Ugly truth awaits beauticians

BY LOH FOON FONG 
FOONFONG@THESTAR.COM.MY

For video on story:
http://www.thestar.com.my/Home/Videos/2013/06/29/Aesthetic-medical-amendment.aspx

KUALA LUMPUR: Beauty centre operators and non-doctors found to be practising aesthetic medicine could be fined up to RM50,000 or jailed for up to two years once the amendments to the Medical (Amendment) Act 2012 and its regulations come into operation before year-end.

Health Ministry officials said Section 33 of the Medical (Amendment) Act 2012 stated that first-time offenders could be fined not more than RM50,000 and jailed not more than two years while the fine could increase to not more than RM100,000 and jail term to not more than three years for second-time offenders.

Deputy health director-general Datuk Dr S. Jeyaindran said the ministry was in its final stages of drafting the regulations following the amendments passed in Parliament in June last year.

“Beauticians can be hauled up by the Malaysian Medical Council (MMC) if they portray themselves as doctors or they carry out procedures that only doctors can do under the guidelines on aesthetic medical practice,” he said during a press conference at the 2nd Malaysia-Singapore Conference of Aesthetic Medicine yesterday.

Dr Jeyaindran was asked if the ministry was taking any action to address loopholes in the law that did not penalise beauty centre owners who conducted invasive cosmetic procedures.

The Star recently reported that consumer bodies urged that they and untrained doctors be criminalised for carrying out the procedures.

Recently, guidelines on aesthetic medical practice was introduced and doctors who carried out the procedures and did not have the credentials to do so would be hauled up by the MMC for breach of professional code of practice.

Dr Jeyaindran said the first batch of 22 doctors had been registered with the National Registry of Registered Medical Practitioners Practising Aesthetic Medicine.

‘Decriminalise drug use and we can stop spread of HIV’

The Star
Published: Friday June 28, 2013 MYT 12:00:00 AM 
Updated: Friday June 28, 2013 MYT 8:46:27 AM

BY LOH FOON FONG 
FOONFONG@THESTAR.COM.MY

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia may have to decriminalise drug use if it wants to further prevent the spread of HIV, said Malaysian AIDS Foundation chairman Prof Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman.

Doing this would encourage drug users to step forward to be tested and treated, she said.

“We need a more balanced approach to some of these challenges,” she said at a press conference to announce the 7th IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention 2013.

The event, which runs from Sunday to July 3, will gather scientists worldwide to share the latest findings on HIV/AIDS.

Francoise Barre-Sinoussi, a 2008 Nobel co-recipient for the HIV discovery, will lead the conference in finding a cure.

Dr Adeeba, the local co-chair and IAS 2013 director, said the authorities should target drug traffickers rather than users.

She said more work was needed to be carried out among men who had sex with other men as well as sex workers.

The relevant ministries needed to deal with the issues openly despite the cultural and religious challenges, she said.

“There are some difficulties about being open and discussing what needs to be done for these groups,” she said.

Health Ministry senior principal assistant director HIV/STI Dr Anita Suleiman said Malaysia was on track to achieve the target for the Millennium Development Goals in bringing down new HIV infections.

She said the target was 11 per 100,000 population by 2015 but last year, Malaysia achieved 11.7 per 100,000, down from 22 per 100,000 in 2000, thanks to free treatment given by the Government.

Mum thanks HKL for fifth C-section

The Star
Published: Saturday June 22, 2013 MYT 12:00:00 AM 
Updated: Saturday June 22, 2013 MYT 11:14:23 AM

BY LOH FOON FONG
foonfong@thestar.com.my

Going gaga: Sri Morni showing her son to HKL staff members during the anniversary celebrations.

KUALA LUMPUR: Sri Morni Abdullah did not plan to have another child after her fourth one and was shocked that she was pregnant last year.

This was because she had been advised by her doctor not to have another child as a fifth Caesarean section would pose a high risk to her and the baby.

“My earlier doctor did not want to follow up on my case as it was too risky so I decided to go to Hospital Kuala Lumpur (HKL),” said the businesswoman during the maternity hospital’s 50th anniversary celebrations yesterday.

