Cross-species infections to watch out for
In the not-so-distant future, more zoonoses or cross-species infections are likely to emerge. A stronger surveillance system is our only hope. KASMIAH MUSTAPHA reports.
THE battle against the Nipah virus met with success while the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and avian influenza are in remission. Monkeypox, mad cow disease and ebola have also made their presence felt in recent decades.
These are zoonoses — diseases that leap the species barrier from animals to human. They seem to emerge out of nowhere, spreading widespread fear as fatalities increase and the global medical community is forced to scramble for answers.
More could be coming. At a recent meeting, the World Health Organisation said the emergence of new diseases that were passed from animals to humans was accelerating.
It predicted that the next epidemic would be difficult to contain.
Most zoonoses or zoonotic diseases have the potential to spread beyond their region of origin and most countries are ill-equipped to counter the trend, it added.
Dr Rosemawati Ariffin, principle assistant director (zoonotic unit) at the Disease Control Division, Ministry of Health, says there could be "hundreds maybe thousands" of viruses, bacteria and parasites yet to be detected that could flare up at any moment.
"Unfortunately, due to our lifestyles and globalisation, new emerging and re-emerging diseases would no longer be isolated cases." The worrying part, says Dr Rosemawati, is that certain viruses can mutate and bring on new diseases.
"It is difficult for us to predict when an outbreak is going to happen," she adds.
Veterinary Services Department director-general Datuk Dr Hawari Hussein says zoonoses have been largely controllable in the past because the outbreaks occur only at certain areas and they could be identified.
"But it is different now because of the way we are living and moving around," he says.
He adds that although zoonoses have been in existence for a long time, recent cases which became a near-global epidemic has affected the way the world looks at these diseases.
"The fact that they can spread rapidly can cause people to panic, especially if the diseases cannot be contained in one area." According to experts, about 75 per cent of all new infectious diseases originate from animals.
The transmission of disease from animals to people depends on many factors, including the interactions that occur, the microbial agent involved and the environment.
Nipah virus, which got its name from the village where it first appeared, induces flu-like symptoms that often lead to encephalitis and coma. The virus, which killed 100 people, jumped the species barrier from fruit bats to pigs and then to humans in the deadly outbreak in Malaysia in 1999.
From November 2002 to July 2003, SARS triggered an unprecedented international health emergency.
Of the 8,098 people infected worldwide, 774 died from the disease.
Scientists believe the virus was passed to humans from civet cats and other mongoose-like animals that were sold in live food markets in southern China.
Experts says there are several factors that contribute to the increase in cross-species infections.
One is the growing world population as humans venture into previously undisturbed parts of the world and encounter new animals and their indigenous pathogens.
Exotic animal trade — as pets and food — is also the reason for the increased number of zoonoses.
The global movement of these animals has created what some experts say is a "viral traffic" or "microbial traffic", which encourages the shift of viruses and parasites to humans.
Dr Rosemawati says that efforts to contain diseases must involve cooperation from other countries, especially the country from which the disease originated.
"They should alert the world and take the necessary precautions if there are any known or unknown diseases emerging in their country. Prompt action will help other countries set up their surveillance system immediately," she says.
Unless the source and transmission of a disease is known, the only thing that health agencies can do is strengthen their surveillance system.
"We managed to contain the SARS outbreak because we identified the cause of transmission and quickly implemented the surveillance system." To counter the possibility of new emerging diseases, the Disease Control Division has implemented a syndromic approach in which doctors help alert the Health Ministry.
"We will then take the appropriate precautions. We are more prepared now as we have strengthened our surveillance system," she adds.
The Veterinary Services Department has also extended its monitoring and surveillance system. Previously it focused only on the point of entry and abattoir aspects. Since Nipah, however, it has implemented the farm-to-table concept.
"We will inspect livestock farms including the management, feeding and transfer of animals from farms to abattoir. We have also implemented more guidelines for livestock farmers," says Dr Hawari.
Malaysian Medical News: keeping you up to date with news sourced from various online sites, put in one place for your convenience, with a searchable archive
Monday, June 14, 2004
MMA: Upgrade rural hospitals first
PETALING JAYA: The Government's plan to hire retired doctors to serve in rural areas will receive good response if the Government improves existing facilities in these areas, according to the Malaysian Medical Association.
Its president Datuk Dr N. Arumugam said the plan was feasible as retired doctors could use their expertise gained over the years to serve the rural community be it part-time or full-time.
“However, a reasonable work and remuneration scheme should be worked out for these doctors,” he said yesterday.
Dr Arumugam said as a parallel move, more efforts should be made to upgrade older hospitals and existing facilities in the rural areas.
“Having better facilities and even new hospitals will help attract doctors to the rural areas, especially for those who enjoy the quiet and relaxed life in the countryside,” he said.
Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek said on Saturday that there was a plan to hire retired doctors for rural areas as they could help relieve the acute shortage of doctors there.
He said 643 foreign doctors would be sent to rural hospitals and polyclinics while 34 retired doctors had been re-employed to serve in the rural areas.
Malaysian Doctors' Co-operative Society chairman Dr J.S. Deo, however, felt the proposal might not be attractive.
“A lot of them will not leave their family and grandchildren to resettle in a kampung or other rural areas as coming home to their loved ones is simply priceless.
“Also, once they've reached retirement age, they have already established a certain lifestyle with their families, a home and sufficient money, making it harder for them to relocate,” he said.
Dr Deo said the Government needed to provide special incentives for these doctors to attract them as many were earning well as a locum.
The Academy of Family Physicians Malaysia president Dr M.K. Rajakumar said the key was to create top-rate healthcare centres to attract retired doctors to rural areas.
“An attractive salary, allowances for their children's education and accommodation will also help lure them,” he said.
PETALING JAYA: The Government's plan to hire retired doctors to serve in rural areas will receive good response if the Government improves existing facilities in these areas, according to the Malaysian Medical Association.
Its president Datuk Dr N. Arumugam said the plan was feasible as retired doctors could use their expertise gained over the years to serve the rural community be it part-time or full-time.
“However, a reasonable work and remuneration scheme should be worked out for these doctors,” he said yesterday.
Dr Arumugam said as a parallel move, more efforts should be made to upgrade older hospitals and existing facilities in the rural areas.
“Having better facilities and even new hospitals will help attract doctors to the rural areas, especially for those who enjoy the quiet and relaxed life in the countryside,” he said.
Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek said on Saturday that there was a plan to hire retired doctors for rural areas as they could help relieve the acute shortage of doctors there.
He said 643 foreign doctors would be sent to rural hospitals and polyclinics while 34 retired doctors had been re-employed to serve in the rural areas.
Malaysian Doctors' Co-operative Society chairman Dr J.S. Deo, however, felt the proposal might not be attractive.
“A lot of them will not leave their family and grandchildren to resettle in a kampung or other rural areas as coming home to their loved ones is simply priceless.
“Also, once they've reached retirement age, they have already established a certain lifestyle with their families, a home and sufficient money, making it harder for them to relocate,” he said.
Dr Deo said the Government needed to provide special incentives for these doctors to attract them as many were earning well as a locum.
The Academy of Family Physicians Malaysia president Dr M.K. Rajakumar said the key was to create top-rate healthcare centres to attract retired doctors to rural areas.
“An attractive salary, allowances for their children's education and accommodation will also help lure them,” he said.
Sunday, June 13, 2004
Plan to hire retired doctors for rural areas
Wanted: Retired doctors to serve in rural Malaysia. The Health Ministry believes that this group of professionals can help relieve the acute shortage of doctors in far-flung places.
Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek said that one of his priorities was to improve health facilities in kampungs and estates and get more doctors to serve there.
"We have re-employed 34 retired doctors to work in rural areas and are hoping for more to join them," he said. He planned to persuade retired doctors to take up positions in health clinics and would use the relaxed and healthy environment of the rural areas as a selling point.
He also said the 643 foreign doctors recruited would be sent to work in rural hospitals and polyclinics. The ministry is also considering providing quarters and other amenities for those willing to serve in rural areas.
The Government had allocated RM460 million under the Seventh Malaysia Plan and RM862 million under the Eighth Malaysia Plan for rural health development.
The main thrust of the Eighth Malaysia Plan is to upgrade existing facilities and construct new health facilities in rural areas, but he said this objective was scuttled by the zest to build new hospitals.
More than 50 per cent of the allocation under the plan was channelled to build new hospitals, he said.
He added that the main health problems in rural areas were those related to the respiratory and digestive systems, and skin and parasitic infections.
A straw poll of retired doctors showed that most of them were not interested in uprooting their families and serving in rural areas.
A 64-year-old doctor said that many retired doctors earned more by doing locum.
Wanted: Retired doctors to serve in rural Malaysia. The Health Ministry believes that this group of professionals can help relieve the acute shortage of doctors in far-flung places.
Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek said that one of his priorities was to improve health facilities in kampungs and estates and get more doctors to serve there.
"We have re-employed 34 retired doctors to work in rural areas and are hoping for more to join them," he said. He planned to persuade retired doctors to take up positions in health clinics and would use the relaxed and healthy environment of the rural areas as a selling point.
He also said the 643 foreign doctors recruited would be sent to work in rural hospitals and polyclinics. The ministry is also considering providing quarters and other amenities for those willing to serve in rural areas.
The Government had allocated RM460 million under the Seventh Malaysia Plan and RM862 million under the Eighth Malaysia Plan for rural health development.
The main thrust of the Eighth Malaysia Plan is to upgrade existing facilities and construct new health facilities in rural areas, but he said this objective was scuttled by the zest to build new hospitals.
More than 50 per cent of the allocation under the plan was channelled to build new hospitals, he said.
He added that the main health problems in rural areas were those related to the respiratory and digestive systems, and skin and parasitic infections.
A straw poll of retired doctors showed that most of them were not interested in uprooting their families and serving in rural areas.
A 64-year-old doctor said that many retired doctors earned more by doing locum.
Hospital stint
UNIVERSITY College Sedaya International (UCSI) has signed a memorandum of agreement (MoA) with the Health Ministry in relation to the clinical clerkship of its final-year pharmacy students.
The MoA, signed at UCSI Segar campus recently, was witnessed by Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek.
Prof Lai Hoi Chaw, UCSI vice-president (academic affairs), who signed on behalf of UCSI, said that the agreement would allow UCSI pharmacy students to spend two semesters in a total of 12 different clerkships at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital.
