2 theSun | WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 17 2008

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HIV – Task force to study WHO recommendations

by Faith Labunda
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
PETALING JAYA: A special task force
is studying recommendations by the
World Health Organisation (WHO) on
measures to curb the rise of Human
Immuno-deficiency Virus (HIV) cases
among Malaysian women, Health
Minister Datuk Liow Tiong Lai said
yesterday
He said the task force, which was
set up recently, has been given until
April next year to submit their find-
ings and recommendations.
Liow said the government’s
concerns now were in heterosexual
relations, a major factor in the rise of
HIV infections among women.
“HIV infections among women
have risen from 5.02% in 1997 to
16.3% in 2007 – a big jump in a
short time,” he told reporters after
launching the national-level World
AIDS Day yesterday.
Statistics show that out of the
16.3% of women infected, 60% of
them are married women and 40%
are housewives.
“We must ‘empower’ women
in facing HIV Aids, especially in the
prevention of HIV,” said Liow, who
noted that some women were not
fully aware of the disease.
Meanwhile, he said until Septem-
ber this year, there has been a cum-
mulative 83,527 reported cases of
HIV infections, of which 14,317 have
turned into full-blown AIDs leading
to 12,245 deaths.
However, there was a decrease
in newly-detected HIV cases in the
last five years, from 6,978 cases in
2002 to 4,549 cases in 2007 due to
Liow looks at
a poster after
the launch of
the national
level World
AIDS Day
at Sunway,
Petaling Jaya,
yesterday.
the government’s efforts in curtailing run HIV tests on about one million
the sharing of syringes among drug people next year.
addicts. The government will also help
Liow urged the public, especially non-government organisations to set
those in high-risk groups, to make up voluntary, counselling and testing
a point of going for HIV screening, facilities as well as provide training
adding that the ministry expects to and HIV screening test kits.

Najib:
authority among officials in the public
sector as this will directly reduce the
opportunity for corruption or corrupt
practices.
He said allowing competitive
bidding for tenders and contracts would
significantly reduce the use of such
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah
Ahmad Badawi in his efforts to achieve
higher levels of integrity in the country.”
“We must also ensure that every ringgit
spent brings value to the government and
the people,” he said.
All expertise and knowledge relating

Implement
authority by officials.
“We should hold on to our integrity
and values to support the strengthening
of integrity in the procurement system,”
said Najib at the Treasury Department’s
Quality Day at the Finance Ministry
to management of the economy and the
country’s finance must be consolidated for
decisions to be made more accurately.
Najib also urged Finance Ministry staff
to look at solving problems in a more
creative and innovative manner.

competitive
yesterday.
He said Treasury staff should reduce
their power to make decisions based
on discretionary authority
to avoid corruption and
achieve higher levels
of integrity.
“Under the current global economic
conditions, we must use our mental
capability to come up with more creative
ideas,” he said.
He added that efficiency at the Finance
Ministry will cause other ministries
to also improve their performances,

bidding
Najib said especially matters involving funds to
among the implement projects for development.
ways to reduce “The ministry and its staff need
discretionary to be efficient. As a central agency
authority was that serves other ministries, our
to implement efficiency will result in others
by Tim Leonard competitive bidding. being efficient.
newsdesk@thesundaily.com “Reducing “Even I often remind
discretionary myself that I too play a
PUTRAJAYA: Corruption among authority role in the process of
civil servants can be avoided by will also efficiency,” he said.
implementing competitive bidding help Najib said the
on government projects and coming year will be
reducing the use of discretionary very challenging for the
authority, Deputy Prime Minister ministry as the people
Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said have high hopes on the
yesterday. government to lessen
Najib, who is also finance Najib presents the Best Quality Award to the remuneration policy, public the impacts of a global
minister, said the government money and management services division represented by Datuk Za’ ba Che economic slowdown on
wants less use of discretionary Ros in conjunction with the Treasury Department’s Quality Day in Putrajaya. the domestic front.

United Nation’s Security Council, coupled with

briefs
Second child for
Khairy Jamaluddin
KUALA LUMPUR: Rembau Member of Parlia-
ment Khairy Jamaluddin was yesterday blessed
with a second son named Timor Abdullah, a
name taken from an Uzbek warrior, Amir Temur,
from the Middle Ages.
The wife of the Umno Youth vice-head, Nori
Abdullah, delivered the child at 4.15pm at the
Pantai Medical Centre (PMC) here.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad
Badawi visited his daughter at PMC and was
happy with the birth of his sixth grandchild.
Abdullah’s eldest son, Datuk Kamaluddin
Abdullah and his wife, Datin Azreen, have four
children.
Khairy and Nori had their first child, Jibreil
Ali Jamaluddin Abu Bakar, on Sept 13 last year.
– Bernama
PM scheduled to visit Iran
on Dec 21
PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah
Ahmad Badawi is scheduled to make an official
visit to Iran for three days from Dec 21.
Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim said
it is to strengthen bilateral ties and explore joint
venture opportunities between the corporate
sectors of the two countries.
“Sanctions imposed on the country by the
political developments in the United States,
make it necessary for Malaysia to see from
near what businesses can be explored without
causing any misunderstanding.
“Matters relating to war implements or the
nuclear industry are out but other opportunities
like education, housing and other businesses
can be explored,” he said. – Bernama
Decision on PAS MP’s
defamation suit on Dec 23
KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court will deliver
on Dec 23 its decision in a defamation suit
brought by PAS member of parliament for
Pokok Sena Mahfuz Omar against Utusan
Melayu Berhad and its group chief editor.
Judicial Commissioner Mohd Yazid Mus-
tafa fixed the date after hearing submissions
from Mahfuz’s counsel, Mohamed Hanipa
Maidin, and M. Reza Hassan, for the defend-
ants.
Mahfuz, in his suit filed in 2001, named
the then group chief editor of Utusan Malaysia
and Mingguan Malaysia, Datuk Khalid Mohd,
and the publisher of the daily, Utusan Melayu
Berhad, as defendants. In his statement of
claim, Mahfuz said that Khalid had deliber-
ately and maliciously allowed the publication
and printing of words in the article, headlined
“Demonstrasi Mahfuz isytihar bersama
Keadilan”, which defamed him in the Utusan
Malaysia on March 4, 2001.
The defendants claimed that the article
which was published was true in terms of
content and fact and denied that it was
defamatory. – Bernama