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Khoo Teck Puat Hospital: Sister Is Not Family, Get Out Of A&E Room

Dear A.S.S. Editors

Here’s the story about my terrible experience at KTPH. My Brother was rushed to the A&E at KTPH due to high fever, severe vomiting and chest pains. We arrived at the Hospital at 4am. While waiting, my Father asked the nurse “around what time can my Son see the doctor?” And the nurse simply glared at him and walked away.

My Brother was still vomiting non stop and had hyperpehia due to severe pains. Did X-ray and blood test. Doctors couldn’t diagnose the problem and suspect that it is food poisoning and said that maybe can be discharged at 4pm.

At 9am, my Brother was finally warded to the EDTU and put on IV drip. My brother’s right hands were ice cold so we asked the nurse, and the nurse said “you touch my hand, my hand also very cold.” laughed and left. So we had no idea what was going on and we waited patiently for the results.

Finally at around 5pm, results came out. Doctor say it might be food poisoning but it cannot be confirmed. What? Then, proceeded to say that his white blood count is too high and have to do blood test again. Cannot be discharged and have to stay until tomorrow morning for further observation.

At around 8pm the doctor said that the test results are out, the blood count has been reduced slightly but not enough to be discharged. And the x-ray shows that my Brother’s left shoulder is dislocated and have to do second x-ray. What?

Brother was then wheeled to do the second x-ray and then the x-ray was cancelled because another doctor said it wasn’t necessary because it is just “flexible joints” and my Brother can be discharged. And that we had to wait 1 hour to get the MC and the discharge summary.

While waiting, A&E patient relation associate Mohd Yusof came in and suddenly asked my Mother if she’s the parent. Then he asked me “who are you?” I said I’m the Sister. He said “Sister is not family, you get out” So I said “huh? Sister is family. We are waiting for him to be discharged, he will be discharged soon.” And he said “no, Sister is not family, you get out. doctor can just talk to the Mother”

So I had to wait outside because apparently “Sister is not family” at Khoo Teck Puat Hospital. Absolutely ridiculous. Terrible terrible experience at KTPH and will never go back again.

Upset Family Member
A.S.S. Contributor

Source: www.allsingaporestuff.com

January 27, 2017
For Singapore’s Future Survival, Multi-Party System Must Replace One-Party Rule

Education Minister (Higher Education and Skills) Ong Ye Kung’s suggestion that the PAP’s continued one-party rule is the best course for Singapore’s future is at complete odds with reality.

It is precisely the lack of a democratic, checks-and-balance system that has gotten the country into the current sorry state of affairs in the first place. More worryingly, it clouds the out-look for our nation’s future.

For example, it is the PAP’s self-interested and unchecked policy of importing excessive numbers of foreign workers that has caused Singaporeans much pain and hardship.

Jobs of locals have been displaced and wages depressed because of the mass and sudden influx of foreigners. The cost of living for citizens have also increased as a result while productivity growth has remained at near zero percent.

There is no mistaking that the policy has lowered the quality of life for our people, harmed the overall economy and made it difficult for our nation to progress.

But bringing in foreigners has allowed the ministers to engineer high-GDP growth through the collection of foreign workers’ levies, housing expenses, GST, etc. As ministers peg their pay to GDP growth, they have rewarded themselves handsomely with annual salaries to the tune of millions of dollars.

All this could take place because there was no opposition in Parliament to keep the PAP in check. The party did as it pleased leading to the dangerous situation in which Singapore finds itself today.

Another horrendous situation that Singaporeans are stuck with is the retention of our CPF money. It is the unchecked one-party rule that has allowed the PAP to blatantly rescind its promise to return us our CPF savings in full. This has resulted in retirees left out in the cold with little or no income.

Without political opposition, the PAP is also able to immerse itself in the commercial sector leading Singapore to become one of the most, according to the Crony-Capitalism Index, cronyistic economies in the world.

The government’s domination of the domestic commercial sector through unproductive GLCs has stifled the growth of the private entrepreneurial sector and the development of an innovative culture – areas that Singapore depends on for its future economic survival.

It has also led to the crushing of workers’ rights, allowing GLCs like the Surbana Jurong to terminate its workers without accountability.

It is frightening that at this juncture of Singapore’s development and with a rapidly changing world we face, PAP ministers like Ong Ye Kung still cling on to the out-dated and reality-free view that a one-party rule is the way forward.

Singaporeans must awaken to the fact that without a vibrant and democratic society where open exchange of ideas and freedom of expression are valued, the future of Singapore is bleak. For the sake of our nation, the PAP’s one-party rule must end.

