Saturday 10 May 2008

What is one or two deaths - National Service to stay

Well that was what its Training Department D-G Datuk Abdul Hadi Awang Kecil said in response on calls by various quarters (read here , here and here) for the scrapping of the National Service programme following the death of 18 year-old Too Hui Min on Wednesday.

Hui Min was the 16th NS trainee to have died during training since the programme started in 2004.

Abdul Hadi reiterated that the training programme will not be scrapped “just because of one or two deaths."

“It is our policy that the NS camps go on. What we are doing now is to rectify the problem,” he told the New Straits Times.

Abdul Hadi said the department’s officials will be meeting Health Ministry officials on June 3 to decide on a technical committee to make it compulsory for all trainees to undergo health check-ups before entering the three-month programme.

Several departments have to streamline the processes before the health check-ups can be done.

In Too’s case, Abdul Hadi said the trainee had a colon problem.

“She might have been suffering from it for a long time and did not know about it until her death, ” he said.

He said the department was doing its best to ensure that the facilities in the camp are safe, by getting the Ministry of Health and the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) to certify the campus premises.

(Now what do you make of the statement coming from someone who is responsible for running the programme? ? You'd think he would be more sensitive to Hui Min's grieving parents and the parents of 15 others who died while they were under his care. What is he thinking? One death is bad enough, 16 deaths? Do you need 50, 60, 100 deaths before you decide to stop the NS programme? Another death, another tragedy and another investigation. So what happened to all previous investigations conducted? And the inclusion of this requirement for all trainees to go for medical check-up before entering the programme. I thought that this would have been standard procedure, Why didnt they think about this before? Also getting the NIOSH to certify facilities at the camps are safe... at this juncture when the NS is already in its fourth year ?? ??? And that will make parents...happy & heave a sigh of relief that their kids will be safe? Bodoh nya!)

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

Tok mommy,

They're not going to srap it-lah. This NS thing is a money-making concern for the BN/Umno cronies.

Cronies are making tons of money from the distribution of uniforms, caps, you name it to the canteen operators.

It's a pot of gold where these cronies are concerned. Am told you--know-who is the biggest "beneficiary" of this scheme. And it is no secret.

But I cant name names lest I be charged for sedition. But it is common knowledge who that person is.

Anonymous said...

Ini Datuk tak guna otak bila dia buka mulut.

Hang ada anak tak Datuk? Ada cucu?

Ada kah hang soghang ayah?

Fikiaqkan kalau yang mati tu anak hang, sedagha hang atau adik hang, apa hang ghasa?

Hang ada hantaq anak hang pi latih di sana. Atau pun sedagha magha hang?

Tak kena hang tak ghasa. Tapi tu mulut mesti jaga-jaga skit, cakap biaq berghalaei.

Ini bukan satu dua yang mati. Sudah enam belai. Tengok ni aku tulih - 16.

Beghapa lagi nak tekuboq sebelum program ni di tutup.

Tuhan bagi hang otak tu di sughu bepikiaq2. Faham?

Rozaimi Bin Mohd Said said...

I am not suprised at all with the comment given by the DG. Even the PM and DPM can give insensitive and stupid remarks. What do we expect from others???

We need to accept that sometimes, these people they talk with their brain outside their head (may be they left it at home, so that they can better use it for their family).

http://www.rozaimims.blogspot.com

Unknown said...

Salam akak...

Let me echo you...BODOHNYAAAAAAA!

Anonymous said...

Kak

This is sick.
What he said about Hui Min having a colon problem that "she might not have known about until she died" is proof that he's not using his brain, assuming he has one.

According to the Health Minister, after investigation, Hui Min died of septicemia, which is a bacterial infection that becomes life-threatening very very quickly.

It couldn't possibly be something contracted from before she went off to camp. And the only thing that was needed to treat it was antibiotics at an early stage.

"One or two deaths"? Even one is one too many. Absolutely no compassion.

Anonymous said...

I wonder whether this joker will take similar stand if his son/daughter or some MPs' sons/daughters were the ones who died? He should get PR briefing before making such a stupid statement. As "a mom" said, its who's who behind this program that's going to benefit... at the expense of the 16 students who died. Its about time we expose these culprits!! I'm sure its the least we can do, just like what RPK is doing in the case of Altantuya.

Anonymous said...

Angry posters.

Click here:

http://scottthong.wordpress.com/2008/05/09/latest-malaysian-national-service-death-9-may-2008/

puteri said...

Hadi said: “She might have been suffering from it for a long time and did not know about it until her death.”

