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SDP: Government Must Stop Excuses, Give Singaporeans Timely Information

The attempted clarifications by Minister for Health Gan Kim Yong and other Ministry of Health (MOH) officials about the outbreak of the 41 Zika cases in Singapore raise fresh concerns.

The first case was detected on 31 July 2016. MOH had preliminary results before this was confirmed on 27 August 2016 but decided not to inform the public because it did not want to “create a false alarm”.

Given the seriousness of the disease and the ease of which it is transmitted, it behooves health officials to alert the public about the possibility of its transmission as early as possible.

The government has to stop its excuse of not wanting to cause alarm or panic (as in the case of the defective trains sent back to China for repairs) to keep vital information from the public. It must trust Singaporeans to react rationally and provide full information in a timely manner.

Medical professionals do not withhold information from their patients even when illnesses are only suspected but need further testing for confirmation. In such cases, patients are given the full account of the situation rather than kept in the dark.

Similarly, the public should be kept fully informed even if a matter is still in the developing stage.

The provision of complete information is a practice that must be the norm. Withholding information for fear of creating “panic” or “alarm” is a dangerous practice that can be abused to keep important facts that the government finds embarrassing or inconvenient from the public.

Already, this government has a poor track record in as far as transparency is concerned, the Hepatitis-C outbreak tragedy and the defective MRT trains fiasco are but the most recent examples.

Source: http://yoursdp.org

August 29, 2016
Polis Tangkap Ayah Yang Perkosa Anak Kandungnya

Pasukan Operasi Direktorat Kajian dan Jenayah Umum (Distreskrimum) Polis Daerah Nusa Tenggara Barat, menangkap seorang lelaki berusia 40 tahun atas tuduhan memperkosa anak kandungnya yang berusia 15 tahun.

Pengarah Distreskrimum Polda NTB melalui seorang pegawai Putu Bagiartana hari ini (27 Ogos) berkata mangsa merupakan anak sulung dari empat adik beradik yang tinggal bersama tertuduh di Kecamatan Alas, wilayah Sumbawa.

“Jadi lelaki itu hanya tinggal bersama mangsa dan kedua adiknya di Sumbawa, sedangkan adik bongsu dipercayai tinggal dengan ibu kandung mereka di Lombok Timur. Mereka tidak lagi serumah sejak bercerai lima bulan lalu,” kata Bagiartana ditukil Antara.

Tertuduh ditangkap selepas aduan dibuat ibu kandung mangsa pada 5 Ogos lalu.

Tindakan bekas suaminya dilaporkan kepada pihak polis selepas mendengar pengakuan anak kandungnya.

“Menurut pengakuan anaknya, kesalahan itu berlaku pada 29 Julai lalu pada waktu malam hari sedang mangsa tidur,” tambah Bagiartana.

Hal itu disahkan tertuduh dalam pengakuannya yang menjelaskan kepada para penyelidik bahawa dia memperkosa mangsa dalam bilik tidur dengan cara paksa.

Pada awalnya, mangsa dikatakan cuba melawan tertuduh, namun kerana tidak berdaya, tertuduh melepaskan nafsunya.

Tertuduh dalam keterangan lainnya mengaku bersalah dan menyesali perbuatannya.

Walau bagaimanapun, tertuduh tetap akan dihukum atas kesalahannya itu.

Tertuduh kini ditahan di Mapolda NTB untuk menjalani proses hukumannya. Bagiartana menambah para penyelidik sedang berusaha untuk mendapatkan semua bukti.

“Hasil visual sudah diterima, begitu juga keterangan mangsa dan bukti berupa pakaian milik mangsa. Mungkin dalam waktu terdekat ini penangkapannya akan segera kami lakukan,” kata Bagiartana.

Source: Berita MediaCorp

August 28, 2016
Singapore Hit By First Case Of Locally Transmitted Zika Virus Infection

In the first case of locally-transmitted Zika infection here, a 47-year-old Malaysian woman living in Aljunied Crescent tested positive for the virus on Saturday (Aug 27) at the Communicable Diseases Centre (CDC) at Tan Tock Seng Hospital.

The patient, who had not travelled to Zika-affected areas recently, had developed symptoms two days earlier and was referred to the CDC by a general practitioner the day after, the Ministry of Health (MOH) and National Environment Agency (NEA) said in a statement. She is hospitalised but is recovering.

This is not the first case of Zika here. In May this year, a 48-year-old permanent resident was thought to have caught the virus on a business trip to Sao Paulo in Brazil.

The two agencies said that importation of the virus from overseas is inevitable given the high volume of travel to and from Singapore, and that local transmission is also possible given the presence of the Aedes mosquito that spreads the virus.

Furthermore, as many of the people infected with Zika do not show symptoms, some transmission may already have taken place before the latest case of Zika was identified.

MOH is screening the patient’s close contacts, including household members.

Health minister Gan Kim Yong said: “MOH and NEA are working together to carry out vector control and testing of residents in that area with fever and rashes so as to reduce the risk of further spread. I encourage those who are unwell and with these symptoms to visit their doctors for medical attention. We have also alerted our clinics in the area to look out for suspect cases and refer them to the CDC for testing.”