“It was a frightening experience,” she added.

The 38-year-old grateful mother attended the event with her six-month-old son Qays Ashir Mishary Asmadi and her husband Asmadi Abdul Rahman, 37.

The doctor at HKL explained the risk to her and asked whether she would want to abort the baby but she decided to go ahead with the pregnancy and was admitted for close monitoring for two months before her delivery on Nov 19 last year.

Sri Morni stayed another two months after the delivery.

Despite her success story as well as others in other countries, who had more than 10 C-sections, HKL Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department head Datuk Dr J. Ravindran said a fifth C-section was rare and patients were advised to stop after the third C-section.

“A C-section could cause low-lying placenta that could block birth passage or that the placenta could stick to the womb and lead to severe bleeding and death and this risk increases with each procedure,” he said.

Sri Morni had severe bleeding during the C-section but the team at the hospital had prepared for all possible complications and managed to address the problem, he said, adding that pregnant women with these risks must deliver in a hospital.

Dr Ravindran said in the last 50 years, HKL had helped 12,462 mothers deliver babies safely and 28% of them were carried out through C-section compared with the nationwide average of 22% to 25%.

He said the increase was due to mothers requesting for it or they had complications or had diabetes and had large babies or that some doctors opt for it for medico-legal defence.

Minors can be charged with possession of illegal firearms

THE sTAR

BY ELWEEN LOKE AND LOH FOON FONGNEWSDESK@THESTAR.COM.MY

IPOH: Minors are not exempt from being charged with illegal firearms possession and their parents can be held responsible too, says Federal Internal Security and Public Order director Comm Datuk Seri Salleh Mat Rasid.

He said illegal firearms possession was a serious offence and minors caught for possessing them could still be prosecuted.

“We will refer to the Firearms Act, whether legal action can be taken against parents for failing to monitor their children,” he said after attending the closing ceremony of the orang aslibasic constable training course in Ulu Kinta here yesterday.

It was reported that the Perak Customs Department seized five air rifles with brass pellets at the Ipoh post office on Saturday.

A 15-year-old schoolboy was picked up for ordering the rifles without an import permit. He has been released on bail.

Meanwhile, the Customs Depart­ment said the usual items seized during postal checks included illegal drugs, flick knives, daggers and imitation or toy pistols.

Customs deputy director-general (enforcement and compliance) Datuk Matrang Suhaili said that the items were normally discovered when Customs officers witness the checking of packages by Pos Malaysia staff.

“These items are normally sent as souvenirs. When they are seized, the recipients will be notified that the items are prohibited in the country,” he added.

Matrang said the illegal drugs were left unclaimed because the recipients realised that they could be arrested.

“If you want to import items that may be deemed prohibited under the law, please check with Customs first,” he said, adding that information on these items could be found at airport and post office counters.

According to Pos Malaysia, some items that are allowed to be sold and used in some countries are prohibited in Malaysia.

The list of prohibited items include:

>explosives, inflammable, noxious, filthy, or harmful substances and sharp instruments not properly protected;

>arms and their component parts;

>dangerous drugs; and

>indecent or obscene articles.

Ipoh teenager Tang Sze Lin wins Commonwealth essay competition

The Star
Published: Thursday June 20, 2013 MYT 7:30:00 AM 
Updated: Friday July 12, 2013 MYT 3:59:29 PM

BY LOH FOON FONG

PETALING JAYA: Ipoh teenager Tang Sze Lin (pix) has come up tops in the Commonwealth Women in Leadership Essay Competition in Bangladesh.

Tang, 16, the eldest of three siblings, had written on the topic, “How and Why Government Should Encourage Women Owned Enterprises.” She won in the 15 to 17-year-old category.

“I am really happy to win this and bring good name to my country,” Tang said in a press statement issued by the Family and Community Development Ministry on Wednesday.

Tang said her love for writing and surfing the Internet drove her to join the competition.

She said her mother was also her inspiration that led to her joining the competition.

Tang's businessman father, Tang San Seng, said her daughter had won many writing awards at school, district and state levels.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina presented the prizes during the 10th Commonwealth Women's Affairs Ministers Meeting June 17 to 19 in Dhaka.

