to give back to society.

If elected, Mr Marican said he will donate his entire salary as President to charity. His team has also been working on a social movement called Mind The Gap which hopes to raise funds and awareness of smaller charities in Singapore. “Many people tell me you can also do this if you’re not President. It’s true. But you see the difference – the influence of the President can have a great impact on any activity he or she chooses to promote. For example, if I write to all the CEOs of the big companies in Singapore to donate to this cause, most of them will do so. But as an ordinary citizen, if I do that, how many will even read the letter?”

Mr Marican was the first of the three potential candidates that have come forward so far to submit their application forms to the Elections Department. The other two are former Speaker of Parliament Halimah Yacob and chairman of Bourbon Offshore Asia Farid Khan. All potential candidates will have to apply for the Certificate of Eligibility, providing details such as employment history and submitting supporting documents. Applicants from the private sector like Mr Marican and Mr Farid will have to show that they have helmed a company with at least S$500 million in shareholders’ equity. Mr Marican said he spent “more than 100 hours” thinking how best to convince the Presidential Elections Committee that he is a qualified candidate. “So now it’s in their hands, but I’m confident that they will qualify me,” he said.

Source: CNA

August 31, 2017