Monday 22th Oct 2007 - Events and Important Numbers in Sabah

JCI TANJUNG ARU will host a financial planning seminar for the public with the topic “Can you retire?” on Oct 27(Saturday) at SMART NACO MEETING ROOM, SESB, 5th Floor.
Time: 2.00 pm Registration fee RM5 for public and seminar between 2.15-3.00 pm. For reservation, please contact JC Alan Kong at 012-8279678. First come first serve basis, limited seats available.

KK Music Society’s 2nd ABRSM High Scorers’ concert
Date: November 4 2007 (Sunday)
Time: 3pm to 5pm
Venue: Menara Tun Mustapha’s mini theatre
Contact: 012-8285111 / 088-211655

SK St.Francis Convent’s Parents and Teachers’ Association’s charity dinner
Date: November 16 2007
Time: 6pm
Venue: Putera Ballroom Bukit Padang
Contact: Freddie Insiong (016-8038141), Zamalia Yaacub (0138851010) or the school (088-224859)

CONSUMER TALKS
Consumers Association of Sabah and Labuan holding seminar/talks on consumer issues and rights, how to complain and get effective results, know about consumer laws, Consumer Claims Tribunal, environmental, human rights and society from 9am to 4pm daily except weekend and public holidays. Tel: 234616 (Monica Francis).

HEALTH
Sabah Family Planning Association State-wide Pap Smear and Breast Examination Campaign at campaign rate from May onwards.Contact Kota Kinabalu HQ 088-217553, 088-222703; Sinsuran branch 088-237513, 088- 259715; Sandakan branch 089-212883; Tawau branch 089-771172; Lahad Datu branch 089-882895; Kudat branch 088- 611088.

Malaysian Diabetes Association Sabah holding public service counter and service line from 9am to 2pm Monday to Friday. Details: Irene Jinon 240727.

Sabah Family Planning Association Specialist Clinic in Kota Kinabalu
Headquarters: Infertility Clinic, Menopause Clinic and Male Health Clinic.
Please Contact 088-217553. Advisory and information line on HIV/AIDS, STD: 088-222703. Youth Centre: 088-230179.

KOTA KINABALU WETLAND CENTRE Resources Library is free for public to use. Details: 246955 or Fax: 247955.



USEFUL NUMBER
Police Station
· Kepayan HQ): 088-381555
· Karamunsing: 088-242111
· Jln Gaya, City: 088-244376
· Penampang: 088-712222
· Sandakan: 089-211222
· Tawau: 089-752222
· F.T Labuan: 087-412222

Hospital
· Queen Elizabeth: 088-218166
· Luyang Clinic: 088-715000
· Sandakan Duchess of Kent Hospital: 089-212111
· Tawau Hospital: 089-773533
· Labuan Hospital: 087-423919

Fire & Rescue Dept
· Sembulan: 088-214822
· Jalaa Lintas: 088-422842(HQ) , 088- 422524
· Penampang: 088-724569
· Sandakan: 089-214444
· Tawau: 089-774444
· Labuan: 087-414444

KOTA KINABALU
· City Hall: 088-239500
· Airport: 088-238555
· Immigration: 088-280700
· EPF: 088-520100
· SESB Hotline: 1-5454
· Water: 088-711767

SANDAKAN
· Municipal Council: 089-275400
· Airport: 089-660405
· Immigration: 089-668308
· EPF: 089-210681
· Water: 089-663001

Monday 22th Oct 2007 - Dog show attracts hundreds of dog lovers

KOTA KINABALU: Dog lovers by the hundreds turned up at the Asia City Complex atrium here to watch many breeds of dogs being proudly paraded and displayed by their owners at a dog show organised by the Malaysian Kennel Association, Sabah Branch, recently.


























Among the breeds on show were the German Shepherd, Golden Retriever, Chihuahua, Labrador and Basset Hound.

The Royal Malaysian Police CID Canine Division (K-9) from the police headquarters in Kepayan with their ferocious-looking German Shepherds and drug-sniffing Labrador also demonstrated the ability and intelligence of both breeds in crowd control, catching of criminals and searching for hidden drugs much to the appreciation of the crowd.

Monday 22th Oct 2007 - Over 10,000 attend wedding ceremony of CM’s daughter

SANDAKAN: The “bersanding” ceremony of the marriage of Lenny Natasha, the only daughter of Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Haji Aman and Datin Seri Hajah Faridah Haji Tussin to Membakut State Assemblyman Mohd Ariffin Arif, was held at Sri Libaran here on Saturday night.