Tang received a trophy and a sponsored air ticket to the meeting.

Organised by the Commonwealth Secretariat, the theme this year focused on engaging the youth in promoting gender equality and women's empowerment within the Commonwealth.

Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Rohani Haji Abdul Karim said the Ministry was proud of Tang's achievement.

Rohani, who led a delegation to the meeting, said she hoped Tang would be an inspiration to the young, especially women, in achieving success.

She also urged more youngsters to join national and international competitions to sharpen their talents and build leadership skills. Nigerian Nonyem Obiageli Odili won a trophy for coming out first under the 18-29 age category.

The competition, carried out annually, received participation from 24 Commonwealth countries.

Doc: Cost to repair botched cosmetic ops could be much more

The Star

By SHAUN HO and LOH FOON FONG
newsdesk@thestar.com.my

PETALING JAYA: Operations to repair cosmetic surgeries often cost four times more than the botched operation.

For example, a mastectomy to remove a damaged breast and saline implants to reshape it can cost at least RM40,000, said Dr Selvaraj Y Subramaniam, the president of Society for Anti-Aging, Aesthetic and Regenerative Medicine Malaysia.

He said victims had paid more than RM6,000 for botched boob jobs and more than RM4,000 for work on their faces.

He said most cases of failed cosmetic procedures were facial, breast and penile enlargement.

Dr Selvaraj said in such cases, silicone or other substances were injected directly into the body by unqualified people.

The substances disfigure patients over time as they move about in the body.

Numerous cases of botched cosmetic surgeries done in beauty salons, hotel rooms and even homes, had been reported over the years.

Although the Health Ministry had been cracking down on such procedures they were still being performed in beauty salons.

Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said on Friday that beauticians were not allowed to perform procedures invasive or otherwise that were specified to be undertaken by registered medical practitioners.

Malaysian Society of Aesthetic Medicine president Dr Chin Shih Choonsaid that the most common complications received from patients who suffered from botched cosmetic procedures were chemical burns from acid or untrained laser or intense pulsed light (IPL) use.

Dr Chin said that if the patients were lucky, they could be treated but might need prolonged treatment costing a lot of money.

Getting tough on beauty industry

By DERRICK VINESH
derrickvinesh@thestar.com.my

SUNGAI PETANI: The Health Ministry will step up enforcement against unqualified persons who perform cosmetic procedures.

Minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam said he was disappointed that enforcement was rather lax.

He said consumers seeking such treatment should also get better information before undergoing them.

“There is a line between pure ordinary cosmetics and things that border on the realms of medicine.

“When it borders on the latter, then it can only be carried out by qualified doctors and those with the necessary skills,” he said when commenting on yesterday's front page report in The Star.

Dr Subramaniam, who had earlier opened the Asean Dengue Day celebrations at the Inland Revenue Board office here, said a person who performed cosmetic procedures that were deemed medical in nature without any qualification or experience could be taken to court.

“We will definitely make sure that non-qualified persons do not indulge in activities that can endanger patients and do things beyond their scope of expertise.

“They should just confine themselves to supplying creams and washing faces and not do anything that involves surgery,” he said.

Dr Subramaniam said the ministry was quite clear on the matter, adding that it would expedite preparation of the proposed Cosmetics Bill.

On dengue, he said the ministry has introduced an i-Denggi portal to allow the public to access information on cases in real time.

“Those who access the portal will be able to know the exact location of a suspected case.

“This will enable the people, especially those living in the same neighbourhood, to take precautionary steps,” he said adding that the data would be updated regularly.

Currently, people in a neighbourhood only knew that someone in their area was down with dengue fever when Health Department personnel send out notices prior to fogging the place.

Dr Subramaniam also said the ministry would target high-risk dengue areas to step up enforcement and conduct awareness programmes.

Nip and tuck at your own risk (front page)

 By LOH FOON FONG

foonfong@thestar.com.my

PETALING JAYA: Any kind of surgery bears some risk but for cosmetic procedures, the brunt of it is borne by the person who chooses to undergo it.