SIGNED: Dr Chua (centre) witnessing the exchange of documents between Prof Lai (left) and Ministry of Health secretary-general Datuk Ismail Adam. With the signing of the MoA, final-year UCSI pharmacy students can undergo a stint at Kuala Lumpur Hospital.
“Our students will have the opportunity of going on ward rounds with medical specialists during their clerkships, and obtain experience in various pharmacy services,” he said.
In the first semester, the final-year students will be concentrating on pharmacy service clerkships such as total parenteral nutrition (intravenous), therapeutic drug monitoring, hospital management, outpatient pharmacy, inpatient pharmacy and drug information services.
“In the second semester,” Prof Lai added, “they will concentrate on obstetrics and gynaecology, surgery, medicine, psychiatry and paediatrics.”
UCSI has been offering its pharmacy programme since 2000, in close cooperation with Universiti Sains Malaysia. Its first batch of 23 pharmacy students will graduate on Aug 6.
On the question of what makes good pharmacists, UCSI head of the School of Pharmacy Dr Yeong Siew Wei said that there was a need for more pharmacists who were professional and caring. She commented that almost 90% of the potential pharmacy students who turned up at the admissions interview were thinking mainly of community pharmacy.
“This is a worrying trend,” she said, “as pharmacists should not only think about setting up their own outlets to make money. They should also think about getting involved in areas such as industrial pharmacy, education, drug enforcement, research and hospitals. That is why the Government has introduced the compulsory service for pharmacy graduates.”
“We want our pharmacists to be all-rounders in order to provide quality consultation to their patients,” she added.
Dr Yeong also explained that UCSI was selective about accepting students into its pharmacy programme as the number of places was limited.
She said: “Parents and students must realise that there is more to pharmacy than just makin
UNIVERSITY College Sedaya International (UCSI) has signed a memorandum of agreement (MoA) with the Health Ministry in relation to the clinical clerkship of its final-year pharmacy students.
The MoA, signed at UCSI Segar campus recently, was witnessed by Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek.
Prof Lai Hoi Chaw, UCSI vice-president (academic affairs), who signed on behalf of UCSI, said that the agreement would allow UCSI pharmacy students to spend two semesters in a total of 12 different clerkships at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital.
SIGNED: Dr Chua (centre) witnessing the exchange of documents between Prof Lai (left) and Ministry of Health secretary-general Datuk Ismail Adam. With the signing of the MoA, final-year UCSI pharmacy students can undergo a stint at Kuala Lumpur Hospital.
“Our students will have the opportunity of going on ward rounds with medical specialists during their clerkships, and obtain experience in various pharmacy services,” he said.
In the first semester, the final-year students will be concentrating on pharmacy service clerkships such as total parenteral nutrition (intravenous), therapeutic drug monitoring, hospital management, outpatient pharmacy, inpatient pharmacy and drug information services.
“In the second semester,” Prof Lai added, “they will concentrate on obstetrics and gynaecology, surgery, medicine, psychiatry and paediatrics.”
UCSI has been offering its pharmacy programme since 2000, in close cooperation with Universiti Sains Malaysia. Its first batch of 23 pharmacy students will graduate on Aug 6.
On the question of what makes good pharmacists, UCSI head of the School of Pharmacy Dr Yeong Siew Wei said that there was a need for more pharmacists who were professional and caring. She commented that almost 90% of the potential pharmacy students who turned up at the admissions interview were thinking mainly of community pharmacy.
“This is a worrying trend,” she said, “as pharmacists should not only think about setting up their own outlets to make money. They should also think about getting involved in areas such as industrial pharmacy, education, drug enforcement, research and hospitals. That is why the Government has introduced the compulsory service for pharmacy graduates.”
“We want our pharmacists to be all-rounders in order to provide quality consultation to their patients,” she added.
Dr Yeong also explained that UCSI was selective about accepting students into its pharmacy programme as the number of places was limited.
She said: “Parents and students must realise that there is more to pharmacy than just makin
Saturday, June 12, 2004
KLH performs robotic surgery
UTUSAN Malaysia and Berita Harian reported that the Urology Institute of the Kuala Lumpur Hospital (KLH) has made a historic breakthrough by making KLH the first hospital in the country to provide robotic surgery.
Surgeries using a procedure known as the da Vinci System has the capability of reducing operation time and allows patients to recuperate within 24-hours.
The hospital did its first prostrate gland operation using the robotic surgeon, controlled by a specialist surgeon via a 3D computer screen from outside the operating theatre.
The robotic surgeon has two fine long arms with a camera that can be placed through a small surgery in the body for a wide-ranging view from within.
“Even if it was a robot performing the operation, we still need the expertise of a specialist surgeon to control the robot,” said the papers, quoting Deputy Health Minister Datuk Dr Abdul Latiff Ahmad.
“One arm of the robot will handle a hook for incision, either by electrical means or by scissors while the other arm handles the surgical forceps.
“The specialist controls the robot via a computer with a three-dimensional screen to pinpoint the surgery locations,” he said.
The robotic surgery can be used for detailed operations such as radical prostatectomy, which would require the incision of the whole prostrate gland in a prostrate cancer.
Aside that, the robotic surgery can also be used for surgeries involving the heart, kidneys and other internal organs which require intricate sutures.
According to the dailies, HKL had performed 10 operations using the robotic system.
Of the 10 operations, nine were radical prostatectomy cases for treating prostate cancer and one pyeloplasti case for pelviureteric junction. At present, there are 13 patients waiting to undergo this operation.
Dr Abdul Latiff said the ministry had purchased two robotic units costing RM5mil each, one in HKL and another in Hospital Sultanah Aminah (HSA) in Johor Baru, adding that patients were charged only RM500 for the operation.
“HKL introduces the cheapest fees in the world for robotic surgery as compared to Singapore and America with charges of S$15,000 (RM33,000) and USD40,000 (RM152,000) respectively.
“This is a sophisticated technology and we are the second country in South East Asia to use this technology after Singapore,'' he said.
He said the two robotic units were part of former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's vision for telemedicine services to help promote a healthy society.
UTUSAN Malaysia and Berita Harian reported that the Urology Institute of the Kuala Lumpur Hospital (KLH) has made a historic breakthrough by making KLH the first hospital in the country to provide robotic surgery.
Surgeries using a procedure known as the da Vinci System has the capability of reducing operation time and allows patients to recuperate within 24-hours.
The hospital did its first prostrate gland operation using the robotic surgeon, controlled by a specialist surgeon via a 3D computer screen from outside the operating theatre.
The robotic surgeon has two fine long arms with a camera that can be placed through a small surgery in the body for a wide-ranging view from within.
“Even if it was a robot performing the operation, we still need the expertise of a specialist surgeon to control the robot,” said the papers, quoting Deputy Health Minister Datuk Dr Abdul Latiff Ahmad.
“One arm of the robot will handle a hook for incision, either by electrical means or by scissors while the other arm handles the surgical forceps.
“The specialist controls the robot via a computer with a three-dimensional screen to pinpoint the surgery locations,” he said.
The robotic surgery can be used for detailed operations such as radical prostatectomy, which would require the incision of the whole prostrate gland in a prostrate cancer.
Aside that, the robotic surgery can also be used for surgeries involving the heart, kidneys and other internal organs which require intricate sutures.
According to the dailies, HKL had performed 10 operations using the robotic system.
Of the 10 operations, nine were radical prostatectomy cases for treating prostate cancer and one pyeloplasti case for pelviureteric junction. At present, there are 13 patients waiting to undergo this operation.
Dr Abdul Latiff said the ministry had purchased two robotic units costing RM5mil each, one in HKL and another in Hospital Sultanah Aminah (HSA) in Johor Baru, adding that patients were charged only RM500 for the operation.
“HKL introduces the cheapest fees in the world for robotic surgery as compared to Singapore and America with charges of S$15,000 (RM33,000) and USD40,000 (RM152,000) respectively.
“This is a sophisticated technology and we are the second country in South East Asia to use this technology after Singapore,'' he said.
He said the two robotic units were part of former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's vision for telemedicine services to help promote a healthy society.
MMA against service ruling for private hospital doctors
THE Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) today came out strongly against the move by the Health Ministry to make it compulsory for doctors in private hospitals to serve a certain number of hours a week in government hospitals, if they want their Annual Practising Certificate renewed.
Its president Datuk Dr N Arumugam said this arrangement of part-time work in government hospitals should be on voluntary basis with appropriate remuneration and it should not be mandatory or linked to the renewal of APC.
He said the ministry’s idea of making private doctors work in government facilities to ease staff shortages must be studied carefully before implementation.
THE Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) today came out strongly against the move by the Health Ministry to make it compulsory for doctors in private hospitals to serve a certain number of hours a week in government hospitals, if they want their Annual Practising Certificate renewed.
Its president Datuk Dr N Arumugam said this arrangement of part-time work in government hospitals should be on voluntary basis with appropriate remuneration and it should not be mandatory or linked to the renewal of APC.
He said the ministry’s idea of making private doctors work in government facilities to ease staff shortages must be studied carefully before implementation.
‘Unrecognised’ degree: Ministry to study claims
Kuala Lumpur: The Health Ministry will look into claims by a Malaysian graduate from Akita University in Japan that his medical degree is unrecognised locally.
Deputy Health Minister Datuk Dr Abdul Latif Ahmad said he was waiting for full reports on the issue, including that from the Malaysian Medical Council (MMC).
“I cannot comment further as the claims will be studied in detail after obtaining feedback and full reports from various parties, including MMC,” he said when contacted here Friday.
He said this when asked to comment on a Bernama report Thursday which said a 27-year-old graduate was frustrated after finding out that the MMC did not recognise his degree even though his medical course in Japan was fully funded by the Public Service Department (JPA).
JPA Deputy Director-General Datuk Zakaria Mohd Taib, when contacted, said the department would issue a statement over this issue soon.
Meanwhile, President of Japan Graduates of Malaysia Association Datuk Dr Siow Kuang Ling expressed his disappointment over the issue.
When contacted Friday, he called on the Government to recognise all medical degrees offered by Japanese universities.
Currently, over 18 universities in Japan, including Tokyo University and Akita University, offer medical courses but some of these institutions were not recognised by the MMC.
“This is very frustrating, as we know Japan is a developed country and the medical programmes there are of high quality,” said Dr Siow, a medical graduate of Fukushima University.- Bernama
Kuala Lumpur: The Health Ministry will look into claims by a Malaysian graduate from Akita University in Japan that his medical degree is unrecognised locally.