More than 10,000 invited guests from local and overseas such as Singapore, Hong Kong, Dubai, India, Australia and New Zealand as well as Sabah Cabinet ministers, assistant ministers, elected representatives and heads of departments and business associates attended the function.






Among those present were Head of State Tun Haji Ahmadshah Abdullah and consort Toh Puan Hajah Dayang Masuyah Awang Japar, Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and wife, Malacca Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam and wife, Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid, Sarawak Planning and Resource Development Minister Datuk Seri Haji Awang Tengah Ali Hassan and wife and former Head of State, Tun Sakaran Dandai and Toh Puan.

Meanwhile, Musa and Faridah attended the Aidil Fitri open house hosted by State Assembly Speaker Datuk Juhar Mahiruddin at Taman Rimba in Sandakan and Kinabatangan Member of Parliament Datuk Bung Mokhtar Radin at Bandar Indah’s recreation club at Mile 4, Sandakan.

Monday 22th Oct 2007 - One-stop centres to eradicate poverty

KOTA KINABALU: The Housing and Local Government Ministry is setting up three one-stop centres in Sabah to coordinate the implementation of urban poverty eradication programmes in the State.
Its Deputy Minister, Datuk Azizah Mohd Dun, said the centres would be at the Kota Kinabalu City Hall and the Sandakan and Tawau municipal councils.

Speaking to reporters at an Aidilfitri gathering organised by the Sabah Women’s Movement at Sembulan near here yesterday, she said the one-stop centres, to be launched before end of the year, would also serve as registration centres for the poor.

“The centres will also serve as information, resource and counseling centres and will be open for use by non-governmental organisations to hold activities for the poor,” she added.

Azizah said the Government had allocated RM50 million for urban poverty eradication programmes under the Ninth Malaysia Plan in a move to eliminate the hardcore poor by 2010.

“One of the programmes is on providing homes for the poor where those eligible will receive house rentals for a year,” she added.

She urged the local authorities to send their officers and also the elected representatives in the affected constituencies as well as community leaders, to identify those eligible for the assistance.

She said the programmes for the urban poor were targeted at those with a household income of below RM886 a month.

Monday 22th Oct 2007 - Show dedication in carrying out duties: Harris

TAWAU: Former Chief Minister Datuk Harris Mohd Salleh said every committee member of a club must have the responsibility and dedication to carry out the duties that are expected of them.

They must not only be interested in holding position but also have the value of integrity, honesty, trustworthiness and sacrifice to serve, he said during the official opening ceremony of the new Tawau Golf Club (TGC) House at Hotspring here yesterday morning.

“The president and the committee members of TGC had never bothered the Government and yet on their own initiative, managed to raise and contribute funds for the construction and running of the club. They have played important roles in providing stewardship and example to the others.
“The Government at that time which had always placed its full trust and confidence in TGC, then offered 345 acres of land in 1982 for the construction of a new golf course. At that time the land was alienated and the area consisted of virgin jungle of fully matured standing timber,” Harris pointed out.

Unfortunately, he said the BERJAYA Government was not around to ensure that the lease was issued and that work could proceed on the construction of a showcase golf course for Malaysia with a conserved thick jungle between the fairways.






Harris disclosed that the BERJAYA Government built four golf courses, namely Mount Kinabalu Golf Club, Sabah Golf and Country Club, Sandakan Golf Club and Keningau Golf Club, all with 100 per cent
Government land and funding.

The reason for the involvement in the construction of golf clubs was to create and provide a conducive atmosphere which would attract professionals and businessmen to work or visit Sabah as often as possible.

As golf is the attraction for these people and the more they visit Sabah, the more projects and employment opportunities they would create, he pointed out.

TGC has a spectacular 18-hole course and a magnificent clubhouse amidst the beautiful landscape. It is a recreational resort, a resting place and a place for social interaction and fellowship.

The club has 345 hectares of land surrounded by forest. Golfers sometimes may see the monkeys, birds, and insects around the area when they are playing golf.

Besides that, the new building has different facilities which include manager and staff’s office, fitting room, karaoke lounge, pub, children library and computer room, multi-purpose hall, entertainment room, meeting room, prayer room, spa house as well as a wide parking space.

