Week That Was: June 26 - July 2, 2006
DOING HIS JOB: (June 27) Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said he would not be distracted by the criticism against him, and he would focus on “rolling out projects” to be implemented under the 9th Malaysia Plan. He said he had a job to do, and the people wanted him to deliver on the Barisan Nasional’s electoral promises, and the problems of the rakyat would not be resolved if the projects were not implemented.
ENOUGH, PLEASE: (June 28) Cabinet ministers and Mentris Besar expressed regret over Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s association with the Opposition and urged the former prime minister to cease his attacks on the Government. In expressing their support for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, they said the former prime minister’s remarks were callous and could be used by the Opposition to weaken the Government and confuse the people.
NO GENETIC MODS: (June 26) The use of genetic testing to choose a baby’s sex and features will be banned under a new law that is being drafted, Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek said. The Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) condemned the use of pre-implantation genetic testing techniques for trivial reasons such as to choose a baby’s sex and looks. The procedure should only be used to diagnose serious medical conditions in high-risk patients, it said.
CHEAP CARS?: (June 29) Jasin MP Datuk Mohd Said Yusof took his quarrel with the Customs Department a step further, alleging that certain top Customs officials had sold confiscated luxury cars cheaply to their “friends” in the palaces and other government departments. He claimed that the officials had abused their power by selling the cars meant for open auction to their royalty friends in return for Datukships – a charge denied by Customs director-general Datuk Abdul Rahman Abdul Hamid.
LOSING GROUND: (June 28) Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek said non-profit hospitals are struggling to survive as the number of patients seeking treatment at such institutions is dropping drastically. He said patients were now turning away from such hospitals because people seeking treatment in these places were perceived to be of a lower social status. This development is worrying those who have been relying on these hospitals.
MSC AUDIT: (June 26) The Multimedia Development Corporation was directed to audit every company requesting for the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) status. This would ensure that the status and the good name of the MSC would not be tarnished, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, adding that even a single bad incident could taint the image of the MSC and affect the country’s competitiveness in drawing foreign investors.
NO BAD BLOOD: (June 30) Blood donors who are HIV positive were warned that they would be committing a crime if they do not report their condition under an upcoming revised law, and liable to a jail term when the Prevention and Control of Infectious Disease Act 1988 is amended. Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said the Government wants to make it a crime because their act could result in other people’s deaths.
PROFITABLE PETRONAS: (June 29) Petronas said its full-year net profit surged 22.6% to a record high, thanks to higher oil prices and increased output. For the year through March, its net profit rose to a record RM43.59bil compared with RM35.6bil a year earlier. The company is Malaysia’s most profitable firm and only Fortune 500 company.
NEW BLOOD: (June 25) After 25 years as the MIC deputy president, Datuk S. Subramaniam was dislodged by challenger Datuk G. Palanivel, who rode home with a thumping victory at the party elections on Saturday. Delegates at the MIC assembly gave Palanivel, the Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Minister 933 votes, while Subramaniam managed only 495 votes.
MORE TEMBLORS: (June 25) A powerful undersea earthquake with a magnitude of 5.8 struck off the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, but the state meteorology and geophysics agency said there were no reports of casualties or damage. The quake’s epicentre was 72km beneath the seabed, about 110km from the city of Gorontalo in northern Sulawesi. It did not generate a tsunami.
A MATTER OF PERSUASION: (June 29) Foreign ministers from the G8 leading industrialised countries discussed how to persuade Iran to respond quickly to proposals aimed at defusing a crisis over its nuclear programme. Iran has still not said whether it will accept a package of incentives handed to it on June 6 by the five permanent, veto-wielding UN Security Council members. The United States has accused Iran of having a secret programme to build nuclear weapons. Teheran denies the charge, saying its nuclear programme is solely for power generation.
NEW HEAD: (June 27) Nguyen Minh Triet, 63, a Vietnamese politician with a reputation for fighting corruption, became the communist-run country’s new president, as part of a changing of the guard to a group of younger leaders. The National Assembly, or parliament, confirmed his appointment. The job is the third most important in the system after Party general secretary and prime minister.