MOH added that, as a precaution, all suspected Zika cases will be isolated pending blood test results.

At this point, three other suspect cases – two in a family who live in the area and an individual who works in the area – have preliminarily tested positive based on their urine samples. They are pending further confirmation tests.

MOH has also alerted all general practitioners around the patient’s home and workplace to be extra vigilant and immediately report patients with symptoms associated with Zika.

Meanwhile, the NEA has deployed about 100 officers to the vicinity of Aljunied Crescent for inspections of premises, mosquito-control measures such as misting and drain oiling, and distribution of Zika information leaflets.

The agency said it will also activate partner agencies of the Inter-Agency Dengue Task Force to step up “search and destroy” efforts.

Singapore’s Olympians, who had just returned from the Rio Games, were not troubled by the virus while they were training and competing in Brazil and they have been told to continue taking precautions.

Mr Low Teo Ping, chef de mission for Team Singapore at the Rio Olympics, said: “The athletes and officials of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games Team Singapore contingent have returned to Singapore safe and symptom-free from Zika. We are keeping a close tab on the athletes and officials monitoring them for symptoms such as fever, skin rash, headache, fatigue, muscle pain, and joint pain for three weeks upon their return.

“We have also advised them to continue to apply insect repellent and wear long sleeved clothing where possible and to avoid travel to multiple places in a day. Any occurrence and non-occurrence of symptoms are updated to the team doctor daily.”

Source: The Straits Times

August 28, 2016
Kill Drug Traffickers, Set Fire To Their Homes

The Philippines’ police chief has called on drug users to kill traffickers and burn their homes, as he seeks to maintain momentum in President Rodrigo Duterte’s controversial war on crime that has claimed 2,000 lives.

“Why don’t you give them a visit, pour gasoline on their homes and set these on fire to register your anger,” Mr Ronald Dela Rosa said in a speech aired on television yesterday. “They’re all enjoying your money, money that destroyed your brain.

“You know who the drug lords are. Would you like to kill them? Go ahead. Killing them is allowed because you are the victim.”

Mr Dela Rosa was speaking on Thursday to several hundred drug users who had surrendered in the central Philippines.

When asked if President Duterte supported Mr Dela Rosa’s call to commit murder and arson, presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella denied that was the police chief’s intent.

“There is no such call. It’s a passionate statement,” Mr Abella told reporters yesterday without elaborating.

Mr Dela Rosa’s comments followed Mr Duterte’s own controversial directives that have sparked criticism from the United Nations and human rights groups.

Mr Duterte, 71, won May elections in a landslide on a promise to kill tens of thousands of suspected criminals in an unprecedented blitz that would eliminate illegal drugs in six months.

When he took office on June 30, he told a crowd in Manila: “If you know of any addicts, go ahead and kill them yourself, as getting their parents to do it would be too painful.”

Days after his election win, he also offered security officials bounties for the bodies of drug dealers.

UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial killings Agnes Callamard said such directives “amount to incitement to violence and killing, a crime under international law”.

However Mr Dela Rosa and Mr Duterte have insisted they are working within the law, while their aides have dismissed some of their comments as “hyperbole” meant to scare drug traffickers.

Nevertheless, Mr Dela Rosa told a Senate inquiry this week that the confirmed number of people to have died in the drug war was 1,946.

He said police had shot dead 756 suspects and there were another 1,190 killings under investigation, but these were likely due to drug gangs murdering those who could implicate them.

“I admit many are dying, but our campaign, now, we have the momentum,” he told the Senate.

Source: The Straits Times

August 27, 2016
I’m 18 Years Old And I Love My 42 Year Old Wife And Five Stepsons!

PETALING JAYA: It’s not everyday that a man chooses to marry a woman twice his age and receives the blessings of his family.

But that is exactly what happened in the town of Kuala Penyu in Sabah, when 18-year-old Mohd Sufie Alin wedded single mother of five, Dayang Sopiah Gusti, 42.

A picture of Mohd Sufie putting a gold ring on Dayang Sopiah’s finger during the solemnisation ceremony went viral on Facebook on Friday, garnering plenty of mixed reactions from netizens.

However, the groom is at least be assured in the belief that his family approves of the unusual relationship.

“They are mature enough to make their own decisions, including getting married,” his father Alin @ Matalin Utam, 52, told Harian Metro.

According to the father, the two got married in a small ceremony at the Beaufort district mosque on Tuesday, attended by families from both sides.

“What is important is that Sufie did not disturb someone else’s wife and they wish to continue their relationship the Islamic way.

“Therefore, I have no problem and consider Sopiah to be the soulmate of Sufie, which has been decided by God,” he told the Malay daily.

Though surprised to hear about his son’s choice just days before the wedding, Alin said age was no barrier.

“I was able to advise Sufie to be a responsible husband as he does not only need to care for his wife but also his five stepsons,” he added.

Source: www.thestar.com.my

August 27, 2016