Riiiiiiiiiight... ¬_¬

From The Star Online:

Mum pines for child sold off by drug-addict hubby

A MOTHER of 10 in Alor Star is still mourning her eighth child who was sold off by her ex-husband 10 years ago for RM500 to feed his drug addiction.

The Metro Ahad ran a front-page report that Kamsiah Jalil, 50, from Kampung Lama, claimed she had been unaware of her ex-husband's actions back then because she was preoccupied with her work.

“I'm always filled with distress when I think of my eight child, Muhamad Rusdi Ramli, who was sold off without my knowledge.

“He was only two months old the last time I saw him and I was busy with work because we were so poor, that's why I didn't know what my then husband was up to,” she told the Malay daily.

Kamsiah, who has since remarried, added that all she had left of him was his birth certificate. She hopes to find him one day.

Uhhuh.

Learn to swim, Taib advises river commuters

MUKAH: Frequent boat travellers should learn how to swim, Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud advised.

He said they would have a greater chance of surviving during mishaps.

“We must be serious about the safety aspects in rivers although the number of mishaps are not alarming,” he added, when opening a River Safety and Education seminar at Kampung Teh, Sungai Mukah, near here on Saturday.

The event was jointly organised by the Sarawak Rivers Board and United Nations Development Programme.

Taib said with rivers providing an important mode of transportation for people and goods, the safety of commuters had to be improved in all aspects.

Thousands of people, including schoolchildren, rely on boats to go to towns and schools daily.

There are more than 50 navigational rivers state-wide which are served by express passenger boats, speedboats longboats and cargo vessels. Taib said boat operators and river commuters could prevent accidents by strictly adhering to the “do’s and don’ts” drawn up by the Sarawak Rivers Board and observing safety procedures and requirements.

“We must think safety first always, and never take things for granted,” he reiterated.

I thought the point of boats were so that you didn't have to swim across.

Najib: Good economy can offset adverse impact of oil prices

SEREMBAN: Malaysia’s best bet in cushioning itself against the adverse impacts of skyrocketing oil prices is to keep its economy robust and moving, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said yesterday.

“We will do what we can, but ultimately we have to be dependent on global economic growth,” he said.

Last Friday, oil prices hit an all-time high of US$92 per barrel in New York.

The Malaysian Institute of Economic Research (MIER), which last week projected our economy to expand by 5.7% this year, expressed concern that the rising crude oil prices could derail the global economy.

Responding to questions at a press conference after closing the two-day National Agriculture Convention 2007, Najib told Bernama that the increasing crude oil prices would have an impact on the country in both the short and long terms.

“The immediate short-term impact is some positive balance (in earnings) because we are a net exporter of oil, but beyond that short term is the growing fear that it will lead to a slowdown in the world economy,” he said.

“And if the world economy slows down, certainly this will impact negatively on Malaysia given that it is one of the largest trading nations in the world.”

The deputy prime minister said Malaysia’s other major concern was the increasing amount of subsidies it had to fork out as oil prices rose.

“Our subsidies for petroleum products and gas are getting huge,” he said.

Malaysia has already spent some RM16bil in subsidising petroleum prices in the first eight months of this year. Against such a backdrop, Najib said: “It is not as straightforward as it sounds. The only thing we can do is to ensure our domestic economy continues to be robust and strong.”

In BALIK PULAU, Penang, Finance Ministry parliamentary secretary Datuk Seri Dr Hilmi Yahaya urged Umno leaders to explain to the people that the increase in global oil prices was beyond the Government’s control.

He said at a Hari Raya open house yesterday for 300 old folk hosted by the Sungai Pinang Komuniti Bestari that briefing sessions would be held for the Indian and Chinese communities to make them understand the global fuel price scenario and its impact on Malaysia.

“For Muslims, we have arranged for explanations to be made during the Hadhari programmes,” he added.

We believe you. No, really.

Food poisoning cases doubled

KOTA BARU: The number of food poisoning cases in Malaysia has doubled from last
year, with most cases involving schoolchildren.

Despite a perceived higher awareness about food hygiene, the country continues to be plagued by food poisoning cases, with 11,226 cases recorded from January to Sept 15, this year – a 100% increase compared to the same period last year.

Selangor has the highest cases of food poisoning followed by Perak, Terengganu and Kelantan, Health Ministry health education division director Abdul Jabar Ahmad said.

“What is alarming is that 67% of the 11,226 food poisoning victims are schoolchildren,” he said after launching the national food safety campaign for schools here yesterday.

To address the issue, the ministry would hold road shows, exhibitions, pop quizzes and enrol artistes to help generate awareness about proper food preparation and the importance of nutrition in cooking, he said.

School canteen operators would also be closely monitored, he said.

Abdul Jabar said questionnaires would be distributed to schoolchildren in the country soon to gauge their level of awareness about food safety and preparation.

Kelantan education department student affairs unit head Ahmad Yani Mohamad said the education authorities had terminated the services of six canteen operators this year.

He also urged local authorities to conduct inspections on hawkers trading outside the school compound to ensure they did not sell sub-standard food and drinks.

Parents who noticed errant hawkers or operators can contact the department at 09-741 8112 to lodge complaints.

Still think it's alright to send your kids to government schools?

Okay, I think that's enough sarcasm/skepticism for today.