PREJUDICE IN PARLIAMENT - AGAIN! (Malaysiakini)

QUICK COMMENT: And so, another insult is reportedly hurled at the Democratic Action Party's (DAP) Member of Parliament Mr Karpal Singh in Parliament House in Kuala Lumpur today.

This time, however, it is not from a Barisan Nasional MP but rather an independent one from Pasir Mas named Ibrahim. He is said to have questioned why Karpal had not asked for permission from the House to allow the DAP strongman to speak without having to stand up.

The incident was also highlighted in another DAP MP Tony Pua's (Pix, right) blog today (Philosophy, Politics, Economics).

Asking someone to stand up when he or she is in a wheelchair is indeed a terrible insult. It is the same as to expect any human being to fly.

It is utterly shameful for anyone, let alone a YB, to have said such a thing.

Does he not have elderly parents, an aunt or relative who is sick or disabled? What if he faces an unfortunate situation one day and finds himself in the mercies of others to help him?

Having said that, we are yet, not totally surprised that such words can come out of the mouths of persons who sit and debate issues in the highest house of our land.

It just proves that whether we want to admit it or not, prejudice towards the disabled very much exists in our country - a nation that we would all like to pride ourselves by calling our society a caring one.

PETPOSITIVE can only hope that every time such an incident rears its ugly head again in Parliament, our elected representative, both new and old, will take swift action to confront such prejudice and bury the hatchet once and for all.

aNt
PET+BLOGSPOT

MALAYSIAKINI REPORT:

FIERY START TO PARLIAMENT

The Dewan Rakyat today kicked off with a fiery question-and-answer session where top opposition parliamentarians crossed swords with both the speaker and Barisan Nasional backbenchers.

The temperature went up few notches during the 90-minute session after a number of controversial rulings from speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia and an 'unparliamentary remark' from Ibrahim Ali (Independent-Pasir Mas) which drew heckles from the opposition Pakatan Rakyat MPs.

The first 30 minutes of the Q&A session was telecast live through state-owned RTM for the first time.

From the onset, the Q&A session was delayed by 20 minutes after Karpal Singh (DAP-Bukit Gelugor) cited the standing orders to question certain BN leaders who failed to raise their hand during the swearing-in ceremony on Monday.

A shouting match ensued when the speaker said he had already made his decision - that all MPs were sworn in lawfully.

As first-time MP Gobind Singh Deo (DAP-Puchong) jumped to the defence of his father Karpal, backbenchers led by Bung Moktar Radin (BN-Kinabatangan) booed and demanded the proceedings to continue.

During the shouting match, the MPs traded insults with Karpal branding Bung Moktar "bigfoot" while the latter called the former "big monkey."

"If I am bigfoot, you are big monkey," Bung Moktar told Karpal when the DAP leader told the backbencher not to disrupt the proceedings.

Speaker not following precedent

At this juncture, Azmin Ali (PKR-Gombak) referred to the standing order and questioned why Pakatan Rakyat MPs were not given their fair share during the question hour.

He also complained that Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail (PKR-Permatang Puah), who has been appointed opposition leader, should have been the first to pose questions in the new parliament.

But Pandikar argued that he was using his discretion as House speaker to decide on who shall pose the first question.

"It is not stated in the standing order (that the opposition leader must speak first)," said the speaker, adding that he was only informed of Wan Azizah being made the new opposition leader through an official letter yesterday.

At the beginning of the session this morning, the speaker affirmed Wan Azizah as the new opposition leader after being informed that Pakatan MPs had given this their unanimous support.

When calm was restored 20 minutes later, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi took the first question from Razali Ibrahim (BN-Muar) and answered at length on the government’s approach to improving the quality of life in Malaysia.

However, another shouting match followed when Pandikar said he would not allow any supplementary questions to be raised on the grounds that Abdullah’s answer was sufficient.

Under the standing orders, up to three supplementary questions can be asked for each question.

Lim Kit Siang (DAP-Ipoh Timor) protested, saying this was unprecedented and that such an action would render the premier’s presence in the House "pointless."

"This is a conspiracy to silent the opposition MPs," said the veteran politician, to which opposition MPs thumped the tables in support.

As the debate between the speaker and the Pakatan MPs ensued, Abdullah interjected and appealed to the speaker to consider one or two supplementary questions.

The speaker finally relented and allowed one supplementary question which went to Abdul Hadi Awang (PAS-Marang).

Wheelchair-bound Karpal attacked

Another commotion erupted moments later when Independent MP Ibrahim questioned why Karpal, who is wheelchair-bound, did not ask permission from the House to allow him to speak without having to stand up.

This led Azmin and Fong Po Kuan (DAP-Batu Gajah) to demand the sole independent MP who contested on a PAS ticket to retract the statement.

"When people speak, I never disturb them. After speaking just a little bit, she (Fong) goes melenteng (shoots her mouth off)," said Ibrahim.

Turning to Fong, who was still speaking, he said: "Shut up."

"I am an independent member of parliament. Even when my name was raised just now, I did not say anything. I behaved. I did not speak just now just because I wanted to be a world-class parliamentarian. That’s all," he added.

Ibrahim, who was warned by the speaker to refrain from using ‘unparliamentary words’, also refused to apologise when asked to do so by Azmin.

"What unparliamentary words have I used? I just said shut-up. The word shut up in Malay means diam."

Shifting his focus to Karpal, Ibrahim said: "You insulted certain people just now. From time to time when people insult you, accept it. Just be a gentleman.

"I agree with the speaker, but who is it that is being un-parliamentarian? This whole past hour is just because all these people want to get on TV. That’s all!"

Word-limit issue

Later on, Bandar Kuching MP Chong Chieng Jen stirred another commotion when he pointed out that the second question - posed by Bung to Rural and Regional Development Minister Muhammad Muhd Taib exceeded the 40-word limit.

"I counted, there are 50 words," he said, calling on the speaker to nullify the question.

This riled up the BN backbenchers who questioned Chong if he had really counted the number of words in Bung’s question.