It's incredible this fella aint taking the responsibility. Did the doctor who examined Hui Min say that.

Fact is: she wasnt given prompt medical attention.

She got sick after taking chicken rice for lunch. Could it be food poisoning? Are they going to investigate the caterer?

There are so many things that are wrong in the way the camp is being run - hygiene standards are poor and food supply suspect etc.

IMO the National Service should be suspended with immediate effect unless you want to see more kids fall ill and die.

Where is the accountability? Does anyone in charge care...at all?

wanshana said...

BIG TIME B-O-D-O-H punya statement!

They should have scrapped it immediately after the first NS trainee's death!

"What is one or two deaths?!!!"

Oiii Datuk D-G! It's SIXTEEN deaths laa, you insensitive moron!!

Mangkuk hayun betul! Bodoh ilmu hisab ke aper?

Anonymous said...

It is our policy that the NS camps go on. What we are doing now is to rectify the problem,” he told the New Straits Times.

Rectify the problem ???? So how many innocent lives must be taken away before the problem is rectified ? Meaning, our children are the guines pigs...being tested so that problems can be rectified !

I am so darn scared. I have 2 growing up children and I am going to start praying that they will never have to go to the camp !

IBU said...

can we have visibility on how many sons & daughters of the powers that be are/have been enlisted in the National Service?

Sigh...sigh.... some 20 yrs ago i already said, "Kerahan tenaga lebih mendatang keburukan dari kebaikan". And I was only a teenager then.

Hi&Lo said...

Kak Ton,

Scouting, Red Crescent, school band are more appropriate to instil discipline, moral and esprit decorps than 3-month NS. Deaths were unheard of cos no compulsion and free will. Activities are well-controlled.

If conscription is necessary, it must rule out recruits with health problems. But is our NS for national defence purposes? What can 3 months achieve without ongoing exercises?

Michelle mentioned septicemia as cause of latest casualty. This was preventable if prompt medical attention was given before poisoning of the blood set in.

Anonymous said...

I can feel the anger of all the commentators here. I feel the same way too.

Haayah! reading the stupid statment of this Datuk also makes my blood boil-lah.

As a mother, my heart goes to all the 16 parents who have lost their children.

I also share their pain. So easyy for him to say "one or two deaths."

You talk as though they arent humans.

Such an insensitive statement devoid of compassion.

Lest he forgets, every trainee who died was somebody's child, someebody's sister, brother and grandchild.

Shame on you Datuk!

Unknown said...

He is so insensitive. At the least he can say is "we are sorry to the families for what happened...." but then again, what do you expect from such low character senior government servant.

IBU said...

Arggghhh!!! Geramnya!!!

Anonymous said...

I have never sweared in my life, but this makes me MAD...

This program is simply stupid and a waste of money, and to me, it's a program of murdering our teenage. Our country's leader has failed miserably to keep us safe and yeah, why not add a program that also kills.

Anonymous said...

NS will only be abolished the day PR takes over the govt. Meanwhile....how many more kids will die ? How many more parents will cry? Is there anything we can do ? Can any1...some1 organise something pleaseeeeee !!!

Anonymous said...

our Pak heLah wasnt sensitive towards altantuya's dad...bile cikgu kencing berdiri , anak murid kencing berlari...i will be more surprised if this Datuk bother about juz-another-NS-death. Not surprising isnt it? btw...why is Lee Lam Thye so quiet this time ? COME ON SIR...VISIT THIS FAMILY...CRY YR CROCODILE TEARS AGAIN !!!

Anonymous said...

To say something like what our Datuk Abdul HADI Awang Kecil said is not just insensitive, it is inhuman! What is worse is that such people are running a so called character building camps for our youth! Can you imagine what our youth will turn out to be after such camps???

Of course this NS thingy will not be scrapped. It is a money enriching scheme to those who are in the act!!! Why do they care if one or two or 50 or 1000 kids die from it as long as it is not their kid!! Heartless, cruel and wicked dont even measure close to what such human are!

From day one, this whole NS is a flop. For the life of me I cannot understand how our government can dare propose and actually implement something like NS when they themselves are topsy-turvy in how they think, act, implement, command and deliver! HOW!?? And of course now, with deaths thrown in and a moron who talk shit, I am more than adamant not to allow my kid to join such crappy activities. Yup, that means, I only have 1 choice and that is to ship my kid out of this country before my kid turn 16!! Fine and well with me if she is not allowed home.... I dont intend for her to come home either....