Source: http://yoursdp.org

January 27, 2017
Damanhuri Abas: Minister’s Flawed Arguments Must Not Be Allowed To Perpetuate

The flawed argument from a Minister must not go unchallenged. It is a betrayal of our collective intelligence for simplistic logic to be given public space with no rebuttal. At the very least, a fact-check is warranted. After all, he is in charge of Higher education, a place where you can get a D grade for unsubstantiated conclusion based on shallow arguments.

The flawed logic begins with the notion that a dominant one party government for our collective greater good stems from the unique conditions of our country’s formative history and society, held as irrefutable evidence to justify it. What a sweeping lazy conclusion. It assumes a convenient self-benefiting starting point for our history and casts aside the rich part of history detailing the struggle of our people to rid us of the colonial master who was instrumental for imposing authoritarian rule upon us.

Our forefathers fought the colonial masters to dismantle the dangerous dominance of power in one hand. History is littered with the inevitable abuse of power that dominant single party or authoritarian rule brings to the people. History also shows the inevitable demise of such arrogant dominant power with no exception. And today we instead hear such dismissive rhetoric advocating for perpetual existence of one with justification that are as porous as sand in the desert landscape.

Power, more so absolute power, is potentially destructive whatever that power is. With skills of fine human mastery, power is harnessed for our collective human benefits. Man has shown his ability to tame the power of nature transforming it into beneficial service for humanity. A testimony of the achievements of man, a collective maestro stroke born out of the best of minds engaging and challenging one another through wit and ideas to seek the best solutions for humanity.

Likewise, the power bestowed on man is ripe for abuse less that power is tampered with checks and balances to ensure power is beholden to people and not the other way around. Democracy is not ideal but it offered a way to check power by the people. It assumes the conditions are set to facilitate the rigor of the democratic process but it too is vulnerable to manipulations by powers that came to be from it.

Instead of trying to justify the idea of one dominant rule by the Minister, he should be foremost in advocating the spirit of intellectual discourse and debates with persuasive factual researched ideas and wit, the very rudiments essential towards excellence in higher education. Has he somewhat forgotten his Ministerial portfolio.

Herein lies the fallacy of this idea that in truth has been consistent of the PAP. It has been progressively practicing and institutionalising the instruments of control and dominance in society since our independence in 1965 against the fundamental articles of our constitution that were ironically written precisely to ensure this, that they have been doing, do not happen.

Having been successful in ensuring compliance of its citizen through undermining the growth and development of our democratic society, they now are bold enough to go the next step by openly advocating the half-truth of their arguments that they will ensure little or any space for rebuttal in public, guaranteed by their current dominance of power on almost all public institutions from media, schools and education, public finances, controlling authorities, grassroots bodies, community organizations, etc.

While other countries mature and grow wider spaces in society for advocacy and strengthening of public institutions and the civil society to function as neutral honest arbiter, we in Singapore instead continue to be doing the reverse. Why is open public debate on issues of public concern not a good thing? Imagine what quality of leaders we will have over time if each prospecting candidate is subjected to rigorous processes of debates exposing their quality of arguments or otherwise. But instead we the people are constantly deprived of real access to who our leader is in person and in terms of genuine believes and advocacy of ideas. Are they simply chosen to parrot the government line and are justified based on carefully crafted public information exercise by the compliant media ranked below Afghanistan, which has been a shameless instrument of power.

Progress of Singapore as a society is determined by the choreographed image of artificial smiling postcard faces in the midst of facades of glittering lights and made-made structures and artifacts, all of which are designed to hide away the things that we are not to speak about nor bother asking. The modus operandi are to leave those things to the ‘wise elite’ that in truth are dependent on the façade to look good, as on their own, they are not prepared to withstand the rigor of public discourse and debate. The maxim accorded is to let matters be settled behind closed doors. Echoes of the colonial past made current by a ruling elite that seems ever more afraid of the natural process of losing power one day.

The colonials in the past treated the locals with disdain and adopted a superior afront and framed what they want the locals to know and see in the lenses of half-truths, misleading information, manufactured fear and gross suppression of freedom on the grounds of the greater good, to ensure dominance of power. Are we seeing the re-emergence of a new form of colonial mindset with a currency that disguised the desperate attempt to ensure continued dominance of power in the hands of the new naturalized aristocrats that they justified themselves to be.

This Minister must be checked for the sake of our future. His piece will probably be exposed for its sloppy plagiarism from dusty textbooks of authoritarian gone by on Turnitin.

Source: Damanhuri Abas

January 27, 2017
9 Cara Mengatasi Putus Asa Untuk Berdoa Kepada Allah

Ketika kita ada masalah, atau sedang diuji apa yang akan diharapkan oleh seorang hamba adalah meminta pertolongan Allah. Antaranya dengan berdoa, menunaikan solat Taubat, bangun malam, berzikir dan sebagainya.