Following this, Rembau MP Khairy Jamaluddin joined in the fray. He said the opposition leader herself had exceeded the word-limit in her question to the finance minister.

"I have already counted the words in the question of Opposition leader Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and there are more than 50," he said.

"This proves the hypocrisy of the opposition who do not count the words in their own questions ... (It’s a case of) double standards! The pot calling the kettle black!"

The speaker, who was struggling to set the House in order, repeatedly called on the MPs to focus on the issues and not be sidetracked.

"I won’t entertain anymore trivial requests ... I have to ensure the smooth running of the session," he said.

In the end, only three questions were asked during the 90-minute session as opposed to at least 10 if the session had proceeded uninterrupted.

Review telecast

Outside the House later, PAS deputy president Nasharuddin Mat Isa (PAS-Bachok) said Ibrahim is an independent MP although he had contested on a PAS ticket.

Due to this, he said, Ibrahim is not confined by the party’s whip and is not involved in the discussions or meetings of Pakatan MPs.

On the other hand, the Kinabatangan MP also greeted Karpal outside the House.

"I was surprised why you suddenly called me a bigfoot," Bung told the DAP national chairperson who did not reply.

After the rowdy session, a disappointed Information Minister Ahmad Shabery Cheek said the ministry would review whether or not to continue the live telecast.

MGG PILLAI: A Warrior Of Light - Malaysiakini

QUICK COMMENT: I don't think that many people would dare to dispute the title and honour bestowed on MGG Pillai as "The Father of Malaysia's Internet Journalism."

I was one of the most loyal fans to his writings. His blog, column and thoughts were very infectious. It used to keep me reading late into the night until I finally had to tell myself that it was time to go to bed!

He was perhaps one of the greatest believers that Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim would one day return to the political arena. And how right he proved to be. He was never ashamed about his conviction on this though quite a few scorned at his "misplaced optimism".

The first person I thought about after the March 8 elections was Mr Pillai. Like many, I wished that the writing legend in his own right had lived to see the day before his untimely passing.

And how I yearn that he was still around today so that we can all see how he sees politics unfolding in our new Malaysia today through his insightful and thought-provoking missals. For we all know that nobody quite writes like MGG Pillai.

I never met the man. However, I did call him a couple of times to try and make a meeting with him at Mid Valley Megamall (for its wheelchair-friendly features) which never materialised.

The fault was all mine because I never called him back for a firm appointment.

My only criticism of Mr Pillai was when he used Rottweilers to illustrate bad people. I rang up and told him once that it wasn't right to portray Rotties in such a light because the canine breeds were really good dogs.

I didn't want his readers to feed on such negative stereotypes on a breed of dog which I literally owe my life to.

I have a Rottweiler at home who helps me in my wheelchair, I told him.

He seemed very surprised.

aNt
PET+BLOGSPOT




MALAYSIAKINI REPORT:

In memoriam I regret profoundly that my father, MGG Pillai, did not live to see the momentous developments which nearly toppled the ruling Barisan Nasional government last month. Today, the April 28 is the second anniversary of my father’s passing away. For my family and me, hardly a quiet moment of self-reflection goes by without him appearing in our thoughts.

While my family and I are sad that he did not live to see the developments of March 8, MGG Pillai would have been immensely gratified to know that the cyberspace journalism which he started four years before the emergence of Malaysiakini, has flowered into an immovable force fueled by the hunger for justice and righteousness.

It was gratifying to note that in the post-euphoria that swept this nation after March 8, some bloggers still remembered MGG Pillai as a giant which sowed the seeds that moved boulders.

While it is almost certain that his name will gradually float along the river of history, and the next generation of bloggers may not be aware of his contributions, MGG Pillai would not have minded that one bit. He would be happy to know that his efforts in educating readers for the past 40 years were not in vain. My father was never one to chase glory and pomp all his life unlike many of his contemporaries who succumbed to the money trail.

Many of his contemporaries chased the fat dragon which promised status and prestige. I knew some of them because I called them “uncle” and sat on their laps when I was a little boy when they visited my father for coffee and conversation. Later, some of them abandoned journalism, got rich beyond their dreams and occasionally pitied my father for being too idealistic.

Stay true to journalism

My father never viewed journalism as a stepping stone to gain favours from politicians and businessmen; he never aimed for grand sounding posts like chief news editor, group chief editor and all the privileges that came with big titles.

He was more interested in writing fair, balanced commentaries and reports for any media interested in his work, be it a small newspaper in the Caribbean or some of the biggest names such as The Times, Newsweek, Spectator, The Independent and Washington Post. It was not the medium that he cared about; it was far more important to him that his message and his thoughts could be relayed to readers.

MGG Pillai just wanted to write, enlighten readers and stay true to the pure ideals of journalism. This trade does not promise riches, just the nobility of being true to one’s self and the satisfaction of facing one’s Maker that one lived a honest, earnest life when the fleeting moment of one’s mortality fades into eternity.

A few days before my father passed away, in conversations with visitors, he had reaffirmed his belief in what he was doing is noble and true to the craft of journalism. “If I can open the eyes of even one person to bad governance, I would be satisfied.” MGG Pillai, on the verge of death, did not waver in his beliefs and I am proud to call him my father.

Author Paulo Coelho wrote in ‘Like the Flowing River’, “a warrior of light knows that certain impossible battles deserve to be fought, which is why he is not afraid of disappointments, for he knows the power of sword and the strength of his love … If he does not struggle against what is wrong – even if it seems beyond his strength – he will never find the right road.”

MGG Pillai fought impossible battles all his life and faced disappointments in his professional career; he paid a price for his idealism and beliefs but in the end – when it matters the most – he found the right road. MGG Pillai persevered right till the end.

He will always be my warrior of light.

---

MGG PILLAI (1939-2006), revered by many as father of Malaysia’s Internet journalism, died two years ago at the age of 67. He was a Malaysiakini columnist for many years and was unrelenting in his campaign on judicial corruption.

MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR ANIMAL-ASSISTED THERAPY FOR THE DISABLED AND THE ELDERLY SOON

PETPOSITIVE NEWSBRIEFS:

DATELINE: KUALA LUMPUR.

The Malaysian Animal-Assisted Therapy for the Disabled and Elderly Association (PETPOSITIVE) successfully completed our third Committee Meeting yesterday afternoon.

The three-hour event confirmed that PETPOSITIVE will be having more opportunities for disabled and elderly Malaysians to expose themselves to animal and nature-assisted therapy at the Botanical Gardens in Kepong, Selangor.

"Instead of holding animal-assisted therapy sessions for larger groups at a time,
PETPOSITIVE will have much smaller groups participating in activities from now on," said Lynda Merican, who is Volunteer Special Projects Coordinator for PETPOSITIVE.

"The exercises which will be held once a month will provide more quality time for disabled and elderly Malaysians to be able to interact with pets and nature." She added.

The small group sessions are scheduled to start after PET+ holds a special AAT session for Deaf children soon.

If you are disabled or elderly and wish to take part in our AAT sessions, please contact aNt at 012 220 3146.

Meanwhile, PETPOSITIVE has a new face - Shenaaz Khan - who simply adores cats. Khan was appointed as Assistant Secretary of PETPOSITIVE also at yesterday's meeting.

She replaces Dr Kathiravan Sethu, a veterinary surgeon who was formerly at the Hartamas Veterinary Clinic in Sri Hartamas.

Welcome to PETPOSITIVE, Shenaaz!

MORE UPDATES ON THE WAY!

PET+BLOGSPOT

WEEKEND VIEW: ICT - THE VALLEY OF THE DAMNED

IT is often said that Information and Communications Technology helps to significantly improve our quality of life.

Now, that may be true largely for able-bodied persons.

But if you happen to be a person with a disability in our society like I am – along with countless others who still, sadly, stay hidden in our homes; I am sorry to say this to you: As far as such technology is concerned, you are practically screwed!

The huge rainfall lately spelt disaster for me when lightning struck from nowhere whilst I was working on my computer.

Luckily the electrical force was not enough to deliver a lethal blow to my computer. My phone line, however, was pulverized.

My immediate reaction was to switch everything off until the storm had cleared.

Then my real nightmare began.

As a weekly columnist and active blogger I had urgent deadlines to meet.

There was no time to waste in getting my Internet up and running again.

I almost jumped for joy when a Telekom technician turned up at my doorstep near lunchtime the next day.

The excitement made me to almost forget how difficult it was the night earlier to get the Telekom telephonist to place my request under priority as I was a wheelchair using subscriber who was totally dependent on the phone line for my independence.

As I recall, she did not even care to ask me if I had a mobile phone as an alternative in case of an emergency.

More bad news followed.

The Telekom technician at my house told me that the lightning had damaged my external phone wire and that there was nothing that he could do to help me.

I was left to seek the services of an electrician on my own in order to get it fixed. When I did eventually find someone, he took two days to get to me.

His excuse? He was too busy with his work, he said. The electrician failed to understand the fact that I had to work too – from home on the computer to earn my living.

My problems, however, did not end there. After my new wiring was installed (the bill was a bomb), I had trouble getting connected to the Internet.

The Streamyx technical experts on the telephone then sent me on a wild goose chase to do all sorts of ridiculous things to my computer.

I was asked to pull out this wire and that and reconnect them. At one point I had to yell out in frustration telling them that I could not reach some of the wires because I was in a wheelchair.

I even tried begging one of them to come to my house to help me as I was a paying customer.

Even though they knew that I was disabled, they said that it was “not their policy to offer such a service to customers no matter what condition people were in.”

The only time that they are allowed to drop over at a customer’s house is during an installation session.

Then I suddenly remembered my friend V Elango who was quite an expert in computers. He came over to my house at once and sorted everything out.

But there was still one more issue left for me to solve.

I had not realised until my recent teleconversations with Streamyx that I was being overcharged by the company for my Internet services since October of last year.

That was when Streamyx had introduced a new package for its disabled customers where they had to only pay RM66.00 per month instead of the RM86.00 that I was paying for the Internet speed that I was using.

However to switch over to the new fees, I was forced to go through the whole tedious process of reapplying my subscription.

I could not understand why as all the required details were already with the telecommunications company.

I could not believe any corporate organisation wanting to put handicapped people to such inconveniences as the purpose of technology in the first place is to make lives easier for everyone.

And sure enough when I did go to the Telekom shop near my home as they insisted, there was no parking anywhere. The building itself was not wheelchair accessible.

Luckily for me my friend Andrew was with me. He managed to get one of the staff finally to attend to me in my car.

I had no choice but to pose a temporary nuisance to other drivers who squeezed past my car until the process was completed.

I was told that I could have authorised a friend to assist me. But does Telekom not realise that it is not easy to find people to afford the time to help us all the time in everything.

A better solution is for the service providers to do it for us – even if it means to come to our homes to help us out. Otherwise, we might as well kiss ICT goodbye.

The End

PETPOSITIVE NEWSFLASH! OUR HOMEPAGE IS REGISTERED!

PETPOSITIVE ANNOUNCEMENT:

THE MALAYSIAN ANIMAL-ASSISTED THERAPY FOR THE DISABLED AND ELDERLY ASSOCIATION (PETPOSITIVE) is pleased and proud to announce the registration of our Homepage: www.petpositive.com.my


Readers are most welcomed to click on our URL to transport you there.

PETPOSITIVE'S Homepage, however, is currently under construction. For more news on its latest development, please continue to stay tuned to PET+BLOGSPOT.

aNt
PET+BLOGSPOT

BBC ONLINE: Species Loss Bad For Our Health

A new generation of medical treatments could be lost forever unless the current rate of biodiversity loss is reversed, conservationists have warned.

They say species are being lost before researchers have had the chance to examine and understand their potential health benefits.

The findings appear in Sustaining Life, a book involving more than 100 experts.