Monday 22th Oct 2007 - Hui Yi more stable, on soft diet

KUALA LUMPUR: Heart transplant patient Tee Hui Yi, 14, is showing positive progress and in stable condition after she is taken off the ventilator a few days ago.

National Heart Institute (IJN) Heart and Lung Transplant Coordinator Noor Salina Othman said Hui Yi’s condition would continue to be monitored to ensure she remained healthy.

“What is more crucial is for her to undergo physiotherapy treatment so that she will regain her physical strength,” she said when contacted yesterday.

She also said Hui Yi was currently on a soft diet and was able to eat soup and porridge, but would still require supplementary nutrients fed through the tube in her nose.

She also said Hui Yi was still placed in the Intensive Care Unit as a precaution to protect her from any infection.

Hui Yi underwent a second heart transplant on Oct 5 after her body rejected the first heart transplanted in her on Oct 3.

Monday 22th Oct 2007 - Turn Sinsuran into hotel hub, says Iliyas

KOTA KINABALU: City Hall has appealed to building owners in the city centre, especially those occupying older buildings in Sinsuran, to turn them into budget hotels.

Mayor Datuk Iliyas Ibrahim said this is in view of the fact that many of the owners had put up illegal partitions to rent out to tenants.

“As a result, most of the building lots in Sinsuran are badly maintained and the illegal partitions acting as room dividers make the places unsafe,” he told reporters after officiating the Hotel Garden at Lorong Dewan (Australian Place) here yesterday.

Also present were City Hall director general Dr Chua Kim Heng, Hotel Garden proprietor Mr William Wong and Sabah Tourism Board (STB) general manager Datuk Irene Charuruks.

Iliyas said the overcrowding of tenants in Sinsuran had contributed to the blocked sewage and heavy grease deposits in drains in the area.




“For the owners concerned, I appeal to them to get in touch with Kota Kinabalu City Hall and let us assist you to turn your building lots into budget hotels, as we are still facing a shortage of hotel rooms, especially budget hotels in the city,” he added.

He said Sinsuran, being located near the main shopping area in the city and a stone’s throw from an international class hotel, made it a suitable location to be turned into a hotel hub.

“Hence, cooperation from building owners is needed by City Hall to help us realize a more cleaner, beautiful and safer city,” he added.

Iliyas also reminded city dwellers to keep the city clean and refrain from throwing rubbish indiscriminately.

“The task of cleaning the city should not be shouldered by City Hall alone, but each and everyone of us as dwellers of the city,” he said.

Earlier in his speech, Iliyas said Kota Kinabalu City needs more budget hotels to attract more visitors, especially budget travelers.

He commended Hotel Garden which offers affordable accommodation for low budget travelers or backpackers.

“I am also proud to note the initiative by Hotel Garden to give this hotel a ‘home touch’ emphasizing on cleanliness and comfort for its guests.

“It is also commendable to see despite being a budget hotel, the management took the efforts to provide facilities such as Internet, tour services and CCTV for the convenience and safety of their guests,” he said.

Monday 22th Oct 2007 - 200 expected in State Taekwondo C’ship

KOTA KINABALU: Over 200 taekwondo exponents are expected to compete in the 34th State Taekwondo Championship at the Sports Complex in Likas near here from Oct 27-28.

The championship, which will see teams from across the State vying for the Youth and Sports Minister Trophy, is an opportunity for the exponents to book a ticket to the national championship.

United Sabah Taekwondo Association (USTA) President Datuk David Chong Ket Sui said outstanding exponents will be selected to represent Sabah in the national championship next month.

“There is no confirmed number of entries at the moment but based on past tournaments, I’m sure it
will involve over 200 exponents or even more than 300,” he said.

“As at yesterday (Saturday), 19 teams have obtained the registration form and hopefully we will get full participation from them when the forms are returned in the next few days,” he said, adding that athletes’ weigh-in will be conducted on Oct 26.

The teams that have shown interest in taking part are Tawau, Lahad Datu, Sandakan, Ranau, Kudat, Kota Marudu, Tamparuli, Kinabatangan, Kota Kinabalu, Putatan, Papar, Beaufort, Sipitang, Tenom, Keningau, Kota Belud and Semporna as well as Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) and Universiti Tunku Abdul
Rahman (UniTAR).

Thirty-six gold medals will be on offer in the championship featuring boys and girls’ junior event (14-17) and men and women’s open.