Deputy Health Minister Datuk Dr Abdul Latif Ahmad said he was waiting for full reports on the issue, including that from the Malaysian Medical Council (MMC).
“I cannot comment further as the claims will be studied in detail after obtaining feedback and full reports from various parties, including MMC,” he said when contacted here Friday.
He said this when asked to comment on a Bernama report Thursday which said a 27-year-old graduate was frustrated after finding out that the MMC did not recognise his degree even though his medical course in Japan was fully funded by the Public Service Department (JPA).
JPA Deputy Director-General Datuk Zakaria Mohd Taib, when contacted, said the department would issue a statement over this issue soon.
Meanwhile, President of Japan Graduates of Malaysia Association Datuk Dr Siow Kuang Ling expressed his disappointment over the issue.
When contacted Friday, he called on the Government to recognise all medical degrees offered by Japanese universities.
Currently, over 18 universities in Japan, including Tokyo University and Akita University, offer medical courses but some of these institutions were not recognised by the MMC.
“This is very frustrating, as we know Japan is a developed country and the medical programmes there are of high quality,” said Dr Siow, a medical graduate of Fukushima University.- Bernama
Fertility rate on the decline in Malaysia
KUALA LUMPUR - The Malaysian population has grown to 25.1 million, a growth of 2.2 percentage points from 2000.
But despite the population growth, there has been a decrease in the fertility rate.
Advertisement
Women, Family and Community Development Minister Shahrizat Abdul Jalil said the decline in the fertility rate of 0.2 percentage point from 3.4 per cent in 1990 to 3.2 per cent in 2002 could be due to an increasing number of people giving top priority to their careers.
'Or it could be because people are marrying late or have chosen to stay single,' she said on Thursday after launching the fourth Malaysian Population and Family Census.
The census, she said, could help shed some light as to why the fertility rate was low.
Datuk Seri Shahrizat pointed out that the number of households in the country had increased from 3.6 million in 2000 to 4.9 million last year.
But the average household size had decreased to 4.5 people per household in 2000 compared to 4.7 people in 1995.
She also said the structure of the local population was undergoing evident changes, adding that Malaysia now had one million senior citizens.
'We need to find out if we have become an ageing society so that our policies will be relevant to the studies being conducted,' she said.
The census involving some 100,000 respondents will cover areas such as single parenting, marriage, behavioural patterns, medical practices and reproductive health.
It has been carried out once every 10 years since 1974.
The respondents are married women aged between 15 and 49 and their husbands, young people from 13 to 24 years old, singles from 25 to 49 years old and senior citizens aged 50 and above.
Datuk Seri Shahrizat said the data would be used as input for the ninth Malaysia development plan. -- The Star/Asia News Network
KUALA LUMPUR - The Malaysian population has grown to 25.1 million, a growth of 2.2 percentage points from 2000.
But despite the population growth, there has been a decrease in the fertility rate.
Advertisement
Women, Family and Community Development Minister Shahrizat Abdul Jalil said the decline in the fertility rate of 0.2 percentage point from 3.4 per cent in 1990 to 3.2 per cent in 2002 could be due to an increasing number of people giving top priority to their careers.
'Or it could be because people are marrying late or have chosen to stay single,' she said on Thursday after launching the fourth Malaysian Population and Family Census.
The census, she said, could help shed some light as to why the fertility rate was low.
Datuk Seri Shahrizat pointed out that the number of households in the country had increased from 3.6 million in 2000 to 4.9 million last year.
But the average household size had decreased to 4.5 people per household in 2000 compared to 4.7 people in 1995.
She also said the structure of the local population was undergoing evident changes, adding that Malaysia now had one million senior citizens.
'We need to find out if we have become an ageing society so that our policies will be relevant to the studies being conducted,' she said.
The census involving some 100,000 respondents will cover areas such as single parenting, marriage, behavioural patterns, medical practices and reproductive health.
It has been carried out once every 10 years since 1974.
The respondents are married women aged between 15 and 49 and their husbands, young people from 13 to 24 years old, singles from 25 to 49 years old and senior citizens aged 50 and above.
Datuk Seri Shahrizat said the data would be used as input for the ninth Malaysia development plan. -- The Star/Asia News Network
Friday, June 11, 2004
Move to reduce shortage of doctors
Doctors in private hospitals may soon have to serve a certain number of hours a week in government hospitals, if they want their Annual Practising Certificates (APC) renewed.
This move is aimed at making the shortage of doctors in the public sector less painful.
Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek said: "The ministry will make it compulsory for doctors and specialists in private hospitals to serve and train in government hospitals.
"We want to tap their resources and expertise. Working in government hospitals is also a continuing professional development for them," he said after a dialogue with members of the Association of Private Hospitals of Malaysia (APHM).
He said the innovation would be invaluable for government hospitals, as doctors from private hospitals could transfer knowledge and skills to junior doctors and medical students in government hospitals.
There are some 8,000 specialists and doctors in private hospitals today, about the same total as in government hospitals.
But their workload was different as night and day, with only 9,000 beds in private hospitals and 32,000 in government hospitals.
Also, doctors in the public sector treat 48 million outpatients and 1.7 million in-patients a year.
Dr Chua said the plan would take effect only after details had been worked out among the ministry, the APHM and other parties. A committee would be set up to discuss the logistics, he said. Datuk Dr Ridzwan Bakar, president of the APHM, said there were already doctors in the private sector who were teaching and training medical students.
Doctors in private hospitals may soon have to serve a certain number of hours a week in government hospitals, if they want their Annual Practising Certificates (APC) renewed.
This move is aimed at making the shortage of doctors in the public sector less painful.
Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek said: "The ministry will make it compulsory for doctors and specialists in private hospitals to serve and train in government hospitals.
"We want to tap their resources and expertise. Working in government hospitals is also a continuing professional development for them," he said after a dialogue with members of the Association of Private Hospitals of Malaysia (APHM).
He said the innovation would be invaluable for government hospitals, as doctors from private hospitals could transfer knowledge and skills to junior doctors and medical students in government hospitals.
There are some 8,000 specialists and doctors in private hospitals today, about the same total as in government hospitals.
But their workload was different as night and day, with only 9,000 beds in private hospitals and 32,000 in government hospitals.
Also, doctors in the public sector treat 48 million outpatients and 1.7 million in-patients a year.
Dr Chua said the plan would take effect only after details had been worked out among the ministry, the APHM and other parties. A committee would be set up to discuss the logistics, he said. Datuk Dr Ridzwan Bakar, president of the APHM, said there were already doctors in the private sector who were teaching and training medical students.
Researcher nominated for Nobel Prize
A Malaysian researcher’s studies on the potency of seeds, beans and cereals as natural preventive medicines has put him in the running for a Nobel Prize.
Professor Ananthan Krishnan, 53, a pharmacist, conducted six years of research into the benefits of alternative medicine, resulting in breakthrough medicinal formulae. This prompted three institutions from Canada and the US to nominate him for the Nobel Prize in Natural Medicine.
The Alternative Medicine Research Institution (AMRI), Weston Reserve University (WRU) in Canada and the American College of Integrated Medicine in the US will jointly nominate Prof Ananthan for the prize, which honours outstanding individuals in different fields for their contributions to the world.
Natural medicine is a new category, introduced only last year, so the nomination is all the more meaningful for Prof Ananthan, whose main aim is to promote a healthier alternative to allopathic ("normal" or "Western") medicine.
"As a pharmacist for 18 years, I saw sick people pumping themselves with medications which were basically chemicals that could create a degeneration of the body's major organs in the long run," he said.
"I have seen the good and bad of allopathic medicines. The drugs might work to cure a patient of his illness but they leave side effects which, over time, can have an adverse effect on the kidney, liver, lungs and heart." Dr Ananthan's search for safer alternatives led him to conduct research on natural substances with medicinal properties, consumed by humans for centuries.
Through studying traditional treatments such as ayurveda and homeopathy, he discovered that the safest and most potent substances for the promotion of good health and healing were edible spices, beans and cereals.
He set up the A. K. Pharmacy and Naturopathy Centre in 1996, and in six years treated nearly 12,000 patients for various ailments.
The results were astounding. Diabetes, hypertension, gastric problems, hormonal imbalances and allergies were some of the many health problems successfully treated.
Prof Ananthan's research was carefully documented in his doctoral dissertation on "The Use of Spices, Beans and Cereals in the Prevention and Management of Human Health Problems".
Impressed with his findings, the renowned institutions for alternative medicine decided to submit his name as a candidate for the Nobel Prize this year.
With the honour and prestige that comes with being nominated, Prof Ananthan remains modest, being interested only in promoting good health for everyone.
"I live by the policy of ‘learn, earn and serve'. What I have learnt so far is to be put to use for the good of the people," he said.
Prof Ananthan was also recently appointed to head the first AMRI in Malaysia, which will serve as a hub for alternative medicine research and studies.
A Malaysian researcher’s studies on the potency of seeds, beans and cereals as natural preventive medicines has put him in the running for a Nobel Prize.
Professor Ananthan Krishnan, 53, a pharmacist, conducted six years of research into the benefits of alternative medicine, resulting in breakthrough medicinal formulae. This prompted three institutions from Canada and the US to nominate him for the Nobel Prize in Natural Medicine.
The Alternative Medicine Research Institution (AMRI), Weston Reserve University (WRU) in Canada and the American College of Integrated Medicine in the US will jointly nominate Prof Ananthan for the prize, which honours outstanding individuals in different fields for their contributions to the world.
Natural medicine is a new category, introduced only last year, so the nomination is all the more meaningful for Prof Ananthan, whose main aim is to promote a healthier alternative to allopathic ("normal" or "Western") medicine.
"As a pharmacist for 18 years, I saw sick people pumping themselves with medications which were basically chemicals that could create a degeneration of the body's major organs in the long run," he said.
"I have seen the good and bad of allopathic medicines. The drugs might work to cure a patient of his illness but they leave side effects which, over time, can have an adverse effect on the kidney, liver, lungs and heart." Dr Ananthan's search for safer alternatives led him to conduct research on natural substances with medicinal properties, consumed by humans for centuries.
Through studying traditional treatments such as ayurveda and homeopathy, he discovered that the safest and most potent substances for the promotion of good health and healing were edible spices, beans and cereals.
He set up the A. K. Pharmacy and Naturopathy Centre in 1996, and in six years treated nearly 12,000 patients for various ailments.