Namun, hati semakin sempit apabila semakin lama berdoa, semakin rasa doa kita tidak didengar dan tidak dimakbulkan Allah SWT. Hati rasa semakin tawar hati dan menghampiri perasaan putus asa.

Walau hakikatnya, sebagai umat Islam kita tidak boleh berputus asa, namun hati yang sempit dan tidak bertuhankan Allah ini mudah benar berasa putus asa. Firman Allah, “….dan janganlah kamu berputus asa dari rahmat Allah. Sesungguhnya tiada berputus asa dari rahmat Allah melainkan kaum yg kafir.” Surah Yusuf, ayat 12

Walau dihampar dengan 101 petikan ayat Al Quran dan hadis supaya jangan berputus asa, hati yang sempit itu tidak mampu menghadamnya yang membuat hati berasa tenang dan terus berharap untuk berdoa.
Baca 5 cara ini. Moga ia menjadi pembangkit semangat untuk kita terus berharap dan meminta pertolongan Allah untuk hadir dalam masalah kita.

1. Allah ya Sami’ (Yang Maha Mendengar) sentiasa dengar rintihan kita

Sedarilah Allah tidak pekak. Allah ya Sami’ adalah salah satu daripada 99 nama-nama Allah. Andai kita ada sahabat yang merupakan pendengar yang baik, Allah adalah pendengar yang lebih baik daripada mereka.

Sentiasa sedar, Allah sentiasa mendengar rintihan kita walaupun kita hanya berbisik di dalam hati. Untuk memulakan rintihan, mulakanlah dengan menyeru ya Allah ya Sami’. Kemudian mulakan rintihan.

2. Allah ya Basir (Yang Maha Melihat) memandang usaha untuk dekat dengan Dia

Bukan Allah tidak nampak apa yang sedang kita lalui – menangis teresak-esak, merayu, merintih, hanya untuk mendapatkan pertolongan-Nya. Allah nampak itu semua.

Kuasa Allah, andai Dia menyatakan Kun Faya Kun, hilang semua masalah kita. Cuma adakalanya, Allah menangguhkan masalah itu selesai supaya kita dekat dengan Dia.

3. Allah ya Qobidh (Yang Maha Menyempitkan) yang sempitkan kita

Sesungguhnya Allah ya Qobidh yang menyempitkan kita – yang membuat kita rasa sangat terhimpit dengan masalah. Dia juga ya Basit (Yang Maha Melapangkan) yang boleh melapangkan kita.

Dengan mengenali-Nya melalui 99 nama-nama Allah, insya-Allah kita akan dapat sedari sebuah kod kehidupan yang membuat kita akan sentiasa bersangka baik dengan Allah.

4. Bersabar dan jangan tergesa-gesa

Kata Prof. Madya Dr. Wan Maseri Wan Mohd. iaitu individu yang menyebarkan Teknik Asmaul Husna, “Doa adalah penyerahan bukan tuntutan”. Doa adalah perintah Allah terhadap hamba-Nya.

Walaupun begitu, Allah tidak wajib memakbulkan doa kita. Berdoa adalah salah satu cara seorang hamba melaksanakan perintah-Nya. “Doa kalian akan dikabulkan selama tidak tergesa-gesa. Dia mengatakan, ‘Saya telah lama berdoa, tetapi tidak kunjung dikabulkan.” Hadis Riwayat Bukhari dan Muslim

5. Jadikan sabar dan solat sebagai penolong

“Hai orang-orang yang beriman, jadikan sabar dan solat sebagai penolongmu, sesungguhnya Allah beserta orang-orang yang sabar.” Surah Al Baqarah, ayat 153

Ini mungkin nasihat cliche, tetapi itulah antara formulanya supaya kita sentiasa rasa bertuhankan Allah. Kenapa nama Allah ya Sabur di akhir sekali dalam susunan 99 Nama-nama Allah?

Kerana Allah mahu kita bersabar dengan tiap aturan-Nya daripada sifatnya yang adakalanya menjatuhkan kita, memudaratkan kita. Baca dan fahami maksud tiap nama-nama Allah, anda akan faham maksud saya.

6. Sibukkan diri

Elakkan bersendirian. Sibukkan diri dengan menyertai apa-apa program kebajikan atau majlis ilmu agama, supaya kita tiada masa untuk fikir tentang masalah.
Adakalanya apabila kita bersendirian, kita akan lebih kerap fikir tentang masalah sehingga buat kita selalu tertekan. Saya pernah dapat Private Message (PM) di Facebook yang dia berputus asa untuk berdoa kepada Allah.