“USTA will select athletes with potential to undergo centralised training. The time is just nice (for them to attend training) because most of the trainees will start their school holidays soon with the exception of those who will be sitting for SPM and STPM examinations,” said Chong.

“USTA is aiming to compete in the National Championship in Terengganu from Nov 15-17 and the National Inter-Club Tournament in Cheras, Kuala Lumpur from Dec 14-16,” he added.

Monday 22th Oct 2007 - Smoking, drinking can damage bones

KOTA KINABALU: Smoking and excessive drinking of alcohol can cause damage to the bones, according
to an orthopedic from the Rafflesia Medical Centre.

“Don’t smoke because it will expose you to the high risk of getting osteoporosis. It will also delay
the bone breakdown recovery,” Dr Dharmalingam Muthiah said at a talk on bones at Lintasan Deasoka here yesterday.

According to him, peak bone mass occurs at around age 30 and above where bones are the densest and strongest. Thereafter the body starts to remove more old bones than forming new ones.

“Our bones are actually continually replenished throughout the whole life. The body deposits new bones and removes old bones through two processes, resorption (bone breakdown) and deposition (bone formation).

“When we reach 30, the bone resorption is higher than bone deposition. When it happens, it places you at a high risk of getting osteoporosis,” he said.

Dr Dharmalingam also said most people do not know about this fact and he urged the public to prevent it from happening.

“Before it happens, it is good to have early prevention because osteoporosis is manageable and fractures are avoidable,” he said.

“Getting enough of calcium, for example, milk which is rich in calcium, is very important even when you are too old to drink it,” he added and stressed that sufficient calcium in our bones would help to prevent osteoporosis disease.

According to him further, there are several steps to reduce the risk of getting osteoporosis such as doing regular exercise, avoid smoking and excessive drinking of alcohol, taking a balanced diet and taking enough calcium from young.

“Ninety out of 100,000 people in Malaysia aged above 50 years old are experiencing bone breakdown due to osteoporosis. Chinese women have a high risk of getting osteoporosis,” he said.

Dr Dharmalingam advised the public to take adequate calcium everyday.

“Female and male aged 10 to 20 should have a recommended calcium intake of 1300mg per day, 20 to 35 years 1,000mg per day and for 51 years and above, 1,200mg per day,” he said.

“That is one of the reasons we have a bone loss talk.., to increase awareness on the consequences of bone loss, to present the current calcium intake of Malaysia and to provide information on sources of calcium to help reduce bone loss,” he said.

Monday 22th Oct 2007 - Fake Native Certificates

State Govt will not recognize documents issued after 1982, says Hajiji

KOTA KINABALU: The State Government will not recognize Native Certificates issued after 1982 as they are fakes, said Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Hj Hajiji Hj Noor.

He said the issuance of the Native Certificates was frozen on April 22, 1982.

“So those Native Certificates produced after the year 1982 are fakes and will not be recognized by the Government,” Hajiji said when met at his Hari Raya open house in Tuaran yesterday.

Hajiji, who is also the Tuaran Assemblyman, said that the Government’s decision to freeze the issuance of the Native Certificate is to protect and take care of the rights of natives in Sabah due to rampant abuse and falsifying of the documents in the past.

“We do not want this matter to be misused by irresponsible people. We will look into it seriously,” he added.

Hajiji also said the Government would find the best mechanism if the freeze is to be lifted one day.

However, he said the recent approach taken by the Government is the best to ensure that the natives would not suffer a loss in making any claim and changing the land grants. He said that those who want to change the land grant or invest in the Amanah Saham Bumiputera (ASB) could go to the Sabah Native Affairs Office.

“We will consider it as long as they are native,” he said.

Hajiji recently announced that children of mixed marriages of whom one parent is a Sabah bumiputra can have their native status validated by the Sabah Native Affairs Office.

However, he said that it is only a verification document and not a Native Certificate that can only be issued by the Native Court.

“The State Cabinet has decided that, while the freeze has its merits and its lifting can be done only after a careful study is done due to its sensitivity including past abuses, a temporary measure is needed so that genuine natives do not continue to lose out,” he had said.

He added those entitled to the native verification document included applicants of whom one parent was a native with his or her race stated in the birth certificate or in possession of a Native Certificate certified by the court.

Hajiji also said the document was virtually as good as the Native Certificate as its holders would be able to enjoy the benefits accorded to Sabah’s bumiputra’s, including inheriting or acquiring native title land.