The results were astounding. Diabetes, hypertension, gastric problems, hormonal imbalances and allergies were some of the many health problems successfully treated.
Prof Ananthan's research was carefully documented in his doctoral dissertation on "The Use of Spices, Beans and Cereals in the Prevention and Management of Human Health Problems".
Impressed with his findings, the renowned institutions for alternative medicine decided to submit his name as a candidate for the Nobel Prize this year.
With the honour and prestige that comes with being nominated, Prof Ananthan remains modest, being interested only in promoting good health for everyone.
"I live by the policy of ‘learn, earn and serve'. What I have learnt so far is to be put to use for the good of the people," he said.
Prof Ananthan was also recently appointed to head the first AMRI in Malaysia, which will serve as a hub for alternative medicine research and studies.
Domestic Trade Ministry to cooperate in beta-agonist issue
KUALA LUMPUR June 10 - Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Mohamed Shafie Apdal has expressed his ministry's readiness to cooperate with the Health Ministry to curb illegal use of beta-agonist by livestock farmers.
"We can help the Health Minstry by withdrawing meat tainted with beta-agonist from the market," Mohamed Shafie told reporters after officiating his ministry's annual consultation with the private sector here.
Beta-agonist, a drug used by asthma patients as a broncho-dilator, is also added to meat by livestock farmers to make it lean and more palatable.
Wednesday Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek said a joint committee would be formed to monitor the use of the drug on meat, amidst concerns about its possible harmful side-effects on consumers.
Meanwhile, Mohamed Shafie said one way of promoting participation of Bumiputera Small and Medium Industries (SMIs) in business was to market more locally-made products in hypermarkets.
This, he said, could enhance Bumiputera entrepreneurs'direct involvement with hypermarkets.
"We could make it a condition for hypermarkets to give SMIs a chance to market their products, and everyone concerned should cooperate by ensuring the products are reasonably priced," he said.
In his speech earlier, Shafie said the wholesale and retail, hotel and restaurant sub-sectors grew by 5.6 per cent compared to 3.1 per cent for the same period last year.
This positive development, he said, reflected increased consumer confidence with an improving economy, and augured well for his ministry's efforts to promote domestic trade.
KUALA LUMPUR June 10 - Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Mohamed Shafie Apdal has expressed his ministry's readiness to cooperate with the Health Ministry to curb illegal use of beta-agonist by livestock farmers.
"We can help the Health Minstry by withdrawing meat tainted with beta-agonist from the market," Mohamed Shafie told reporters after officiating his ministry's annual consultation with the private sector here.
Beta-agonist, a drug used by asthma patients as a broncho-dilator, is also added to meat by livestock farmers to make it lean and more palatable.
Wednesday Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek said a joint committee would be formed to monitor the use of the drug on meat, amidst concerns about its possible harmful side-effects on consumers.
Meanwhile, Mohamed Shafie said one way of promoting participation of Bumiputera Small and Medium Industries (SMIs) in business was to market more locally-made products in hypermarkets.
This, he said, could enhance Bumiputera entrepreneurs'direct involvement with hypermarkets.
"We could make it a condition for hypermarkets to give SMIs a chance to market their products, and everyone concerned should cooperate by ensuring the products are reasonably priced," he said.
In his speech earlier, Shafie said the wholesale and retail, hotel and restaurant sub-sectors grew by 5.6 per cent compared to 3.1 per cent for the same period last year.
This positive development, he said, reflected increased consumer confidence with an improving economy, and augured well for his ministry's efforts to promote domestic trade.
National service for private doctors
KUALA LUMPUR: Some 8,000 private doctors and specialists nationwide will have to perform a stipulated number of hours of compulsory service in government hospitals every year.
Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek said their services were necessary to help lessen the heavy workload of doctors and specialists now working in government hospitals and for them to gain more experience.
“Government doctors and specialists, also numbering about 8,000, are looking after 48 million out-patients and 1.7 million in-patients nationwide a year,” he said after a dialogue with the Association of Private Hospitals Malaysia (APHM) committee members here yesterday.
To date, there is a shortage of 3,300 doctors in the government health sector.
Dr Chua said the ministry would consider making the compulsory service a condition for the renewal of the annual practising certificate.
He said a joint committee represented by the ministry and the private healthcare sector, including the APHM, would be set up to work out the details for the compulsory service.
“These include the stipulated number of hours, which hospitals they will serve and how much they will be paid.
“But I don’t think they want to be paid as it is a form of social contribution,” he said.
Dr Chua said the compulsory service was well-received at yesterday’s dialogue
Health Minister Chua Soi Lek
APHM president Datuk Dr Ridzwan Bakar told reporters later that many private specialists, who lectured at public universities before, were willing to serve part-time.
He said the logistics had to be worked out before the compulsory service could take off. Malaysian Medical Association president Datuk N. Arumugam did not want to comment on the move.
Fomca secretary-general N. Marimuthu said the Government should provide private doctors and specialists with tax incentives to compensate them for their voluntary ser-
vice in government hospitals.
He agreed that they could help ease the workload in government hospitals and cut the waiting time for patients.
“But making it a condition for them to be able to renew their annual practising certificate is tantamount to a kind of underhand tactic.
A senior medical specialist said the ministry had paid about RM25 an hour to private doctors to work as government medical officers previously but the response was not good.
“The ministry should instead send its patients to be treated by general practitioners to ease the burden on its outpatient clinics,” he said, adding that the Medical Act must be amended if the ministry wanted to make compulsory service a condition for the renewal of the practising certificate.
KUALA LUMPUR: Some 8,000 private doctors and specialists nationwide will have to perform a stipulated number of hours of compulsory service in government hospitals every year.
Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek said their services were necessary to help lessen the heavy workload of doctors and specialists now working in government hospitals and for them to gain more experience.
“Government doctors and specialists, also numbering about 8,000, are looking after 48 million out-patients and 1.7 million in-patients nationwide a year,” he said after a dialogue with the Association of Private Hospitals Malaysia (APHM) committee members here yesterday.
To date, there is a shortage of 3,300 doctors in the government health sector.
Dr Chua said the ministry would consider making the compulsory service a condition for the renewal of the annual practising certificate.
He said a joint committee represented by the ministry and the private healthcare sector, including the APHM, would be set up to work out the details for the compulsory service.
“These include the stipulated number of hours, which hospitals they will serve and how much they will be paid.
“But I don’t think they want to be paid as it is a form of social contribution,” he said.
Dr Chua said the compulsory service was well-received at yesterday’s dialogue
Health Minister Chua Soi Lek
APHM president Datuk Dr Ridzwan Bakar told reporters later that many private specialists, who lectured at public universities before, were willing to serve part-time.
He said the logistics had to be worked out before the compulsory service could take off. Malaysian Medical Association president Datuk N. Arumugam did not want to comment on the move.
Fomca secretary-general N. Marimuthu said the Government should provide private doctors and specialists with tax incentives to compensate them for their voluntary ser-
vice in government hospitals.
He agreed that they could help ease the workload in government hospitals and cut the waiting time for patients.
“But making it a condition for them to be able to renew their annual practising certificate is tantamount to a kind of underhand tactic.
A senior medical specialist said the ministry had paid about RM25 an hour to private doctors to work as government medical officers previously but the response was not good.
“The ministry should instead send its patients to be treated by general practitioners to ease the burden on its outpatient clinics,” he said, adding that the Medical Act must be amended if the ministry wanted to make compulsory service a condition for the renewal of the practising certificate.
Thursday, June 10, 2004
UMS waiting for word to recruit students
Universiti Malaysia Sabah is waiting for word on whether it will be required to enrol some of the 128 top students who want to study medicine but were not offered places to do so at public universities.
Its Vice-Chancellor, Tan Sri Prof Abu Hassan Othman, said UMS had already offered 42 applicants a chance to study medicine, two more than the planned enrolment of 40. They are expected to register with UMS for the 2004/2005 intake next week.
“We can still take in a few more but not many. In future, when we have more laboratories, facilities and lecturers, we can offer more places,” he said.
UMS enrolled its first batch of 32 undergraduates at the School of Medicine last year.
Universiti Malaysia Sabah is waiting for word on whether it will be required to enrol some of the 128 top students who want to study medicine but were not offered places to do so at public universities.
Its Vice-Chancellor, Tan Sri Prof Abu Hassan Othman, said UMS had already offered 42 applicants a chance to study medicine, two more than the planned enrolment of 40. They are expected to register with UMS for the 2004/2005 intake next week.
“We can still take in a few more but not many. In future, when we have more laboratories, facilities and lecturers, we can offer more places,” he said.
UMS enrolled its first batch of 32 undergraduates at the School of Medicine last year.
More Sabah medical students
Kota Kinabalu: More Sabahans are taking up medicine at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), said Vice-Chancellor Tan Sri Prof. Dr Abu Hassan Othman.
He said the university was offering 45 places - an increase by 10 from last year and that of this 12 were Sabahans, compared to only five last year, adding that those who qualified were excellent students who scored 4.2 CPGA.
“The intake was based on high achievement or meritocracy but the racial distribution among the Bumiputera, Chinese and Indians was fair,” he said.
Dr Abu said the UMS could only offer very limited places for medical students since its labs are only able accommodate about 40 students at a time.
The university is planning to upgrade the laboratories although facilities were still adequate to meet current needs.
On the 1,500 re-applications from students wishing to enter the UMS, Dr Abu said their cases would be dealt with accordingly. “If they meet the requirement we’ll accommodate them but we’ll also try to fill the 4,300 quota this year.”
He said the quota was for all 58 study programmes including medical, biotechnology, engineering, social sciences and economic studies.
Dr Abu, in his address, said the UMS was also targeting at increasing the intake of post-graduate students from the current eight per cent to 20 per cent in 2010.
“The ideal figure is 30 per cent but that’s a tall order,” he said.
Nevertheless, the university was confident of achieving the target after its initial effort to attract foreign students.
This year, 10 Chinese nationals were currently reading for their Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) with several more inquiries coming from China recently.
There were more than 60 under and post-graduates from 18 countries, particularly from Asian countries, studying in the UMS, including one from New Zealand.
He said the lecturers, staff and management should also work together to produce what he described as an “excellent university brand”.
“Comparatively we are as good as others (schools)…we have former students working with the Public Services Department including multi-national banks and big firms,” he said.
Based on the current enrolment, Dr Abu said the UMS campus in Kota Kinabalu had 14,763 students and 2,512 in Labuan.
