NS trainee dies - she's no 19

Feb 28, 07 2:41pm

The latest victim has been identified as P Prema who was placed at the Kisana Beach Resort training camp in Kelantan.

According to Bernama, camp commander Zulkarnain Abdullah said Prema was rushed to the Tengku Anis Hospital after she was found unconscious in a toilet at Jeram Linang about 2.30am.

He said Prema, from Kajang, Selangor, was confirmed dead at the hospital.

She was among the 400 NS trainees from the camp undergoing training at Jeram Linang near Pasir Puteh yesterday.

Prema was said to have gone to the toilet with a few other trainees at the training area. Her friends later came looking for the deceased, who had not come out of the toilet, and found her unconscious.

National Service Training Department director-general Abdul Hadi Awang Kechil is scheduled to hold a press conference on the incident later today.

Full investigation

In January, following the death of another trainee Ili Ameera Azlan in Malacca, Parliamentary Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang called for a full public investigation.

He said Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, who is directly in charge of the NS programme, to commission the probe in order to allay the concerns of parents and the public.

“Parliament was informed by Deputy Defence Minister Zainal Abidin Zin last December that in the past years, there had been 17 cases of NS deaths - eight trainees and nine trainers. The total casualty (including Ili Ameera) will now be 18.

“Why is there such a high rate of fatalities in the NS programme?” asked the opposition leader.

On Jan 19, Ili Ameera, 17, from Seremban, was rushed to the emergency unit of the Malacca Hospital after other trainees found her struggling to breathe at 6.30am.

The compulsory NS programme, approved by Parliament in 2003, was mooted by former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

The trainees are randomly chosen from eligible youths aged 18, although the scheme covers those up to 35-years-old.

Absentees are liable to be charged and could face up to six months’ jail, a maximum fine of RM3,000, or both.

The programme has been dogged by numerous controversies, including a rape case, assault cases causing death and incidents of mass hysteria in several camps

Wednesday February 28, 2007

Take sports to the masses

I REFER to to your report “All constituencies to have futsal centres” (The Star, Feb 26).

Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Azalina Othman Said’s statement that all state constituencies will have an open futsal centre is a welcome piece of news.

Even more encouraging is her statement that these centres would also have facilities for other sporting activities as well. It is high time that every district be provided with a sports complex with facilities for all the popular sporting facilities easily accessible to our youth.

Development has taken a heavy toll on all our recreational venues, leaving very little open spaces for sporting activities.

Many of our towns and even schools lack proper playing fields, badminton courts and facilities for popular sports. This has resulted in the deterioration in the standard of sports in our country over the last few decades.

At one time we excelled in many sports like badminton, hockey, athletics and football. Today we are lagging far behind in every sport except badminton, and even countries that were alien to the game not long ago are rapidly overtaking us.

In squash and bowling we can count the number of players who have risen to international excellence.

The Government has initiated numerous projects to uplift the standard of sports but with little or no success.

We have spent millions in building expensive sports facilities and training but these do not seem to bring the desired results.

What we fail to realise is that we are not taking sports to the masses from where real talent comes. The majority of the sports heroes come from the masses and not from the rich and wealthy segment of the population.

Unless we tap the great potentials that exist in the masses, we will not succeed in selecting the best to represent the nation.

It would therefore be more beneficial and cost effective to build numerous football fields, badminton courts and even sports complexes in smaller towns and kampungs, which badly lack these facilities.

Football and hockey tournaments and athletic meets at school and district level that used to be very popular in the 60s and 70s were effective ways to select talented young players for the state and national teams. These competitions are unheard of in most small towns these days.

While sophisticated and high-tech sports complexes are necessary for advanced training, the single most important means of developing a sport and to spot talented players is to take the game to the masses.

Facilities must be made available to them freely or at a cost affordable to them. Selection of the players must be solely on merit, not favouritism.

DR CHRIS ANTHONY,
Butterworth, Penang.

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© 1995-2005 Star Publications (Malaysia) Bhd (Co No 10894-D)

Crime prevention

The Star Online > Focus

Wednesday February 14, 2007

Parental guidance is the key

PRIME Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi recently launched a counselling programme to help curb social problems among the Malays.

Counselling programmes involving family institutions and the promotion of good values are in greater need today than ever before.

Family values must continue to be preserved and nurtured to act as a shield against the various social ills plaguing society.

When a nation progresses, the family institution will be the first victim with children not getting enough attention and guidance, leading to the emergence of various social ills affecting teenagers.

Malaysian parents today face the dilemma of how to strike a balance between their working career and nurturing their children. This is compounded by demanding employers who make their staff stay back late to finish work.

Another problem is the lack of parenting skills.

The fact is that parents are busy with their careers and are unable to spend quality time with their children. This results in thousands of urban children being left to the whims and mindsets of foreign maids, baby-sitters and, in some cases, relatives.

Children who return from school find themselves in empty homes as both their parents are at work. There is no one around to show parental love, teach and inculcate good family values.
Instead of seeking guidance from parents, these children do so from their peers.

The environment created by negative peer pressure will eventually lead to various social ills.
Children who grow up in such an environment will end up becoming victims of many social ills like truancy, violence in school, drug abuse and even crime.

Parents must be prepared to make an effort to spend time with their children.
They must be increasingly concerned about the quality of family life and constantly take steps to instil in their children the basic moral values needed to build the foundation of a strong, stable and cohesive society.

What is also needed is a continuous programme of moral strengthening and reinforcement to make children aware of their responsibilities to themselves, their parents, the community and the nation.

There must be a programme of inculcating values at all levels for children, youths and teenagers. Values such as obedience, filial piety, respect for elders, patience and tolerance, truth, responsibility, honour, etc need not be taught only in the formal atmosphere of classrooms.
It can also be done through music, song and drama to make these children think about human values and their importance.