It is being published ahead of a global summit in May that will look at ways to stem biodiversity loss by 2010.

"While extinction is alarming in its own right, the book demonstrates that many species can help human lives," said co-author Jeffrey McNeely, chief scientist at IUCN (formerly known as the World Conservation Union).

Societies depend on nature for treating diseases Achim Steiner, Unep executive director

"If we needed more justification for action to conserve species, it offers dozens of dramatic examples of both why and how citizens can act in ways that will conserve, rather than destroy, the species that enrich our lives."

Killing the cure

One creature whose potential benefits have been lost to science is the southern gastric brooding frog (Rheobatrachus silus), say the authors.

Some sharks have seen numbers fall by as much as 75% in 15 years

First described in 1973, the frogs, which were only found in Australia, interested researchers because they raised their young in the females' stomachs.

Preliminary studies suggested that the young produced substances that stopped them being digested.

Further research could have lead to new ways of preventing and treating stomach ulcers in humans, but the amphibian was last recorded in the wild in 1981.

"These studies could not be continued because both species of Rheobactrachus became extinct," said co-authors Eric Chivian and Aaron Bernstein from Harvard Medical School, US.

"The valuable medical secrets they held are now gone forever."

The team added that there was a wide range of threatened species whose biology could hold secrets to possible treatments for a growing variety of ailments.

For example, they said some bears' ability to maintain bone mass when they entered a dormant state could lead to a better understanding of diseases such as osteoporosis.

"We must do something about what is happening to biodiversity," the UN Environment Programme's (Unep) executive director, Achim Steiner, told a conference in Singapore, where the book was previewed.

Species 'key for economic growth' The value of the last

"Societies depend on nature for treating diseases; health systems over human history have their foundation on animal and planet products that are used for treatment."

The authors hope the publication will illustrate why delegates at a forthcoming key biodiversity summit in Germany have to back plans to halt species loss by 2010.

Mr Steiner said: "The UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) has achieved a great deal but it needs to achieve more if it is to meet the international community's goals and objectives.

"We need a breakthrough in Bonn on all three pillars of the convention: conservation, sustainable use, and access and benefit sharing of genetic resources."

MALAYSIAKINI: Bullet Train To Singapore Scrapped (No Tears From The Handicapped)

QUICK COMMENT: IT'S HARD TO SAY whether news of the scrapping of the bullet train is good news or bad - for the disabled and elderly community.

If plans of the project had continued, there would be some hope that the high speed train would be disabled-friendly. Or would it?

Judging from the past, one could never say if the promises given out by the authorities for a disabled-friendly environment would come into fruition or not.

Remember how disappointed it was for KL-folk when the monorail turned out to be handicapped-unfriendly.

Whatever the case, I think the majority of Malaysians with disabilities would not feel anything about the loss of this latest transportation plans if the blueprint hadn't included accessibility features.

Without it, it won't make any difference to us.

aNt
PET+BLOGSPOT

Malaysiakini article today:

A proposed multi-billion dollar high speed train linking Kuala Lumpur to Singapore is off the cards due to exorbitant project costs, according to press reports today.

The decision by Malaysia's Economic Planning Unit, which evaluates and helps implement key projects within the country, comes less than a week after both countries said they were exploring the possibility of the link.

"The government will not go ahead with the project because the financial model submitted involves a significant cost to be borne by the government," the Unit's director general Sulaiman Mahbob told the Star daily.

The paper said Sulaiman did not reveal how much the government would have had to bear.

The RM8 billion train project proposed by Malaysian property and utility firm YTL Corp in 2006 envisaged top speeds of 350 kph, cutting journey time from about seven hours to 90 minutes.

Long term saving

YTL's managing director Francis Yeoh had earlier said the new train would save the government "tens of billions of ringgit" in fuel subsidies in the long term, the paper reported.

Last week, Malaysian Foreign Minister Rais Yatim and his Singapore counterpart George Yeo agreed to study the possibility of the train link.

Yeo said the two sides decided to set up a joint ministerial committee to explore the proposal after Rais raised the issue with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

It takes about five hours to drive between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.

Malaysia and Singapore's bilateral ties have often been stormy since the city state was ejected from the Malaysian Federation in 1965 over ethnic issues, but they have undergone a marked improvement since Abdullah Ahmad Badawi became prime minister in 2003.

- AFP

BBC ONLINE: SOUTH KOREA TRAINS SNIFFER DOG CLONES

The world's first cloned sniffer dogs have begun training in South Korea.

Seven puppies have been created using cells taken from a labrador considered by customs officials to be their best sniffer dog.

The puppies were born last year after the country's customs service paid a biotechnology company to reproduce a Canadian Labrador Retriever.

Their handlers say they are already showing the same high level of skill as the original dog.

Only about 30% of naturally-born sniffer dogs make the grade, but South Korean scientists believe that could rise to 90% using the cloning method.

The puppies were born to three surrogate mothers after scientists used the nuclei of somatic cells from a sniffer dog called Chase. The state-funded project cost about 300m won ($300,000; £150,000).

A spokesman for South Korean customs said the pups have passed the first round of tests for behavioural patterns and genetic qualities and will report for duty in June after completing a second round of training.

PROTECT WILDLIFE OR FACE "TOURIST EXTINCTION" WARNS MNS IN MALAYSKIAKINI

QUICK COMMENT: The following is an excellent interview by Malaysiakini on the Malaysian Nature Society on our country's wildlife. MNS' Gary Phong does not mince around with his words when it comes to speaking out about doing the needful to protect animal life under our care. It is time also for animal NGOs throughout the nation to work together to speak up and speak out for our wildlife that are a constant target by unscrupulous profiteers.
aNt
PET+BLOGSPOT

PROTECT WILDLIFE OR FACE "TOURIST EXTINCTION". Story by Malaysiakini

About 21 million tourists visited Malaysia last year, bringing with them RM45 billion, but unless we protect our wildlife, the country will soon see the number of tourists dwindling.