Compared to the figure in 1995, which was only 621, the increase certainly reflected the university’s credibility.
To ensure that UMS continues with its effort in the nation’s development, Dr Abu outlined seven strategies, namely to:
The university must continue with the democratisation process of the education system particularly higher learning;
More emphasis on science and technology education;
Ensure the quality of education is preserved despite the increasing number of students;
Ensure marketing ethos permeating the current education system do not sacrifice the values in education;
Forge stronger relations with the industry and commerce communities to form the “synergy” in the modernisation of Malaysia;
Ensure the university focus is not only to prepare skilled workers but also contribute to research and significant innovation activities;
Ensure the university’s administration remains “autonomous”, progressive, transparent and democratic He said good governance was an important requisite to ensure UMS continued to play its important role towards national development,” he said.
Kota Kinabalu: More Sabahans are taking up medicine at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), said Vice-Chancellor Tan Sri Prof. Dr Abu Hassan Othman.
He said the university was offering 45 places - an increase by 10 from last year and that of this 12 were Sabahans, compared to only five last year, adding that those who qualified were excellent students who scored 4.2 CPGA.
“The intake was based on high achievement or meritocracy but the racial distribution among the Bumiputera, Chinese and Indians was fair,” he said.
Dr Abu said the UMS could only offer very limited places for medical students since its labs are only able accommodate about 40 students at a time.
The university is planning to upgrade the laboratories although facilities were still adequate to meet current needs.
On the 1,500 re-applications from students wishing to enter the UMS, Dr Abu said their cases would be dealt with accordingly. “If they meet the requirement we’ll accommodate them but we’ll also try to fill the 4,300 quota this year.”
He said the quota was for all 58 study programmes including medical, biotechnology, engineering, social sciences and economic studies.
Dr Abu, in his address, said the UMS was also targeting at increasing the intake of post-graduate students from the current eight per cent to 20 per cent in 2010.
“The ideal figure is 30 per cent but that’s a tall order,” he said.
Nevertheless, the university was confident of achieving the target after its initial effort to attract foreign students.
This year, 10 Chinese nationals were currently reading for their Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) with several more inquiries coming from China recently.
There were more than 60 under and post-graduates from 18 countries, particularly from Asian countries, studying in the UMS, including one from New Zealand.
He said the lecturers, staff and management should also work together to produce what he described as an “excellent university brand”.
“Comparatively we are as good as others (schools)…we have former students working with the Public Services Department including multi-national banks and big firms,” he said.
Based on the current enrolment, Dr Abu said the UMS campus in Kota Kinabalu had 14,763 students and 2,512 in Labuan.
Compared to the figure in 1995, which was only 621, the increase certainly reflected the university’s credibility.
To ensure that UMS continues with its effort in the nation’s development, Dr Abu outlined seven strategies, namely to:
The university must continue with the democratisation process of the education system particularly higher learning;
More emphasis on science and technology education;
Ensure the quality of education is preserved despite the increasing number of students;
Ensure marketing ethos permeating the current education system do not sacrifice the values in education;
Forge stronger relations with the industry and commerce communities to form the “synergy” in the modernisation of Malaysia;
Ensure the university focus is not only to prepare skilled workers but also contribute to research and significant innovation activities;
Ensure the university’s administration remains “autonomous”, progressive, transparent and democratic He said good governance was an important requisite to ensure UMS continued to play its important role towards national development,” he said.
Wednesday, June 09, 2004
‘Test-bed biotech ideas in Malaysia’
THE Malaysian Government has extended an invitation to world-class biotechnology (biotech) companies to "test-bed" their ideas and innovations here.
Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Dr Jamaludin Jarjis said Malaysia had a strong tradition in research and development (R&D) institutes and universities specialising in agricultural and medical R&D.
"We have journeyed to the land of opportunity to talk to you, to invite you to Malaysia, where you will be able to leverage and position your business in the global market," Jamaludin told them.
"We are, after all, acknowledged as one of 12 mega biodiversity countries in the world," he said.
Jamaludin is heading a 40-member delegation to the four-day Biotechnology Industry Organisation (BIO) 2004 convention here.
These remarks were contained in his message in a booklet prepared for the mission. BIO is a grouping of leading US biotech companies.
At yesterday’s ministerial session, which was also attended by his counterparts from Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, India and Germany, Jamaluddin said Malaysia was an ideal location for the outsourcing of research contracts in biotechnology.
He said apart from good infrastructure and competitive manpower costs, Malaysia also had a strong related global industrial base such as in chemicals and agro-processing.
"We have invested a considerable amount of resources in building a biotech industry infrastructure," he said.
"This includes matters such as intellectual capital development, R&D expansion, talent development and a sound ethical framework."
In a sales pitch, he quipped that Malaysia was not only one of the most biodiverse nations in the world, but also the most "ethno-diversified".
Jamaludin said it would be unthinkable for Malaysia not to look at biodiversity in a big way, given the country’s long association with rubber and oil palm and its sustainable management of forests.
"We are keen to build alliances with global biotech companies. We are on the doorstep of China and India. We will help you make use of this advantage by converging and building upon our strengths in agriculture, manufacturing and ICT to deliver the biotech strategy," he told the conference.
"Think of business tie-ups," he said. "We are a fully developed entrepreneurial culture. Our businesses are straddling the world."
In his message, Jamaluddin said the Government had also put together the logistics under the Biotechnology Agenda to make biotech the country’s next engine of growth.
"They offer you a wide base of expertise and skills to support your R&D, technology and business development. The 30-odd universities shall provide the manpower support," he said.
In addition, three research institutes — in Genomics and Molecular Biology, Pharmaceuticals and Nutraceuticals, and Agro-Biotechnology — were being formed to further strengthen biotech R&D and technology development, he said.
"We offer a wide spectrum of financing structures, including business angel financing, venture capital financing, debt ventures and technology ban king," he said.
"We are committed to providing attractive incentive packages to biotechnology companies investing in Malaysia."
Jamaludin also said that building strategic linkages with international venture capitalists was one of Malaysia’s priorities in its biotech initiative.
THE Malaysian Government has extended an invitation to world-class biotechnology (biotech) companies to "test-bed" their ideas and innovations here.
Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Dr Jamaludin Jarjis said Malaysia had a strong tradition in research and development (R&D) institutes and universities specialising in agricultural and medical R&D.
"We have journeyed to the land of opportunity to talk to you, to invite you to Malaysia, where you will be able to leverage and position your business in the global market," Jamaludin told them.
"We are, after all, acknowledged as one of 12 mega biodiversity countries in the world," he said.
Jamaludin is heading a 40-member delegation to the four-day Biotechnology Industry Organisation (BIO) 2004 convention here.
These remarks were contained in his message in a booklet prepared for the mission. BIO is a grouping of leading US biotech companies.
At yesterday’s ministerial session, which was also attended by his counterparts from Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, India and Germany, Jamaluddin said Malaysia was an ideal location for the outsourcing of research contracts in biotechnology.
He said apart from good infrastructure and competitive manpower costs, Malaysia also had a strong related global industrial base such as in chemicals and agro-processing.
"We have invested a considerable amount of resources in building a biotech industry infrastructure," he said.
"This includes matters such as intellectual capital development, R&D expansion, talent development and a sound ethical framework."
In a sales pitch, he quipped that Malaysia was not only one of the most biodiverse nations in the world, but also the most "ethno-diversified".
Jamaludin said it would be unthinkable for Malaysia not to look at biodiversity in a big way, given the country’s long association with rubber and oil palm and its sustainable management of forests.
"We are keen to build alliances with global biotech companies. We are on the doorstep of China and India. We will help you make use of this advantage by converging and building upon our strengths in agriculture, manufacturing and ICT to deliver the biotech strategy," he told the conference.
"Think of business tie-ups," he said. "We are a fully developed entrepreneurial culture. Our businesses are straddling the world."
In his message, Jamaluddin said the Government had also put together the logistics under the Biotechnology Agenda to make biotech the country’s next engine of growth.
"They offer you a wide base of expertise and skills to support your R&D, technology and business development. The 30-odd universities shall provide the manpower support," he said.
In addition, three research institutes — in Genomics and Molecular Biology, Pharmaceuticals and Nutraceuticals, and Agro-Biotechnology — were being formed to further strengthen biotech R&D and technology development, he said.
"We offer a wide spectrum of financing structures, including business angel financing, venture capital financing, debt ventures and technology ban king," he said.
"We are committed to providing attractive incentive packages to biotechnology companies investing in Malaysia."
Jamaludin also said that building strategic linkages with international venture capitalists was one of Malaysia’s priorities in its biotech initiative.
Tuesday, June 08, 2004
Enforce act for treatment cost control, govt told
KUALA LUMPUR June 7 - The UMNO Youth on Monday reiterated its call to the government to speed up enforcement of the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act 1998 which was passed four years ago.
Its Public Complaints Bureau Chief Datuk Subahan Kamal said the act would enable the government to monitor and reduce medical fees charged by the private hospitals.
"By enforcing the Act, private hospitals cannot charge their patients to their whims to the extent of taxing those who really need treatment but face financial constraints.
The private hospitals should abide by the stipulated guidelines," he told a media conference on the plight of Mohd Imran Mohd Azmir, 7, (son of singer Amir Ukays) who is suffering from a complex heart ailment.
Subahan said UMNO Youth had repeatedly urged the government to enforce the Act. It had sent three memorandums to the Health Ministry and had met former Health Minister Datuk Chua Jui Meng.
Subahan claimed Chua had said the Act would be enforced early this year.
"When an Act is passed in Parliament, it must be enforced for the people's well-being," he said.
He said the movement intends to meet Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek soon to discuss the matter.
At the meeting, he said, UMNO Youth would highlight the plight of Amir (Mohd Azmir Mohd Yusuf) who had appealed for financial aid from the National Health Welfare Fund.
He applied for RM50,000 from the fund two months ago to supplement the cost of his son's heart operation.
Amir, who was accompanied by his wife, Noor Yusniza Yunus, and two children, said he could not afford the cost.
He claimed the fund's secretariat officials who visited his house had yet to respond to his appeal after they discovered that he was a singer.
He said his son was referred to specialists in the private hospital after the National Heart Institute refused to operate on him due to slim chance of survival.
Imran, who has a twin brother named Mohd Irman, had undergone three operations, costing nearly RM100,000, all borne by Amir.
