YOURSAY | 'Stop sweeping things under the carpet; it's already bulging.'

Veteran physician pans health minister's explanation as 'pathetic'

Malaysia My Home: Well said, physician Dr Milton Lum. I agree with this statement:

"Is the same practice carried out in the Health Ministry’s Klinik Kesihatan and if not, why not?

“After all, what is good for the Orang Asli must also be good for all other Malaysian women, particularly when the prevalence of anaemia is high."

Drngsc: Dear Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad, what you said is medically ridiculous. It may sound all right to a toxicologist, but certainly not to any medical practitioner.

You have been badly advised by "office armchair" medical practitioners who no longer understand the basic tenets of medical care.

Please change all of your medical advisers. They are trying to make you look bad and ridiculous. We support what Lum has written.

The Wakandan: The health minister appeared very unprofessional and the medical staff that gave the contraceptive to the Orang Asli women committed medical malfeasance.

This is an outrageous standard among our healthcare givers and they are found wanting. In other fields, we do not expect a better standard either.

We are far away from being a first world country. It is truly a shame that the health minister should expose his deficiency by giving such a statement, which cannot stand the scrutiny of his peers simply because he was saying something that was not logical in medical practice.

Vijay47: Leaving aside the wisdom of the medical treatment provided to the Orang Asli womenfolk, what is particularly offensive and regrettable about the health minister is his seeming hostile indifference to the plight of an underprivileged and downtrodden community.

Worse, with his back to the wall, he is attempting to gloss over a colossal crime by his officers by painting the measures taken as altruistic in nature, implemented to protect the women's health.

Smug in his power and authority, he could not even express a single word of sympathy or the proverbial assurance that the matter would be looked into.

If becoming pregnant too soon or too often is injurious to the woman’s well-being, why are similar measures not being taken in the Felda schemes where incidents of anaemia must be much more serious?

Shovelnose: Whether the allegation is true or not, it's a serious accusation that warrants an independent investigation.

Issue your verdict after the findings. Stop sweeping things under the carpet, it's already bulging.

Merkat: Just what evidence did the minister think that the Orang Asli women can provide?

Indeed, it's simple enough to start an investigation with initial inquiries and if the complainants are found credible, obtain explanations from the persons responsible.

Of course, we agree that no one should be implicated without sufficient evidence. Just dismissing a report out of hand with a flimsy excuse sounds too much like BN and Umno.

XED: The minister wants proof before an investigation is launched. Clearly, he is being obstructive. He has put the cart before the horse.

A serious allegation has been made. An investigation would help to show evidence in support of or against the allegation.

Jackal Way: Why is it only the non-Muslim intellects have the points to talk about issues other than politics, whereas only Muslims professors and academicians talk about nothing except racial politics?

Micom: @Jackal Way. Don’t racialise the issue. It's a good strategy to give Umno and PAS more ammunition and make the situation worse than it is.

Keep telling your bigoted friends and racist followers that only non-Muslims are intelligent and only non-Muslims have brains.

But don't be mad if you get told off and asked to go back to wherever your forefather came from, because those people who say that are also just as bigoted as you.

Bravemalaysian: Well spoken, Lum. It's such a shame that time and again our present ministers are trying to cover up the misdeeds/mismanagement of previous ministers.

I wonder why. It's about time some lawyers represent the Orang Asli and sue the government for damages. The least the minister could do is to investigate the allegations instead of demanding proof.

Dzulkefly was someone I respected a lot when he was an opposition leader, but as a minister, I am afraid he is far short of the minimum mark.

If the Orang Asli women are severely anaemic and in fact, the whole tribe is malnourished, what has the government done to provide supplements and proper nutrition to them?

These are the people in the bottom of the B40 group and they are Malaysians worthy to be assisted in every way. Act now, instead of just indulging in self-denial. The rakyat is watching and your time is ticking away.

OceanMaster: The Orang Asli, the true bumiputera, are the victims here. Points raised by a competent person like Lum must be answered and that obviously requires an investigation.

Clearly, without the facts in place and doubts uncleared, this looks like a gross abuse of human rights. The worst scenario being possible bordering systematic genocide of the Orang Asli community. The minister's nonchalant attitude is disgusting.

Ian 2003: Where is Cameron Highlands parliamentarian Ramli Mohd Nor on this issue? He should take up the issue with the health minister and not only enjoy his allowance as an MP.

It's time that the Orang Asli community is taken care of.

JD Lovrenciear: Well said, Lum. Where are our civil society voices? It is time that ministers do not get away with their militant-style leadership.

They need to be told in no uncertain terms this is not akin to the brash smoking ban.

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