When faced with a choice between countries like India and Sri Lanka where wildlife is still abundant and Malaysia where its wildlife has been on the receiving end of “an intense and prolonged onslaught”, tourists would choose the former.

“As a result, it is increasingly difficult to see wildlife in Malaysian forests, and this is undoubtedly beginning to affect the tourist industry,” said Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) Gary Phong, who is the organisation’s Selangor branch chairperson.

“Many foreign tourists express disappointment when questioned about their experience in Malaysia's forests and compare the country unfavourably with places like India and Sri Lanka, where wildlife is still plentiful despite dense human populations,” he said in a statement.

Due to the onslaught on wildlife to feed the trade in exotic pets, the supply of medicinal products and local restaurants providing exotic meat, Malaysia’s protected areas are now almost devoid of wildlife, said MNS.

Among the disappearing wildlife in Sarawak are the rhinoceros hornbill, seven out of eight other hornbill species, Bornean gibbons, two species of leaf monkey, two species of flying squirrel, sunbears, a civet, a cat, an otter, and at least five species of hawk.

Meanwhile, in Peninsular Malaysia, both the Sumatran rhinoceros and the tiger are facing extinction.

Failure to enforce laws

The wildlife trade monitoring network Traffic says that the illegal wildlife trade is getting larger and more organised and is pushing many of Southeast Asia's species closer to the brink of extinction, said Phong.

“At the heart of the problem is a failure to enforce wildlife protection laws. The laws are for the most part perfectly adequate, but enforcement agencies are under-staffed and under-resourced,” he lamented.

The society also said that the work of enforcement agencies such as the Department of Wildlife is often undermined by senior government officials and politicians.

“For example, when a local plantation owner, who also happened to be a property tycoon, blatantly encroached into Lambir Hills National Park, the Sarawak Forestry Corporation was asked to drop the ensuing case by a senior politician.

“When the Department of Wildlife has succeeded in bringing cases against restaurants for serving bush meat, the fines handed down by the judges were paltry, ranging from RM1,800 to RM5,000 despite maximum sentences of RM15,000 and five years in prison.

“Similarly, in 2005 poachers who killed a tiger in Kelantan were fined just RM7,000. Sentences like these clearly serve more as a deterrent to the enforcement agencies than the criminals,” said MNS.

The examples reflect a “malaise” among senior politicians, civil servants, and the legal profession that crimes against wildlife are “minor”, said MSN.

Whether the poachers are international syndicates trading in wildlife, a property tycoon with a pet sunbear, a restaurateur serving endangered meat, or even just a villager shooting a protected species, they are all criminals and should be treated as such, the society added.

“They are stealing our natural heritage and threatening the long-term survival of much of Malaysia's biodiversity.

“Failure to enhance enforcement will not only result in further declining wildlife populations and extinctions across much of the country, but will also erode Malaysia's international reputation and start to impact tourist revenues.”

BERNAMA: DOG RESCUES WOMAN

QUICK COMMENT: Hi folks, here is a most inspiring and striking true-life story of how a dog rescued its elderly owner during a recent flash flood incident in Seremban. The story, highlighted by the Bernama News Agency was drawn to my attention by Capt Karim from Petpositive.

aNt PET+BLOGSPOT

SEREMBAN, April 17 (Bernama) -- A dog's incessant barking saved his elderly owner from a watery grave when flash floods struck Kampung Ulu Temiang Wednesday afternoon.

As the woman, who suffered from chronic asthma was on the verge of drowning in her wooden house with flood waters steadily rising, her loyal pet dog refused to leave her side.

The canine which kept itself afloat, began to bark non-stop to attract attention from the neighbours to rescue its helpless mistress.

However, most neighbours had left their 200-odd half-submerged houses to seek shelter from the floods, resulting from a two-hour downpour which began at 2.30pm.

The relentless efforts of man's best friend were not in vain.

Alerted by the incesasant barking, a team of fire and rescue department personnel, aided by some neighbours, went to the house and found the woman, in her 60s, shivering and helpless, barely able to keep her head above the flood waters.

Bernama learnt that it was only when the firemen rescued the woman that the dog swam to safety.

Fire operations officer Arshad Che Onn said six members of a family also found themselves trapped by the flood waters before they were rescued.

Firemen in three fire engines and a team of policemen were at the scene.

-- BERNAMA

COMING SOON: PETPOSITIVE'S PRESS STATEMENT ON THE INCIDENT

WEEKEND VIEW: UP, UP AND AWAY FOR PARKINSON'S!

I had a terrific time last Saturday.

And so did scores of others who turned up like me at a special event to mark World Parkinson’s Day (WPD) in our country.

The global awareness-raising celebration, which is famously noted for its red tulip as a universal symbol for the disease, falls on April 11 each year.

In Malaysia, however, it was observed a day later at Petaling Jaya’s Astaka sports field in Selangor.

The organisers of the half-day event were the good folks over at the Malaysian Parkinson’s Disease Association (MPDA) in Kuala Lumpur.

The NGO which I am a member of has been in existence since 1994.

About 150 denizens – many mostly elderly persons with Parkinson’s disease (PD) – were accompanied by their caregiver families, volunteers and friends.

With their wheelchairs and walking aids, they converged as early as 8am in the relatively quiet field of the modest sports venue which is cleverly tucked away behind the Federal Highway and a couple of religious buildings in the area.

Others arrived later. This was either because they had to wait for their medications to fully take effect in their bodies or until some of their symptoms had subsided to make them well enough to travel.

Although the venue is normally used for sporting activities by the non disabled – April 12, however, was notably different.

The MPDA had no plans to let any of their members to be a spectator that day.

In fact, each one of them had to take part in the activities that were specially lined up for them in the open field.

This was the first time in recent years that the MPDA was organising an outdoor activity.

Whilst it is certainly important for all PD persons (and caregivers) to keep themselves abreast of the latest breakthroughs and treatments of their condition; I could not help thinking what a super idea and wonderful change outdoor activities made that day to the usual medical talks that have been a regular and often only feature for PD patients in the past.