“Examples of children who qualify are those of Chinese-Kadazandusun, Indian-Kadazandusun, Chinese-Murut, American-Murut, English-Brunei, Arab-Idhan and Filipino-Kadazandusun parentage,” he said.

More than 6,000 people, including Government leaders, attended the open house which started from 10am to 2pm.

Among them were Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Joseph Pairin Kitingan, Resource Development and Information Technology Minister Dr Yee Moh Chai, Youth and Sports Minister
Datuk Liew Yun Fah and its assistant minister, Jahid Jahim, Assistant Industrial Development
Minister Jainab Datuk Seri Panglima Hj Ahmad Ayid, Tuaran Member of Parliament Datuk Madius Tangau and Kiulu Assemblyman Datuk Louis Rampas.

Monday 22th Oct 2007 - Angkasawan returns safely to earth alter Soyuz craft landed short of destination

MOSCOW: After 11 days in space, Malaysian angkasawan Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor Sheikh Mustapha returns to earth, marking the success of Malaysia’s first space mission and the country’s active participation in the space industry that was once a dream beyond imagination.

The Soyuz TMA-10, carrying him and two other crew members, Russians - Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and flight engineer Oleg Kotov, landed at the space drop zone in Arkylk, Kazakhstan, some 1,500km from here at 2.37pm local time (6.37pm Malaysian time) after traveling three hours and 23 minutes from the International Space Station, ISS.

According to AP, the Soyuz craft veered off its designated course while heading for its landing in the steppes of Kazakhstan.

Russian search and rescue teams quickly located the craft, which landed just under 340km west of the designated landing site near Arkalyk, Kazakhstan, Nasa reported on its website.

It said all the three crew members were feeling fine.

The spacecraft’s descent deviated from the intended path apparently due to a computer glitch, and the crews were subjected to higher than normal gravity load on their descent, Russia’s Mission Control spokesman Valery Lyndin said.

Yurchikhin and Kotov were returning home after a six-month stint at the international space station. While Dr. Sheikh Muszaphar had been at the orbital outpost since Oct 12.

Russian Space Agency chief Anatoly Perminov said space officials and experts “experienced a few tense moments,” but added that the crew was in good condition.

“All crew members have been recovered and they are feeling quite well,” Perminov said at a news conference at Mission Control.

Alexei Krasnov, the head of the Russian space agency’s manned space programs, said an official commission was formed to investigate the glitch.

“It’s difficult to immediately name a specific reason behind the problem. We need to do an in-depth analysis,” he said.

A similar problem occurred in May 2003 when the crew - Russian cosmonaut Nikolai Budarin and American astronauts Kenneth Bowersox and Donald Pettit - also experienced a steep, off-course landing. It then took salvage crews several hours to locate the spacecraft because of communications problems.

The safe return of Dr Sheikh Muszaphar was received with great relief and applause by the crowd at the packed Mission Control Centre, here. They included Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and his wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, and Science, Technology and Innovations Minister Datuk Seri Dr Jamaludin Jarjis.

High ranking, officials of the Russian Space Agency, Roscosmos, including its Director, Anatoli Perminov, were also present to witness the landing.

Others present were the angkasawan’s parents, Datuk Sheikh Mustapha Sheikh Shukor and Datin Zuraidah Sheikh Ahmad and his elder brother, Sheikh Ahmad.

Immediately after the landing, a logo of the Malaysian angkasawan mission was affixed on the wall of the Malaysian Technical Control Centre, a symbol of Malaysia’s success in completing the mission.

As the spacecraft undocked from the ISS at 11.15am local time, many prayed for a safe landing for the Soyuz TMA-10 as the impact from the fall would be great after traveling at a speed of 755 meters per second upon entering the earth atmosphere.

But the impact was minimized after the parachutes were released from the spacecraft at a height of 10km before hitting the ground.

Six helicopters were deployed to locate the spacecraft.

The Director of the Malaysian

Space Programme, Col Dr Zulkeffeli Mat Jusoh was at the landing site to take Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor to a temporary medical centre to rehabilitate the Malaysian angkasawan from the microgravity he had experienced for the past 11 days while in space.

The Malaysian angkasawan was later taken to Chakalovsky airbase near the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre, Star City, where a ceremony would be held to receive him by Najib.

And the Malaysian angkasawan will stay in Moscow for the next two weeks for quarantine and rehabilitation before returning to Malaysia.