At the media conference, UMNO Youth contributed RM1,000 to ease Amir's financial burden.
KUALA LUMPUR June 7 - The UMNO Youth on Monday reiterated its call to the government to speed up enforcement of the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act 1998 which was passed four years ago.
Its Public Complaints Bureau Chief Datuk Subahan Kamal said the act would enable the government to monitor and reduce medical fees charged by the private hospitals.
"By enforcing the Act, private hospitals cannot charge their patients to their whims to the extent of taxing those who really need treatment but face financial constraints.
The private hospitals should abide by the stipulated guidelines," he told a media conference on the plight of Mohd Imran Mohd Azmir, 7, (son of singer Amir Ukays) who is suffering from a complex heart ailment.
Subahan said UMNO Youth had repeatedly urged the government to enforce the Act. It had sent three memorandums to the Health Ministry and had met former Health Minister Datuk Chua Jui Meng.
Subahan claimed Chua had said the Act would be enforced early this year.
"When an Act is passed in Parliament, it must be enforced for the people's well-being," he said.
He said the movement intends to meet Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek soon to discuss the matter.
At the meeting, he said, UMNO Youth would highlight the plight of Amir (Mohd Azmir Mohd Yusuf) who had appealed for financial aid from the National Health Welfare Fund.
He applied for RM50,000 from the fund two months ago to supplement the cost of his son's heart operation.
Amir, who was accompanied by his wife, Noor Yusniza Yunus, and two children, said he could not afford the cost.
He claimed the fund's secretariat officials who visited his house had yet to respond to his appeal after they discovered that he was a singer.
He said his son was referred to specialists in the private hospital after the National Heart Institute refused to operate on him due to slim chance of survival.
Imran, who has a twin brother named Mohd Irman, had undergone three operations, costing nearly RM100,000, all borne by Amir.
At the media conference, UMNO Youth contributed RM1,000 to ease Amir's financial burden.
Monday, June 07, 2004
New focus for BioValley
The Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovations is taking another look at BioValley to ensure the initiative takes a more commercial approach, with a greater focus on the private sector being the driver.
It is learnt that a new thrust will be to make bio-manufacturing and related services, such as contract research and clinical trials, a key element of the initiative.
While this is lower down the value chain (compared with drug discovery), it nevertheless will act as a quicker way to kick-start the country’s biotech industry.
“It will create jobs and build up the critical mass of activities related to the biotech industry,” says a party familiar with the new plan.
The new thrust also gells with earlier calls from overseas Malaysian scientists to focus on bio-manufacturing as the country is already known for its manufacturing prowess and making the leap to bio-manufacturing is a natural step.
The plan to build three biotech research institutes is also being questioned, as the new leadership at the ministry wants to be sure that these set-ups have tangible commercial value and do not end up as white elephants.
The government launched the BioValley plan in May last year to spearhead and accelerate the process of extracting healing properties from the country’s flora and fauna and turn them into marketable medicines.
So far, three interim labs involved in the research on genomics, natural products and plant biotechnology have been set up at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Universiti Putra Malaysia and the Malaysian Agricultural Research Development Institute, respectively.
Even with the focus on bio-manufacturing, there will be challenges. For one, there is unanimous agreement that there is simply still not enough biotech personnel in Malaysia to start any such initiative. The government needs to woo biotech companies from around the world to set up manufacturing facilities here.
As a result, the long-overdue incentive package to attract companies to the BioValley is likely to include incentives aimed at making Malaysia an attractive location for bio-manufacturing.
Industry experts caution that the incentives have to be as good if not better than what is offered by other countries also targeting bio-manufacturing. In Germany, for instance, if a start-up has procured venture funding, the government will provide matching soft loans to the company.
To get a better understanding of the challenges and opportunities available, the ministry is sending a high-powered delegation to a bio-tech conference in the US next week, led by Minister Datuk Jamaluddin Jarjis.
The Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovations is taking another look at BioValley to ensure the initiative takes a more commercial approach, with a greater focus on the private sector being the driver.
It is learnt that a new thrust will be to make bio-manufacturing and related services, such as contract research and clinical trials, a key element of the initiative.
While this is lower down the value chain (compared with drug discovery), it nevertheless will act as a quicker way to kick-start the country’s biotech industry.
“It will create jobs and build up the critical mass of activities related to the biotech industry,” says a party familiar with the new plan.
The new thrust also gells with earlier calls from overseas Malaysian scientists to focus on bio-manufacturing as the country is already known for its manufacturing prowess and making the leap to bio-manufacturing is a natural step.
The plan to build three biotech research institutes is also being questioned, as the new leadership at the ministry wants to be sure that these set-ups have tangible commercial value and do not end up as white elephants.
The government launched the BioValley plan in May last year to spearhead and accelerate the process of extracting healing properties from the country’s flora and fauna and turn them into marketable medicines.
So far, three interim labs involved in the research on genomics, natural products and plant biotechnology have been set up at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Universiti Putra Malaysia and the Malaysian Agricultural Research Development Institute, respectively.
Even with the focus on bio-manufacturing, there will be challenges. For one, there is unanimous agreement that there is simply still not enough biotech personnel in Malaysia to start any such initiative. The government needs to woo biotech companies from around the world to set up manufacturing facilities here.
As a result, the long-overdue incentive package to attract companies to the BioValley is likely to include incentives aimed at making Malaysia an attractive location for bio-manufacturing.
Industry experts caution that the incentives have to be as good if not better than what is offered by other countries also targeting bio-manufacturing. In Germany, for instance, if a start-up has procured venture funding, the government will provide matching soft loans to the company.
To get a better understanding of the challenges and opportunities available, the ministry is sending a high-powered delegation to a bio-tech conference in the US next week, led by Minister Datuk Jamaluddin Jarjis.
Cheaper 3-in-1 HIV treatment
KUALA LUMPUR: The cost of the three-in-one combination drug treatment for HIV-infected patients will be reduced to between RM200 and RM220 from this month compared to the current RM1,200.
Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek said the cost reduction came after his ministry amended the Patent Act to enable the patented drugs to be imported from India.
“The Act comes under the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry and my ministry is allowed to amend it because the drugs are used for non-commercial purposes.
“With the cheaper cost, we can treat at least 4,000 HIV patients compared to the present 1,500. Patients who are entitled to free treatment are those infected after child delivery, infected children, health workers infected in the course of work and patients who were given contaminated blood products.
“To ensure commitment on the part of patients, they are required to buy one of the three drugs,” he said in an interview here.
Dr Chua said there were 58,000 HIV patients and another 8,000 AIDS patients in Malaysia and 93% of them were males.
He pointed out that the majority of them were aged between 20 and 39 and drug addicts, but the number of sexually transmitted HIV patients was on the rise.
“With 4,000 patients getting the three-in-one treatment free, Malaysia has abided by the WHO “three by five initiative” – that is providing the three-in-one drug treatment for three million patients by 2005,” said Dr Chua.
In another development, the Health Minister said the Government was set to achieve a maternal mortality ratio of 10:100,000 births by the year 2020.
He said the current ratio was 30:100,000 against 530:100,000 at Independence, attributing the tremendous improvement to the Government’s commitment and priority for good healthcare services.
KUALA LUMPUR: The cost of the three-in-one combination drug treatment for HIV-infected patients will be reduced to between RM200 and RM220 from this month compared to the current RM1,200.
Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek said the cost reduction came after his ministry amended the Patent Act to enable the patented drugs to be imported from India.
“The Act comes under the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry and my ministry is allowed to amend it because the drugs are used for non-commercial purposes.
“With the cheaper cost, we can treat at least 4,000 HIV patients compared to the present 1,500. Patients who are entitled to free treatment are those infected after child delivery, infected children, health workers infected in the course of work and patients who were given contaminated blood products.
“To ensure commitment on the part of patients, they are required to buy one of the three drugs,” he said in an interview here.
Dr Chua said there were 58,000 HIV patients and another 8,000 AIDS patients in Malaysia and 93% of them were males.
He pointed out that the majority of them were aged between 20 and 39 and drug addicts, but the number of sexually transmitted HIV patients was on the rise.
“With 4,000 patients getting the three-in-one treatment free, Malaysia has abided by the WHO “three by five initiative” – that is providing the three-in-one drug treatment for three million patients by 2005,” said Dr Chua.
In another development, the Health Minister said the Government was set to achieve a maternal mortality ratio of 10:100,000 births by the year 2020.
He said the current ratio was 30:100,000 against 530:100,000 at Independence, attributing the tremendous improvement to the Government’s commitment and priority for good healthcare services.
Sunday, June 06, 2004
The angst of having a perfect score
Entrance to public universities has long been a simmering issue. It came to the boil again in the last two weeks over the failure of 128 top students to gain places to study medicine. ELIZABETH JOHN, K.T. CHELVI and YONG TIAM KUI examine the reasons behind this seemingly perennial problem.
A FEW days ago, the perfect score and a string of As meant so little to Kua Wei Sun. It could not get her what she wanted most — a coveted place in University of Malaya's medical school. Before that ray of hope came this past week for her to get a place in medicine, she and her family were just devastated. This is the second time the Kua family has had to wrestle with the demons of the system. A few years ago, their eldest daughter Joanne failed to make it into any course despite scoring 5As in the Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia exam. She had to appeal and wait, just as her younger sister has had to do this time.
Their story sadly shows how the same scenes of anger and anguish are replayed year after year, and how problems identified in the analyses that follows never get fixed. In arguments throughout the week, columnists and commentators showed how unhappy everyone was with the meritocracy system.
Malays claimed their representation in critical courses was falling, the Chinese were suspicious of the formula used to make matriculation and STPM results comparable and Indians were concerned about their poor overall representation in public universities.
The core problem is the two-track system.
As Rajendra Ramalu observed, the two systems were all that students discussed after receiving their offers.
He is a classmate of Kua's and one of seven straight-A students in the school who did not get into medicine.
Matriculation is essentially a one-year, semester style pre-university course, where examinations are held immediately after the subject is taught. Questions are set and marked internally.
In STPM, exams are held after almost two years of comprehensive studies and exam papers are set and marked externally, on a national level. "An A in one system cannot be equated with an A in the other as the systems differ greatly in teaching methods, content and how the exams are set and marked," says Yayasan Strategik Sosial executive director Dr Denison Jayasooria.
To introduce a merit-based system with two very different exams creates doubts that will polarise children for a long time to come.