It seemed to me the fresh air, coupled with the opportunity to be able to do normal things like others, is really the best answer for anyone having to live with an insidious disease inside of them that is not about to go away.

Rather than being stuck in a room and listening to endless lectures about a disease that still has no cure today, what a refreshing change such an outing made.

So I think that the MPDA certainly took a step in the right direction with its bold decision last week to have its outdoor event.

The activities included telematches with attractive prizes and a line dance session in the field.

The dances were not only fun to watch and participate but also particularly helpful and crucial for PD persons in exercising their bodies and staying in shape.

For the shy members, the able-bodied volunteers sportingly jumped in with some of the dances to encourage them on.

The star attraction, of course, was the two-hour hot air balloon ride that lifted passengers up 120 feet above the ground and back again.

Once in the air, the monstrous object was secured by thick ropes on several parked vehicles on ground. It was also guided by a few persons tugging on extra ropes from the ground.

Everyone was understandably nervous at first about taking a ride in the contraption.

However, when the first intrepid members safely and successfully completed their “journey”; there was really no stopping the rest from forming a quick beeline for their turn to get airborne.

It was truly a moving moment to watch how eager and excited many of the elderly persons with PD were about the balloon ride.

Even though some of them had great walking difficulties because of their paralysed limbs, they still persisted despite having to be carried by others into balloon basket.

If it had been an event for the able-bodied, they would not have stood a chance!

The huge smiles on their faces afterwards said everything about their trip.

It also truly and effectively spelt out the theme for the WPD event that day which was to highlight the fact that even if one had PD, there was nothing to stop him or her from going right to the top and achieving what they want for themselves.

I was also greatly impressed by the patience and support the volunteers showed in helping the PD patients in and out of the balloon. No one was rushed in any way but allowed to board and disembark according to their abilities and in their own time.

If only more people can be like this!

(PD is a condition of the nervous system that gets worse over a period of time. It causes the muscles to become weak and limbs to shake.)

The End

Note: Pictures are by Mr Sivaraman Kannan who is Vice-President of the MPDA and member of PETPOSITIVE. He has Parkinson's Disease.

Twelve members of PETPOSITIVE was specially invited by the MPDA for the event. We were the only other NGO guest at the function.

To watch a video of the hot air balloon ride click HERE.

A GOOD REASON FOR CLEANING

Cleaning 'improves mental health'

This is the kind of housework the researchers had in mind

Working up a sweat while performing household chores may not just improve the cleanliness of your home, but your mental health too, a survey suggests.

Just 20 minutes of sustained exercise a week - from cleaning to jogging - can impact upon depression, the British Journal of Sports Medicine study found.

The more strenuous and frequent the activity, the greater the effect.

University College London researchers looked at a survey of 20,000 people on weekly exercise and state of mind.

Another study in the journal also found such exercise among the middle-aged and elderly may delay the ageing process.

No gentle dusting

Those who suffer from stress or anxiety may be less likely to take part in physical activity in the first place Mark Hamer UCL

In the Scottish Health Survey, 3,000 people reported stress or anxiety.

The more active they were, the less likely they were to be suffering in this way. Taking part in sports at least once a week lowered the risk by 33%, while housework and walking could cut it by as much as 20%.

However, light dusting or meandering to the bus stop strictly did not count.

The activity needed to be for at least 20 minutes at a time, and had to induce breathlessness.

One theory as to why activity might work is that it curbs some biological risk factors for depression, including glucose intolerance, inflammation and cardiovascular problems.

Researchers did however concede they were unable to work out the nature of the relationship, and that those with mental health problems may be less likely to exercise in the first place.

"Many studies suggest benefits for mental health from exercise, and for the first time we have been able to quantify the amount of activity which seems to make a difference," said Mark Hamer of University College London.

"But it is a chicken and egg issue - as those who suffer from stress or anxiety may be less likely to take part in physical activity in the first place."

Sane, the mental health charity, noted that the reasons for distress were often poorly understood and that in severe cases people needed to seek professional help.

But "this study may offer hope to those suffering mental pain that small, manageable lifestyle changes can improve mental wellbeing", said spokesman Richard Colwill.

"The brain is as much a 'physical' organ as the heart or lungs, so perhaps it should not come as a surprise that even little amounts of regular exercise can begin to reduce psychological distress."

Staying active

Another study finds that even if the relationship between strenuous activity and mental health is unclear, those who opt for it may enjoy a more independent old age.

Regular aerobic exercise in middle-age and beyond trains the body to use oxygen more effectively in generating energy, researchers at the University of Toronto found after looking at 400 adults aged between 55 and 85.

This in turn seems to delay biological ageing by as much as 12 years.

Lorna Layward, research manager at Help The Aged, said it was "never too late" to start exercising.

"When people hear the word 'aerobic' they tend to think of Lycra and tracksuits, but there are all sorts of activities from dancing to swimming that can make a huge difference.

"There has long been the assumption that retirement is about putting your feet up, but gradually we're getting the message across that keeping active is good for you in so many ways."

Note: This story appeared on April 10, 2008 - PET+BLOGSPOT

MARVELOUS: MALAYSIAKINI ON WILDLIFE TOO!

QUICK COMMENT: Here's a great coverage on our Borneo pygmy elephants in Malaysiakini today. The online Malaysian newspaper may be a great source of information for Malaysians seeking for stories not covered by our mainstream newspapers. However, PETPOSITIVE is pleased to note that wildlife stories and issues that are closer home to Malaysia are equally sought after and published in Malaysiakini - other than politics all the time. Way to go, Malaysiakini! We look forward to reading more in future. aNt PET+BLOGSPOT

Malaysiakini's story:

Borneo's mysterious pygmy elephants may be the last survivors of Javan elephants thought to have become extinct centuries ago, the environmental group WWF said today.

Researchers believe the pygmy elephants, which are much smaller and more docile than their cousins found elsewhere in Asia, were brought to Borneo by royalty long ago, and then abandoned in the jungle.