Dia tertekan kerana terlalu memikirkan masalahnya malah, membuat dia menghidap penyakit mental dan tekanan yang tinggi. Saya berikan solusi dengan zikir Penyucian Hati Dengan #TeknikAsmaulHusna.

Alhamdulillah beberapa minggu selepas itu, dia mengatakan dia sudah semakin pulih daripada tekanannya.

7. Teruskan mendekatkan diri dengan Allah

Jangan ambil jalan pesong atau jalan yang Allah tidak suka. Ketika kita diuji, hati yang sempit kebiasaannya akan nampak yang negatif sahaja tentang Allah. Kita jadi seorang pesimis – selalu bersangka buruk.

Akhirnya membuat kita tertekan dengan diri sendiri. Terus dekatkan diri dengan Allah seperti terus menunaikan solat 5 waktu, baca Al Quran.
Walau sukar, berusaha untuk buat walau sedikit. Asalkan jangan tinggal semua. Paling malas, pasang ayat Al Quran, biarkan telinga kita dengar perkara-perkara yang baik untuk makanan rohani.

8. Ketahui 3 cara Allah makbulkan doa kita

i. Dimakbulkan serta merta
Kita dapat sesuatu secara terus pada ketika kita berdoa untuknya.

ii. Allah menunda doa kita sehingga sampai waktu yang sesuai
Bukan Allah tidak memakbulkan doa kita cuma Allah tangguhkan ke suatu masa yang sesuai dalam pengetahuan-Nya.

iii. Menundanya di akhirat
Kita berdoa di dunia tetapi Allah beri ketika di akhirat. Sesungguhnya Allah lebih tahu masa yang tepat untuk memakbulkan doa kita lebih daripada kita mengetahuinya.

9. Cari bahan ilmiah untuk mengatasi perasaan putus asa

Boleh guna pak cik Google untuk mencari bahan ilmiah. Antara yang saya sarankan,
i. Apa Yang Telah Diberi vs. Dengan Apa Yang Dipinta
ii. Apabila Digerakkan Hati Untuk Berdoa
iii. Kenalilah Tuhan Yang Mengujimu
v. Video Jangan Berputus Asa: Kita Masih Punya Allah

Secara tidak langsung dengan membaca dan menonton bahan ilmiah akan membuat kita bermuhasabah untuk tidak berputus asa sebaliknya, teruskan berdoa dan berharap hanya kepada Allah SWT.

Insya-Allah apabila mempraktikkan 9 perkara ini ketika kita hampir berputus asa untuk terus berdoa untuk memohon pertolongan Allah, kita akan dapat semangat baru yang membina harap berterusan supaya sentiasa bersangka baik dengan Allah dan berdoa kepada-Nya.

Source: binusrah

January 26, 2017
Woman Charged With Hurting Religious Feelings Of Her Neighbours In Tampines

A woman was charged Wednesday (25 January) in the State Courts with hurting the religious feelings and harassment of her neighbours at an HDB block in Tampines last year.

Lee Dji Lin, 63, faces one charge of wounding the religious or racial feelings of Marliah Jonet for throwing a piece of raw pork from a lift to outside the victim’s flat at Blk 247 Tampines Street 21 on 18 June 2016. If convicted, Lee faces a jail term of up to three years, or a fine, or both.

The accused also faces two other charges of harassment. One charge alleged that Lee waved a pig-shaped figurine and shouted insults in Malay at one of Marliah’s daughters including “pig, pig, pig, piglet, one by one (your) children die” on 24 April 2016. The other charge alleged that Lee used a bamboo pole attached with a female underwear and swung it towards Marliah’s flat on 14 June 2016.

Lee faces a fine of up to $5,000 for one harassment charge, and a jail term of up to six months, or a fine of up to $5,000, or both for the other harassment charge.

In July last year, Yahoo Singapore interviewed Marliah about the incidents. According to Marliah, Lee had been harassing her family for six years.

Former model Hanis Hussey, Marliah’s sister-in-law, posted a video on YouTube last year allegedly showing Lee being caught in the act.

A woman was seen shouting in the direction of Marliah’s ninth-storey flat from a floor below in the video. She also used a water hose to spray water towards Marliah’s laundry poles. CCTV footage showed the woman throwing a plastic bag allegedly containing pork onto the corridor of Marliah’s flat.

Marliah had reported the matter to the police and other relevant authorities about the incidents. She said that she had also sent an email to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who then referred her matter to the Tampines town council.

Lee was ordered by the court to be remanded for two weeks to undergo psychiatric evaluation. When asked for her response to the court order, the petite and frail-looking Lee claimed that she was innocent.

The case will be mentioned again on 8 February.

Source: Yahoo

January 26, 2017