"Instead of skirting around the issue, let's call a spade a spade," says UKM's Prof Datuk Dr Shamsul Amri Baharuddin. "The dual system is seen as a problem in Malaysia because one system caters for a hand-picked Malay majority whereas a large majority of the non-Malays take the STPM," adds the social anthropologist.
The problem lies not just with the education system but society, where almost every aspect of life is seen from the ethnic point of view, he says.
Tertiary education in Malaysia has been coloured by ethnic considerations for more than three decades; in the allocation of university places, in the award of state scholarships to study locally and overseas, says political scientist and social commentator Dr Chandra Muzaffar.
It is understandable therefore why non-Bumiputeras and even Bumiputeras view issues related to tertiary education through ethnic lenses. Chandra says it is indisputable that this has had an adverse impact on ethnic relations in Malaysia.
If nothing else, the debates over this issue this week have shown how true this statement is. Possibly the greatest disservice has been done to good Bumiputera students whose achievements have been viewed with suspicion because of ethnicity-linked entrance to universities.
It is this that has given rise to much of the vitriol in Malay language dailies of late.
Some called on non-Bumiputera students to accept what they were offered and not be demanding, but top scorers like Soo Hui Fang say that she had worked hard for her 4.0 and deserved a place in the medical faculty. While the full glare of public attention has been on the 128 top students who failed to get into medicine, several other issues have also attracted comments.
For instance, the phenomenal number of straight A students in recent years has also called into question the standards of the current grading system and its ability to discriminate between the good and the excellent.
Academicians have called for a review. Newspaper reports and educationists have also pointed out the high number of students who have met minimum requirements, but have not made it into public universities.
A large number are from poor families or rural areas, say bodies handling appeals.
STPM students have also pointed out how little they knew of the matriculation results before they filed their applications. Those interviewed said they may not have risked applying for some courses if they had known they would be facing such stiff competition.
"If everyone had known that 1,774 had achieved a perfect score, many would not have applied in blind faith for medicine," says Hui Fang. University admission is a perennial problem because the number of students getting good grades has risen tremendously while the number of seats has not risen in tandem, says education activist Datuk N. Siva Subramaniam.
It is puzzling how we know the exact number of doctors needed yet are unable to plan for it, he says.
"We now finally have a separate ministry for higher education. "They should be able to sit down with the Human Resources Department and decide on the numbers we need in critical courses and what it will take to make it happen." The issue of cost is the second reason why there is so much debate, Siva Subramaniam notes.
A medical degree in a private university that used to cost parents about RM150,000 now costs RM300,000 or more. Five years at the International Medical Universiti in Kuala Lumpur will set parents back by RM270,000 in fees alone, says May Ling Young, Provost of the medical school.
If the student were to study in the UK from day one, a parent would have to budget for about RM1 million, says May Ling who is also deputy secretary-general of the Malaysian Association of Private Colleges and Universities.
A lack of qualified staff and training facilities are the biggest problems for private and public medical schools.
If these are not addressed, the situation is going to get worse as medical colleges proliferate to meet needs, she adds.
Another issue that needs to be looked at is the lack of career counselling for students. Every year, students who excel automatically gravitate towards Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Electrical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Law and acCountancy.
Are they being advised that these are the only courses worth considering? "At that age they do not understand the career options that are open to them," says Prof Datuk Dr Ibrahim Ahmad Bajunid, dean of Universiti Tun Abdul Razak's Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.
The booklets which help student fill university application forms could also carry course summaries.
This is one of the many suggestions that would go towards relieving tensions surrounding admission to university.
Others that have been proposed to help put an end to the annual national debate on admissions include settling for one entry system to universities and reviewing grading systems.
On the thorny issue of race and university entrance, Shamsul says, it will never go away because the problem is inherent in our society.
Chandra, however, says it is still not too late to make amends.
An overhaul of the present university entrance system is urgently needed to ensure that the demands of meritocracy as well as social justice are met. There have also been suggestions that candidates undergo aptitude tests or an additional entrance exam set by the university they have applied to. There is also a call to increase opportunities for tertiary education across the board.
Education is a right, says Denison, and governments worldwide are moving towards allowing as many people as possible, at whatever age and under all sorts of circumstances, to pursue tertiary education.
When this is done, admission will no longer be a sensitive issue. "It's really about providing every child who has done well, a place to study in this country," says Siva Subramaniam.
This is the thought to hold on to as the country works its way to a permanent solution to the problem.
A solution that will keep us from saying: "We'll see you again, same time next year."
Not a level playing field out there for the underprivileged
CONSIDER the case of two young students, Abel, the son of an engineer, and Muthu, the son of a labourer.
The hard-working Abel, who attended an urban secondary school and tuition classes, obtains a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 4.0. On the other hand, Muthu, woke up at 5am everyday and rushed through his frugal breakfast to fuel his four-mile 6.6km cycle to school.
He could not afford tuition classes and each night he studied under the dim bulb. Muthu only manages a CGPA of 2.5.
Though a CGPA of 2.5 is higher than the minimum entry requirement for most universities, meritocracy and the abundance of top scorers have made it impossible for Muthu to achieve his long-time ambition of being a graduate. Meritocracy's biggest flaw is that it promises equal access, assuming that everyone has equal opportunity, says Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia's Professor of Social Anthropology, Datuk Dr Shamsul Amri Baharuddin. However, in reality, it is not a level playing field out there, he adds.
Muthu may well be as intelligent and hardworking as Abel, but his socio-economic background had become a huge stumbling block. Hope for underprivileged students like Muthu would only come in the form of a special concession like a quota. The quota system of the past, says Prof Shamsul, had to a certain extent given people like Muthu a chance.
"A few years ago when I was the dean of the Arts Faculty, I was asked to lower the entry requirement for a certain quota and this provided many poor students a place in university." However, political scientist and social commentator Dr Chandra Muzaffar says that the quota system could only do good if implemented from a socio-economic perspective, whereby the disadvantaged from all communities were given special assistance in securing university places.
"This way there will have been much less unhappiness among non-Bumiputeras as well as some Bumiputeras, who for years have felt the ‘Special Position' provisions in the Constitution have sometimes been abused to favour well-endowed and well-connected Bumiputeras," says Chandra. But is the quota system the best solution for underprivileged students kids?
The executive director of MIC's Yayasan Strategik Sosial, Dr Denison Jayasooria, argues otherwise.
"If there is a section of a community that is falling behind, then offer these students extra classes and any other help they need, but don't lower the standards. We should help them, not reduce their competency."
Entrance to public universities has long been a simmering issue. It came to the boil again in the last two weeks over the failure of 128 top students to gain places to study medicine. ELIZABETH JOHN, K.T. CHELVI and YONG TIAM KUI examine the reasons behind this seemingly perennial problem.
A FEW days ago, the perfect score and a string of As meant so little to Kua Wei Sun. It could not get her what she wanted most — a coveted place in University of Malaya's medical school. Before that ray of hope came this past week for her to get a place in medicine, she and her family were just devastated. This is the second time the Kua family has had to wrestle with the demons of the system. A few years ago, their eldest daughter Joanne failed to make it into any course despite scoring 5As in the Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia exam. She had to appeal and wait, just as her younger sister has had to do this time.
Their story sadly shows how the same scenes of anger and anguish are replayed year after year, and how problems identified in the analyses that follows never get fixed. In arguments throughout the week, columnists and commentators showed how unhappy everyone was with the meritocracy system.
Malays claimed their representation in critical courses was falling, the Chinese were suspicious of the formula used to make matriculation and STPM results comparable and Indians were concerned about their poor overall representation in public universities.
The core problem is the two-track system.
As Rajendra Ramalu observed, the two systems were all that students discussed after receiving their offers.
He is a classmate of Kua's and one of seven straight-A students in the school who did not get into medicine.
Matriculation is essentially a one-year, semester style pre-university course, where examinations are held immediately after the subject is taught. Questions are set and marked internally.
In STPM, exams are held after almost two years of comprehensive studies and exam papers are set and marked externally, on a national level. "An A in one system cannot be equated with an A in the other as the systems differ greatly in teaching methods, content and how the exams are set and marked," says Yayasan Strategik Sosial executive director Dr Denison Jayasooria.
To introduce a merit-based system with two very different exams creates doubts that will polarise children for a long time to come.
"Instead of skirting around the issue, let's call a spade a spade," says UKM's Prof Datuk Dr Shamsul Amri Baharuddin. "The dual system is seen as a problem in Malaysia because one system caters for a hand-picked Malay majority whereas a large majority of the non-Malays take the STPM," adds the social anthropologist.
The problem lies not just with the education system but society, where almost every aspect of life is seen from the ethnic point of view, he says.
Tertiary education in Malaysia has been coloured by ethnic considerations for more than three decades; in the allocation of university places, in the award of state scholarships to study locally and overseas, says political scientist and social commentator Dr Chandra Muzaffar.
It is understandable therefore why non-Bumiputeras and even Bumiputeras view issues related to tertiary education through ethnic lenses. Chandra says it is indisputable that this has had an adverse impact on ethnic relations in Malaysia.
If nothing else, the debates over this issue this week have shown how true this statement is. Possibly the greatest disservice has been done to good Bumiputera students whose achievements have been viewed with suspicion because of ethnicity-linked entrance to universities.
It is this that has given rise to much of the vitriol in Malay language dailies of late.
Some called on non-Bumiputera students to accept what they were offered and not be demanding, but top scorers like Soo Hui Fang say that she had worked hard for her 4.0 and deserved a place in the medical faculty. While the full glare of public attention has been on the 128 top students who failed to get into medicine, several other issues have also attracted comments.
For instance, the phenomenal number of straight A students in recent years has also called into question the standards of the current grading system and its ability to discriminate between the good and the excellent.
Academicians have called for a review. Newspaper reports and educationists have also pointed out the high number of students who have met minimum requirements, but have not made it into public universities.
A large number are from poor families or rural areas, say bodies handling appeals.
STPM students have also pointed out how little they knew of the matriculation results before they filed their applications. Those interviewed said they may not have risked applying for some courses if they had known they would be facing such stiff competition.
"If everyone had known that 1,774 had achieved a perfect score, many would not have applied in blind faith for medicine," says Hui Fang. University admission is a perennial problem because the number of students getting good grades has risen tremendously while the number of seats has not risen in tandem, says education activist Datuk N. Siva Subramaniam.
It is puzzling how we know the exact number of doctors needed yet are unable to plan for it, he says.