"It's exciting to consider that the forest-dwelling Borneo elephants may be the last vestiges of a subspecies that went extinct on its native Java Island, in Indonesia, centuries ago," said retired Malaysian forester Shim Phyau Soon.

"Elephants were shipped from place to place across Asia many hundreds of years ago, usually as gifts between rulers," said Shim, whose ideas on the origins of the elephants WWF said had inspired the latest research.

Scientists have long wondered about the origins of the pygmy elephant, and why they are found only in a section of Borneo. There are perhaps just 1,000 of them in the wild, mostly in the Malaysian state of Sabah.

WWF said the new study found no archaeological evidence of a long-term elephant presence on Borneo, reinforcing the theory that they were brought there centuries ago by the Sultan of Sulu, which is now in the Philippines.

"Just one fertile female and one fertile male elephant, if left undisturbed in enough good habitat, could in theory end up as a population of 2,000 elephants within less than 300 years," said WWF's Junaidi Payne who co-authored the paper.

"And that may be what happened in practice here."

The pygmy elephant has an appealing rounded appearance, and males stand only about 2.5 metres tall, compared to about 3.0 metres for mainland Asian elephants.

Their faces are smaller and squarer, their tails are longer, reaching almost to the ground, and their tusks are straighter.

Good temperament

Another major difference is their good temperament, calmer even than the Asian elephant which is famously cooperative and hardworking compared to the larger, more aggressive African subspecies which is rarely tamed.

It was only in 2003 that the pygmy elephants were identified as a new subspecies after DNA testing found they were genetically distinct.

WWF said satellite tracking has shown the animals prefer the same lowland habitat that is being increasingly cleared for timber rubber and palm oil plantations.

"If they came from Java, this fascinating story demonstrates the value of efforts to save even small populations of certain species, often thought to be doomed," said Christy Williams, coordinator of its Asian elephant and rhino programme.

"It gives us the courage to propose such undertakings with the small remaining populations of critically endangered Sumatran rhinos and Javan rhinos, by translocating a few to better habitats to increase their numbers.

"It has worked for Africa's southern white rhinos and Indian rhinos, and now we have seen it may have worked for the Javan elephant, too."

AIR RAVES, The Star By Anthony Thanasayan: SPREADING HEALTHY MESSAGES

It's very encouraging that local radio stations are showing concern and responsibility by airing programmes related to health issues. Programmes on health and disability dominated the airwaves on at least two radio stations last week.

World Parkinson’s Day (WPD) on April 11 was a major highlight on the Bernama News Agency’s radio station, Radio24. The round-the-clock broadcaster from Kuala Lumpur featured a live interview with neurologist Dr Norlinah Mohamed Ibrahim last Wednesday.

Celebrity health and fitness expert Kevin Zahri revealed interesting tips on ERA FM.

Aired for two hours from 8pm, the doctor spoke at length about the medical aspects of the disease. Parkinson’s disease (PD), incidentally, is a progressive and degenerative condition of the nervous system. Her talk was conducted in Bahasa Malaysia.

Whilst the programme did its part to raise some public awareness about PD, I thought that there was too much focus on the disease and its negative effects. My concern was that some of the cold medical facts that were disclosed on the show might have unwittingly frightened away some listeners.

But Radio24 had more up its sleeve. Things were much better the next day, when the station conducted another live interview with a PD patient and caregiver. The speakers were from the top brass of the Malaysian Parkinson Disease Association in Kuala Lumpur (MPDA).

The studio guests spoke candidly about their real life experiences. Their ultimate message: There is life after Parkinson’s!

Earlier in the morning for WPD, Radio24’s correspondent Tan Su Lin presented an excellent and timely pre-recorded report on PD and what it was all about. The brief segment lasted about five minutes. It featured audio clips from the same guest neurologist and Sara Lew, president of the 14-year old MPDA.

Meanwhile, celebrity health and fitness expert Kevin Zahri was ERA FM’s live guest for World Health Day on April 7. The author of Fitness 24/7 engaged listeners on the Airtime Management and Programming’s BM broadcaster at 8.30am – a most opportune moment to catch rush hour audiences.

Also joined by ERA’s announcers Nana, Kieran and Adi on the Pagi@ERA show, Kevin revealed interesting tips on how listeners could effectively manage their health and fitness to suit our Malaysian lifestyles.

Touching on favourite foods such as nasi lemak and teh tarik, for instance, the health and fitness adviser pointed out that our love for such food and drinks should not serve as an excuse for anyone for not keeping healthy and fit. The morning discussion with Kevin on Pagi@Era proved to be a lively and fun topic for everyone.

Here are a couple of great tips that Kevin offered to listeners on how not only to keep their tummies trim, but also to help keep one awake and alert all day.

Rice – As a general rule, the ideal serving should be the size of one’s fist regardless of the size of the person.

Stairs – Use them in place of lifts. It always makes a difference!

Note: This page listed at No 6 in the Most Viewed section of The Star today.

WEDNESDAY VIDEO: WATCH HOW DISABLED PERSONS TOOK TO THE SKIES RECENTLY

DATELINE: SATURDAY, APRIL 12, 2008: Close to 150 people gathered at Astaka Field in Petaling Jaya for a ride of their lives.

Person's with Parkinson's disease, their caregivers, volunteers and friends attended a half-day morning activity where a hot air balloon ride was the major attraction.

Despite their fears over heights and their "frozen bodies", they got into the balloon which launched them a hundred and twenty feet into the air for about ten minutes each time before returning them safely on the ground again.

The nifty idea came from the Malaysian Parkinson's Disease Association in Kuala Lumpur which also organised the event to coincide with World Parkinson's Day celebration on April 11. PETPOSITIVE was a special guest at the occasion. MORE REPORTS TO FOLLOW ON PET+BLOGSPOT. Click on the video to see how the elderly disabled took flight.

