vox populi big thumbnail The authorities should put all quarantine-breakers in jail for seven days. This will ensure that everyone will abide by the call to quarantine themselves.

On Flu outbreak: Getting closer to the century mark

Clarity: The H1N1 flu is spreading at an alarming rate and the authorities should take more stringent measures to curb the spreading. The current constraints do not seem to be working.

Apparently the virus was brought in from abroad and I most worried about those quarantine- breakers.

It is not the correct decision by the authorities to allow those who are suspected of having the flu to remain at home on their own will.

The cost of such a decision is too high to pay as one infected person can compound the infection by hundreds.

The authorities should put all quarantine-breakers in jail for seven days. This will ensure that everyone will abide by the call to quarantine themselves.

Health officers can make random checks to see that the H1N1 flu cases are staying indoors.

This is the only way to stop the spread of the flu.

All the airport checks are not going to help much if we allow quarantine-breakers to have their own way.

Concerned Citizen, Parent: Despite the alarming rate of the contagious H1N1 flu virus spreading, I am surprises why schools are still open allowing one student to infect another.

Irrespective of whether it is the H1N1 virus or another contagious viruses, I think the Health Ministry must put in more efforts to contain whatever flu that is spreading in the schools.

I am very worried as according to my children who study in a secondary school, there are many students down with cough and flu. Whether it is ‘flu A’ or ‘flu B’, I am not sure.

All schools must be placed on high alert to prevent the spreading of whatever virus that is affecting the students.

I am very sure the Health Ministry is aware that schools are very good centres for the spreading of viruses. Others could be public places like theaters, food places and cinemas while frequent travellers would also be categorised as high-risk.

I personally believe it is best to control the virus from spreading in schools rather than waiting for it to reach a danger point.

I would suggest the ministry close all schools for a certain period of say 14 days. Let’s not underestimate this flu virus as viruses are known to mutate at a very fast pace.

On We are in no way superior to our maids

Considerate Employer: I agree with the writer’s point that we should guard the interests of our domestic workers and not treat them like slaves.

At the same time, the concerns raised by various parties are very real. They come from painful experiences (which I can speak of first hand), and you cannot blame them for being ‘once bitten, twice shy’.

I personally oppose a mandatory ‘day off’ for maids if it means they have to be allowed to venture out of the house on their own.

I appeal to the governments involved not to make it mandatory for every maid to be allowed to roam freely on their own.

My parents' long-time maids have earned enough trust to be given the weekly day off, but letting young, inexperienced, new maids out loose every weekend - in a big city full of strangers - is also a recipe for disaster.

My current maid has a scheduled rest day on Sundays. She goes to church with us in the morning where she socialises with her friends; she joins us at a local mall for lunch and some window shopping.

In the afternoon, she rests in her room - no need to take care of kids or clean the house. I have let her go out with friends on certain public holidays, dropping her off and picking her up as well as giving her pocket money.

We treat her as one of the family and provide her everything she needs, often at no expense to her at all.

I believe I'm a fair and considerate employer, and I think this arrangement, built on mutual respect and trust, has worked out well for both parties.

I hope that such arrangements be taken into consideration as a possible solution to the ‘day off’ issue.

On 'Save Kedah before PAS destroys it’

Jamal Hisham:

I am a Kedahan staying and working in Penang. I have no vested interests in the politics of Kedah as I am not in PAS, PKR or even Umno.

But as a Kedahan, I am really sad with how PAS had handled Kedah. I go back to Kedah every weekend to visit my family.

But it is disappointing to hear that there is no development in Kedah since PAS took over Kedah.

About the 50% bumi housing quota, I think it is just silly for PAS to increase the quota to 50%. Why reserve 50% when no one wants it?

Does PAS know that this policy also hurts the Malay developers in Kedah? I am actually working for a developer in Penang.

In Penang, there is a release mechanism which allows the developer to sell the unsold bumi lots after six months. I think Kedah should also have such mechanism.

‘Rugi sahaja kalau tak dapat jual.’ As for me, I would buy the non-bumi lot because in the future it will be more marketable and would get a better price.

So, the bumi housing quota policy is actually ‘killing’ our own people and the value of our property. PAS must think before making policies that hurt our own selves.

Regretful Kedahan:

My whole family and almost all my neighbours voted for PAS in the last general election.

The PAS candidates for Kedah told us that even Kelantan had more than a 95% population of bumiputera, PAS there not only practised a 30% bumi quota on freehold housing projects but also had a 30% quota non-bumi quota for housing.

We were told further that in Kota Baru, there exists the biggest pork-selling shop in Malaysia next to an open market for all. That really excited all of us.

But one thing for sure - PAS Kedah didn’t tell us at that time is that PAS Kedah and PAS Kelantan are not one and the same.

In Kedah, my many Malay professional colleagues, close friends and neighbours refuse to buy the houses under the bumi quota as they claim that these units have no re-sale value.

They bought into the non-bumi quota instead. So who is to be blamed now?

On Manek Urai: Army boosting BN's chances claim

Steven Raj: It is so sad that BN is resorting to these type of cheap tactics. If what Mahfuz claims is true, it’s better he bring it up in Parliament again rather then reporting it to the police.

But I will be sad if he does that as he may be forced to give details and in the process few more Malayians may go ‘missing’ including his family members.

I can only pray for his well-being. You are a man of courage unlike the present set up who are a set of cheap, legal loan sharks.

Keep up the good work and keep them haunted.

On Tamil ‘High Chaparral' doomed, faces extinction

Peter Ooi: Lim Guan Eng has to show once again that he is a true crusader against corruption.

He has been shouting so much about land scams by the previous government.

This Tamil High Chapparal is one of the victims of a suspected land scam case. Since the residents have failed legally to keep their homes, it is left to Lim save them.

Yes, Lim, this is the time. Exercise your power to prove your that you mean what you have been championing. Caveat the said land immediately.

On Here lies Francis Light... in darkness

Penang Boy: It is shameful how we have neglected the graves of the people who set up Penang. We should honour their memory for they created Penang.

Tied to the heritage of Francis Light are those pioneers from the people who today make up the multiracial mosaic that is Penang, namely us.

Their stories and their lives have determined the cosmopolitan character of Penang.

Just as we are proud that Malaysian soldiers are given the honour of being part of the Queen’s Ceremonial Guard, we should take pride in and preserve the graves of the British notables in Penang.