Earlier, the spacecraft Soyuz TMA-10 left the International Space Station about 3.14pm Malaysian time yesterday.

Dr Sheikh Muszaphar blasted off in the spacecraft Soyuz TMA-11 together with Commander Peggy Whitson from the United States and Russian Flight Engineer Yuri Malechenko from the Baikonur Cosmodrome launching site, in Kazakhstan at 7.21pm local time (9.21pm Malaysian time) on Oct 10.

SUNDAY 21/10/2007-NO ONE WOULD HAVE TO DIE WAITING FOR ORGAN

KOTA KINABALU: In the wake of the much publicised heart transplant case of Tee Hui Yi, 14, every Malaysian can now be considered a potential organ donor, according to Dr Lily Ng, Head of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Unit at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
“A helpless person with an organ failure or if an organ fails to perform a function, would need a new organ as soon as possible,” she said in an interview. The estimated need for organs in Malaysia per year is as follows: kidneys (1200), corneas (700), hearts (450) and livers 400. Every year, new patients of end stage renal failure cases join the already long list of patients waiting for kidney transplants in Malaysia, according to Lily.
In Sabah alone, there are 150 new cases of end-stage renal failure a year, but the number of new kidney patients is increasing. Unfortunately, only 197 individuals were actual as donors in over 30 years throughout the country—from 1976 to the present. Chinese represent the largest donors in Malaysia (53.3 percent) (organ and tissue), followed by Indians (27.9percent), others 8.6 percent, unknown is 5.6 percent while Malays at 4.6 percent. Male donors make up the highest figure (150) while female (36), and unknown donors eleven. The types of organs and tissues pledged were kidneys, hearts, livers, lungs, heart valves, corneas, skin and bones.
Dr Lily said relief for human sufferings depends on the generosity and how caring society is. “Give helpless people a second chance, have a heart for humans like Tee Hui Yi, who are waiting and hoping for someone to help,” she said in her ongoing campaign ‘DO NOT TAKE YOUR HEART TO HEAVEN’. Known by many as the Organ Lady, she said: “I may not be totally perfect, but parts of me are excellent. That is why I have signed up, to donate upon my death, my healthy human organs, as a last gift of love.” “In my campaign too, I say, ‘No One Would have to Die Waiting For Organ’ and ‘Caring Society Meets Organ Need’, and that no amount of financial resource or medical expertise can provide organs if society is unwilling to donate. It is indeed a blessing to others in need, even after death, a privilege.”
Another of Lily’s campaign is ‘Waiting in vain for gift of sight and let others see through your eyes’. “Don’t waste good eyes. Human beings are the only suitable donors. By donating your eyes to be used for transplantation after your death, you can give up to as many as 10 humans a chance to see. Give the gift of sight to the sightless. It is sad to see that many Sabahans, encountering blindness are waiting anxiously for cornea transplants.. .mostly they wait in vain because there have only been three local donors when in fact, most persons can donate or receive corneas irrespective of age, sex and race. The need to wear glasses or contact lenses should not prevent donation.
“Every organ that is not donated and retrieved represents not only a certain death or continued disability but also an increased drain on society’s health care resources,” she added. According to her research, the transplant situation in Malaysia had existed for 25 years since the first transplant at General Hospital Kuala Lumpur in 1975. Unfortunately only 750 transplants have been done to date, only about 30 a year. “On artificial respiratory support, a brain-dead person may look deceptively alive with a heartbeat but is actually dead. This gives relatives false hope. They may refuse organ donation unless they understand the concept of brain death and accept it as death.”
“In a Brain Death study, even with ventilatory life support somatic death and heart stoppage is inevitable. The heart would keep beating, but, only temporarily. Brain death is death. A person certified as brain death is dead. However, some types of coma, for example, persistent vegetative states, where there is still some braiñstem function, is not brain death,” she said. The Human Tissues Act 1974, allows organ retrieval from those who have died if the next of kin does not object. Dr Lily further said: “If you tell your family of your wish to be an organ donor in the event of death, it would make the process less painful for them to agree to organ donation, knowing in their hearts they are doing exactly what you would want, without unnecessary guilt.
“With transplantation, one need no longer be hooked onto a machine several hours a day, several times a week. A transplanted person can travel, be economically productive, excel in sports and have quality life,” she added. Concerned individuals could make a call to a toll free number 1-800-88-9080 for further information, to sign up as an organ donor or see Dr Lily.