POSITIVE COMMENTS FROM PKR'S RODZIAH ISMAIL ON THE DISABLED AND THE ELDERLY IN MALAYSIAKINI

QUICK COMMENT: Here are some excellent comments from Rodziah. PETPOSITIVE certainly supports the initiatives of the Wanita PKR Deputy Chief in checking "one by one" to see that all disabled and elderly people receive the aid that they deserve.

This was clearly what was lacking in the previous administration. You can bet that we in PETPOSITIVE will surely do our part to help in such a worthy initiative.

aNt

PET+BLOGSPOT

From Malaysiakini:

Fancy watching a Chinese opera in Malay?

According to Rodziah Ismail, the exco member for welfare, women affairs and science, technology and innovation (STI) and culture in Selangor, this may just be possible.

In an interview, the Batu Tiga state representative and Wanita PKR deputy chief talked about her fondness for multi-racialism, aspirations for more scientists in the state and plans for the Orang Asli in Selangor.

Can you tell us more about your portfolio?

I’m handling welfare, women affairs and science, technology and innovation, plus culture. For welfare we will take care of senior citizens and disabled people and provide assistance for those who fall below the poverty line. We’ll go through them one by one.

We found out that the previous government only dealt with welfare problems on a case-by-case basis when people come to the office to see them. We want to look into the state of welfare for Selangor as a whole but there is no database on this, no figures as to how much money has been given to the disabled and elderly.

Under the new state government, I want to make sure that all who are qualified to receive welfare will be included in a database and we’ll plan for them - how we will manage the disabled, senior citizens and the poor. Our long-term plan is to make sure these less fortunate people have an action plan so they can one day work or build a new life and improve their economic situation without needing the help from the state.

This is similar to women’s affairs. Before this, the previous government was reactive and dealt with problems as they came in. When single mothers came in, they would assist. What we’re planning for the women is two-fold: to empower women and to ‘balance’ the problems faced by women in rural and urban areas.

In the urban areas, the women are very sophisticated, IT-literate and economically sound but (face social) problems. Women in rural areas have fewer social problems but they have more economic or IT-based difficulties. So we have to narrow this gap.

On empowering women, we want them to know their rights and be more competitive. We want to give the women a bigger role. Previously there was no effort to understand gender problems or issues faced by working women. There weren’t any plans to encourage rural women to get involved with agribusiness. So we want to empower women in business, social life and other (areas).

We have problems with STI too. STI in Selangor is actually very broad but people are often confused, thinking its all about science and ICTs (information and communication technologies). No, it is not just about ICT or multimedia, it is much wider than that. Looking at rapidly developing countries, we can see that the growth of technology is very fast.

There are many technologies that we need to consider now like green technology...We need to guarantee that the technology that we implement and give to the people is sustainable. The technology must benefit the people.

I also have an addition to my portfolio - culture. People often think culture is dancing only but for me culture is also about history. Our challenge for the new state government is to make culture the bridge between the races. We have an action plan to set up exhibitions on a multi-racial platform.

Whatever I do for this culture portfolio, I will always focus on our multi-racial setting. Malaysia is not just about Malay heritage because if you look at the history, what unites us is our shared culture. For example in Malacca, the people who fought there were not just the Malays but the Chinese and Indian traders. They were together in fighting for their rights. We’ve had this in the past so it’s not something new.

I noticed that 90 percent of cultural events in the state are Malay-based. But if you look at the strata in Selangor, there are 55 percent Malays and 45 per cent non-Malays. The balance must be there. We can’t just focus on one section of the society. I will definitely mix the cultures when it comes to cultural and historical museums and I want it to be lively like museums overseas. I don’t want sad museums where people cannot relate to the presentation. Abroad, people love to visit museums. This means I will put the STI knowledge I have there to give visitors an experience they will never forget.

An idea for a cultural theatre has been proposed and I’ve talked to a few Chinese artistes and we think it is not a problem to make Chinese opera in Malay, for us to go there and understand what its all about. That’s why we don’t want our history to be forgotten. History is not just the past but the present because what we do now will make history in the future.

Do you see the stark contrast between your portfolios as a challenge in executing your work?

It’s manageable but the challenge is with STI because it does not deal with human errors. My department on welfare and women affairs deals with human problems but STI (involves) how the state is going to use and implement STI for society.

This portfolio is also not just about me but all the people surrounding me and using available resources, which I will have to tap. I will set up a think-tank, discuss the issues and get in all the experts. My challenges are so broad that I told my officer that my tasks will cover the ground right to the sky. (Laughs)

On the issue of innovation, we want to promote it well. In Singapore, if somebody says his or her ambition is to be a scientist, the government will support them. Scientists are very unique people. For them, it’s not like being a doctor or an engineer because a scientist’s mind works in amazing ways.

So why doesn’t this happen in Malaysia? It’s because when a person creates something, it is not promoted or patented. So now we want to patent creations and adopt the designs to develop the innovation industry. The state hopes to provide support to inventors within the ambit of sustainable technology.

When do you plan to set up the database for your welfare department?

The (current) database is not comprehensive and only has the number of those who actively seek help. So I am asking my officers to go to the ground and conduct a thorough census in the state.

I am gathering the information currently, liaising with the welfare department and its branches to get some data. My master plan for all my portfolios will hopefully be reached within the next two months.

Will you also look into the plight of the Orang Asli?

Yes, we have them in mind. I’m also considering them in my culture portfolio. I have a team now to find out where the Orang Asli live and understand why they remain so poor.

There must be a reason why they choose to stay where they are based on their culture and heritage but that doesn’t mean we should allow them to remain poor.
We can help modernise their lives while recognising their rights. I have planned to look into this and discuss the issues with their representatives.

What are your views about the Selangor having four women excos including yourself?

I feel good about this because this is equivalent to 40 percent when the world average is 30 percent. Looking back, there are four women because of their performance, background and credibility. I think if we qualify to serve in our respective departments, it does not matter if we’re men or women.

But our challenge is proving that we’re better. We don’t want the four seats being held by women in the exco to be seen as any form of tokenism. We will perform and do our best for the people.