Strong human values along with strong families are key to building a peaceful and stable community that will then lead to a stable nation.

TAN SRI LEE LAM THYE,
Vice-Chairman,
Malaysia Crime Prevention Foundation.
© 1995-2005 Star Publications (Malaysia) Bhd (Co No 10894-D)

Fundamentalism in the Church worrying

Rising fundamentalism driving away many from Church

2/13/2007 - 7:30 AM PST
By Dr. Chris Anthony

Butterworth, Malaysia

Op/EdCatholic Online

Recent years have witnessed a growth in religious fundamentalism throughout the world. As Christians we are particularly disturbed by this rise in Islamic Fundamentalism which has resulted in conflicts between religions and civilizations. A lot of fear and anxiety are being created throughout the world by this unhealthy trend.

The sad thing about this is the fact that the majority of the followers of any religion are in fact liberal and peace loving.They appear to be overwhelmed by the minority who resort to fundamentalism and have taken control of their respective religions for reasons far remote from their ideals.

Regrettably similar trends are also taking roots in our own church. There is no doubt that fundamentalism is slowly gaining the upper hand in many of our Catholic publications and the Catholic Church as a whole.

The large majority of Catholics are liberal in thinking and practicing their faith. Unfortunately their views are not given due consideration by the clergy and editors of Catholic publications and bulletins. Sometimes their opinions are dismissed as anti-Catholic due to fear that they may have negative influence on others.

Today the average person is under tremendous pressures to cope with all the problems in daily living. Amidst all these problems and challenges, even Christ may seem irrelevant in their lives. By adopting a more fundamental stand, the Church tends to isolate this group of followers who are looking for ways to bring Christ active into their daily challenges in life and not restrict Him to just the rituals.

To an overburdened and over-stressed person, religious rituals may provide some temporary solace but unfortunately many use them as escapism from the challenges in daily living. Christ’s teachings should act as inspiration and give us the strength to face all adversaries,not run away from them.We are here to bring Christ's love to those around us,and that we must do.

We know that Christ has the solutions to all our woes and He is very relevant in our lives. The Church, instead of moving towards fundamentalism, must go all out to bring Christ into the ups and downs of our daily lives. Only then will He be seen to be relevant in our lives. He is not in the rituals that we observe but alive in our midst. All we have to do is seek him with confidence.

Mother Teresa succeeded in bringing Christ into her life and the lives of millions of others around her. We may not be able to rise up to her magnitude but definitely we can be a “Mother Teresa” in our own little ways, in our own lives.

The Church must use its publications as effective tools to bring Christ into our daily challenges. They must be open to suggestions and criticisms however controversial they may be. They should encourage open intellectual debate on all issues facing us as Christians in today’s sophisticated society and not suppress liberal views by its members who are also are genuinely working to bring the living Christ into their hearts and the hearts of fellow men.

Christ belongs to all of us, including sinners, not to just a few chosen ones, the fundamentalists and those who claim to be experts in the laws of the Church.

The Church must be dynamic and change with time to be with the masses like Christ did, and not isolate itself with its outdated thinking based on human theology. It must get involved in the wholesome human development – spiritual, socio-economic, physical and moral. There is no point in the Church singing the same old song to which less and less people are listening, let alone following.

Mahathir should try comedy

Steve OhFeb 9, 07 6:37pm

Dean Jones and Proarte are absolutely right in their criticism of Dr Mahathir Mohamad and his farcical peace movement and war crimes tribunal. We are told to judge a tree by its fruit and there is nothing in Mahathir's behaviour and character which justifies his self-appointed role as a war crimes crusader.

Instead - as Proarte has rightly cited - Mahathir has a tarnished record and a string of human rights abuses to answer himself. Operasi Lallang in1987 will always serve as a watershed testimony to his abuse of power while in government and the unjust treatment of his political rivals and innocent civilians as more than 100 Malaysians were imprisoned, some for nearly two years without trial. The victims and their families suffered immensely from that unjust act of cruelty.

By inciting the Iraqi insurgents to kill more American soldiers at a time when the Allied forces are desperately aiding the fledgling Iraqi government to bring the insurgents under control is bizarre and deplorable. Only a master of self-contradiction is capable of leading a peace movement and fomenting war at the same time.

Surely Mahathir can't expect to be taken seriously? Franky, Mahathir should try comedy. I honestly think he has the makings of a successful comedian, and may enjoy more credibility as a stand up, or if he prefers, a sit down comedian. The rakyat, however, may still have the last laugh.

The nation desperately needs exemplary leaders and Mahathir should seriously think about the ramifications of his conduct and avoid being embroiled in controversies that result in divisiveness and a loss of respect for him and the nation.

The tongue is a restless evil and hard to tame. With it we praise God and curse man. Sadly, all that intelligence, charisma and leadership is lost, bogged in puerile personal feuds and gratuitous displays of self-importance.

In contrast, we observe one in his retirement who has been a blessing to many. Former US president Jimmy Carter failed to get re-elected, so he gave himself to helping the poor and working for peace. He avoided strife. No wonder he enjoys the world's esteem.

He works quietly in a redemptive, restoring and reconciling manner, and proves that a man of peace is indeed humble. He does nothing out of conceit and self-interest but considers the interests of others.

I hope for Mahathir's sake that he will come to his senses and realise that the world is a changed place and that as he approaches the twilight of his life it is time to make the effort to be at peace with God and his fellow human beings - and be an instrument of peace and not strife. Then what he does for peace will be genuine and sincere and not a front for secret political agendas.

Any fool is quick to quarrel but a man of peace builds up others. Folly is no respecter of age, achievement or rank, and all of us are vulnerable to our foibles. No one who loves his country should act silly and become its bane, least of all a once prominent person.