"We now finally have a separate ministry for higher education. "They should be able to sit down with the Human Resources Department and decide on the numbers we need in critical courses and what it will take to make it happen." The issue of cost is the second reason why there is so much debate, Siva Subramaniam notes.
A medical degree in a private university that used to cost parents about RM150,000 now costs RM300,000 or more. Five years at the International Medical Universiti in Kuala Lumpur will set parents back by RM270,000 in fees alone, says May Ling Young, Provost of the medical school.
If the student were to study in the UK from day one, a parent would have to budget for about RM1 million, says May Ling who is also deputy secretary-general of the Malaysian Association of Private Colleges and Universities.
A lack of qualified staff and training facilities are the biggest problems for private and public medical schools.
If these are not addressed, the situation is going to get worse as medical colleges proliferate to meet needs, she adds.
Another issue that needs to be looked at is the lack of career counselling for students. Every year, students who excel automatically gravitate towards Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Electrical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Law and acCountancy.
Are they being advised that these are the only courses worth considering? "At that age they do not understand the career options that are open to them," says Prof Datuk Dr Ibrahim Ahmad Bajunid, dean of Universiti Tun Abdul Razak's Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.
The booklets which help student fill university application forms could also carry course summaries.
This is one of the many suggestions that would go towards relieving tensions surrounding admission to university.
Others that have been proposed to help put an end to the annual national debate on admissions include settling for one entry system to universities and reviewing grading systems.
On the thorny issue of race and university entrance, Shamsul says, it will never go away because the problem is inherent in our society.
Chandra, however, says it is still not too late to make amends.
An overhaul of the present university entrance system is urgently needed to ensure that the demands of meritocracy as well as social justice are met. There have also been suggestions that candidates undergo aptitude tests or an additional entrance exam set by the university they have applied to. There is also a call to increase opportunities for tertiary education across the board.
Education is a right, says Denison, and governments worldwide are moving towards allowing as many people as possible, at whatever age and under all sorts of circumstances, to pursue tertiary education.
When this is done, admission will no longer be a sensitive issue. "It's really about providing every child who has done well, a place to study in this country," says Siva Subramaniam.
This is the thought to hold on to as the country works its way to a permanent solution to the problem.
A solution that will keep us from saying: "We'll see you again, same time next year."
Not a level playing field out there for the underprivileged
CONSIDER the case of two young students, Abel, the son of an engineer, and Muthu, the son of a labourer.
The hard-working Abel, who attended an urban secondary school and tuition classes, obtains a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 4.0. On the other hand, Muthu, woke up at 5am everyday and rushed through his frugal breakfast to fuel his four-mile 6.6km cycle to school.
He could not afford tuition classes and each night he studied under the dim bulb. Muthu only manages a CGPA of 2.5.
Though a CGPA of 2.5 is higher than the minimum entry requirement for most universities, meritocracy and the abundance of top scorers have made it impossible for Muthu to achieve his long-time ambition of being a graduate. Meritocracy's biggest flaw is that it promises equal access, assuming that everyone has equal opportunity, says Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia's Professor of Social Anthropology, Datuk Dr Shamsul Amri Baharuddin. However, in reality, it is not a level playing field out there, he adds.
Muthu may well be as intelligent and hardworking as Abel, but his socio-economic background had become a huge stumbling block. Hope for underprivileged students like Muthu would only come in the form of a special concession like a quota. The quota system of the past, says Prof Shamsul, had to a certain extent given people like Muthu a chance.
"A few years ago when I was the dean of the Arts Faculty, I was asked to lower the entry requirement for a certain quota and this provided many poor students a place in university." However, political scientist and social commentator Dr Chandra Muzaffar says that the quota system could only do good if implemented from a socio-economic perspective, whereby the disadvantaged from all communities were given special assistance in securing university places.
"This way there will have been much less unhappiness among non-Bumiputeras as well as some Bumiputeras, who for years have felt the ‘Special Position' provisions in the Constitution have sometimes been abused to favour well-endowed and well-connected Bumiputeras," says Chandra. But is the quota system the best solution for underprivileged students kids?
The executive director of MIC's Yayasan Strategik Sosial, Dr Denison Jayasooria, argues otherwise.
"If there is a section of a community that is falling behind, then offer these students extra classes and any other help they need, but don't lower the standards. We should help them, not reduce their competency."
Medicine in the Ukraine
MALAYSIANS seem to be an adventurous lot when it comes to studying medicine these days. Rather than choosing traditional destinations like the United Kingdom and Australia, more are finding their way to Eastern European countries like Russia and the Ukraine.
To date, the Crimea State Medical University (CSMU) in Simferopol has trained more than 26,000 doctors in the Ukraine, including 2,000 for countries around the world.
The university first opened its doors to foreigners when six Greek students arrived to take up their studies in 1961. Today, there are students from 34 foreign countries such as India, Jordan, Lebanon, China, Greece and Morocco.
Currently, 750 Malaysians are studying in CSMU, and in the last two years, 20 have also graduated with medical degrees from the university.
Cost is often a determining factor in medical studies and CSMU is competitive in this aspect.
According to Dr Subendran Arumugam, director of Ukrainian Medical Education Sdn Bhd, which represents the CSMU in Malaysia, the tuition fees for a six-year medical programme is RM69,000.
''It works out to RM11,500 per year. In addition, accommodation in a two or three-bed hostel room is RM850 annually. Most students can survive on between RM300 to RM400 per month,'' he says.
Given that cost can be between RM500,000 to RM800,000 in other countries, Dr Subendran says, more parents are now considering the Ukraine as an option for medical studies.
Since 2001, the Public Services Department has recognised the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery degrees from CSMU, so graduates need no longer sit for a qualifying examination to practise in Malaysia upon graduation.
Dr Subendran says Malaysians should not worry about the language barrier as the programme is conducted in English.
But, he adds, it is important to be able to speak Russian too as students will have to deal with patients in their clinical years from the fourth year onwards.
''During the eight-month pre-medical period, the Malaysian students will have intensive Russian language classes every day for between five to six hours a day for three months,'' he says.
After three months, when students have a basic grasp of the language, university staff will start introducing other subjects such as biology, physics, chemistry and mathematics.
The university, which was established in 1931, has five faculties, namely nursing, general medicine, paediatrics, dentistry and clinical pharmacy, divided into 60 departments.
Tests in all the subjects are also continuously held to ensure students are able to understand what they are learning.
The medical degree is divided into the basic science years (first three years) and clinical years (final three years).
Out of the 750 students at CSMU, 200 are doing their pre-medical studies. The rest are in the medical school.
Dr Subendran explains that students are divided into various groups with their own timetables. Each group has 11 students.
''To sit for the examinations, students must have 100% attendance in class unless they are sick and have a medical certificate from the university's polyclinic.
''If they do miss a class, they have to pay a fine of about RM2 and make up for the class by doing extra work for the lecturer. This is to encourage the students not to miss any classes,'' he says.
In the summer time, students can do their clinical practice in Malaysian hospitals, he adds.
Up to 85% of the Malaysian students in CSMU are living in the hostels.
''It is more convenient for the students as it is a self-contained campus. The hostels are also within walking distance from the lecture halls and laboratories.
''Students can get what they want from the shops on campus such as halal food and go up straight to their rooms without worrying about having to go into the city,'' he says.
Other facilities on campus include a stadium, swimming pool, tennis courts, polyclinic, cafés and canteens.
MALAYSIANS seem to be an adventurous lot when it comes to studying medicine these days. Rather than choosing traditional destinations like the United Kingdom and Australia, more are finding their way to Eastern European countries like Russia and the Ukraine.
To date, the Crimea State Medical University (CSMU) in Simferopol has trained more than 26,000 doctors in the Ukraine, including 2,000 for countries around the world.
The university first opened its doors to foreigners when six Greek students arrived to take up their studies in 1961. Today, there are students from 34 foreign countries such as India, Jordan, Lebanon, China, Greece and Morocco.
Currently, 750 Malaysians are studying in CSMU, and in the last two years, 20 have also graduated with medical degrees from the university.
Cost is often a determining factor in medical studies and CSMU is competitive in this aspect.
According to Dr Subendran Arumugam, director of Ukrainian Medical Education Sdn Bhd, which represents the CSMU in Malaysia, the tuition fees for a six-year medical programme is RM69,000.
''It works out to RM11,500 per year. In addition, accommodation in a two or three-bed hostel room is RM850 annually. Most students can survive on between RM300 to RM400 per month,'' he says.
Given that cost can be between RM500,000 to RM800,000 in other countries, Dr Subendran says, more parents are now considering the Ukraine as an option for medical studies.
Since 2001, the Public Services Department has recognised the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery degrees from CSMU, so graduates need no longer sit for a qualifying examination to practise in Malaysia upon graduation.
Dr Subendran says Malaysians should not worry about the language barrier as the programme is conducted in English.
But, he adds, it is important to be able to speak Russian too as students will have to deal with patients in their clinical years from the fourth year onwards.
''During the eight-month pre-medical period, the Malaysian students will have intensive Russian language classes every day for between five to six hours a day for three months,'' he says.
After three months, when students have a basic grasp of the language, university staff will start introducing other subjects such as biology, physics, chemistry and mathematics.
The university, which was established in 1931, has five faculties, namely nursing, general medicine, paediatrics, dentistry and clinical pharmacy, divided into 60 departments.
Tests in all the subjects are also continuously held to ensure students are able to understand what they are learning.
The medical degree is divided into the basic science years (first three years) and clinical years (final three years).
Out of the 750 students at CSMU, 200 are doing their pre-medical studies. The rest are in the medical school.
Dr Subendran explains that students are divided into various groups with their own timetables. Each group has 11 students.
''To sit for the examinations, students must have 100% attendance in class unless they are sick and have a medical certificate from the university's polyclinic.
''If they do miss a class, they have to pay a fine of about RM2 and make up for the class by doing extra work for the lecturer. This is to encourage the students not to miss any classes,'' he says.
In the summer time, students can do their clinical practice in Malaysian hospitals, he adds.
Up to 85% of the Malaysian students in CSMU are living in the hostels.
''It is more convenient for the students as it is a self-contained campus. The hostels are also within walking distance from the lecture halls and laboratories.
''Students can get what they want from the shops on campus such as halal food and go up straight to their rooms without worrying about having to go into the city,'' he says.
Other facilities on campus include a stadium, swimming pool, tennis courts, polyclinic, cafés and canteens.
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