An unqualified person who performs cosmetic surgery or non-surgical procedures cannot be made to face criminal charges even if the patient dies or is disfigured as a result of a botched job.

There are no direct laws now to prevent such cases from happening or to bring the unscrupulous to book, although the Health Ministry has powers to act under the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act (PHFSA) 1998 and also the Medical Act 1971 if doctors are found to be involved.

Fomca deputy president Muhammad Sha'ani Abdullah said such risks must be stopped, adding that unqualified persons who carry out such procedures should face criminal charges.

“How can someone without a medical background take a scalpel and cut into a person?” he asked.

Muhammad Sha'ani said stringent action should also be taken against doctors who performed such procedures despite not being trained in the field.

He said the death of Jane Lim Mei Jiuan, 46, last Saturday should alert the authorities to act.

Lim, a mother of two who underwent a breast enlargement surgery at a beauty clinic here, reportedly died after complications during the operation.

Muhammad Sha'ani said the Health Ministry recently released guidelines on aesthetic medicine should be made enforceable by law.

Noting the use of misleading advertising, inappropriate marketing and unsafe practices, he said the ministry also must also regulate the promotion of cosmetic treatments.

Ratna Devi Nadarajan, CEO of the Malaysian Association of Standards Users, urged punitive measures against violators to be incorporated in a Bill governing beauty salon operators.

A task of the association is to establish awareness on the importance of standards for the safety of consumers and sustainability of industries.

Ratna said the ministry should maintain a list of blacklisted practitioners on its website, stressing that any laws enforced must have administrative measures that promote compliance.

Medical Defence Malaysia director Dr Milton Lum said no authority was governing beauty salon operators.

“The Health Ministry and the Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumerism Ministry have to come up with some measures to oversee these centres. If there are no regulations, the centres will do anything they like,” he said.

He said the people should also be better educated on choosing the beauticians in seeking such treatments.

Dr Chin Shih Choon, president of the Malaysian Society of Aesthetic Medicine, advised people to be more careful in picking doctors for cosmetic procedures.

He said for liposuction, the procedure was usually done by a plastic surgeon in a hospital.

“It should not be undertaken by an untrained doctor because complications could result from the use of the general anaesthetic, from a fat embolism (which happens when fatty tissue blocks an artery or capillaries of organs) or from a perforated organ,” he said.

Dr Chin said he had been receiving about two or three patients with complications resulting from botched cosmetic procedures each month.

Ministry has powers to take action

PETALING JAYA: The Health Ministry has no direct control over beauticians and beauty centres carrying out cosmetic procedures but has powers to take action against them.

Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said that action could be taken under the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act (PHFSA) 1998 and regulations under it.

He said action could also be taken against medical practitioners under the Medical Act 1971, if doctors were found to be involved.

Dr Noor Hisham said that the PHFSA provided rules and controls on private healthcare facilities and services, noting that they required services to be provided by registered doctors such as dermatologists, plastic surgeons or other recognised medical practitioners.

He said beauticians were not allowed to do procedures, invasive or otherwise, which are specified to be done by registered medical practitioners.

“These procedures should be carried out based on the registered medical practitioners' qualifications to practise medicine and surgery and or use any instrument,” he said.

Under the recently released Guidelines on Aesthetic Medical Practice, doctors performing aesthetic medicine need to be registered with the ministry.

“Those performing procedures not according to the minimum level of competence specified in the guidelines will be committing an offence under the Code of Professional Conduct and subject to disciplinary action by the Malaysian Medical Council,” he added.

The doctors are also subjected to other related laws governing medical practice such as the Medical Act 1971, the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act 1998, the Medical Device Act, and the Code of Professional Conduct.

Rocking oysters

The Star

Story and photos by LOH FOON FONG 

foonfong@thestar.com.my

A simple dressing of lime juice and Ah Chuan’s homemade chilli sauce is all that is needed for this raw oyster.

These molluscs come big and fresh in Sekinchan.

BEING a sucker for raw oysters, I was thrilled to hear that we could get fresh oysters in our backyard.

Not one who knew about oyster species, I decided to check it out anyway in Sekinchan recently. At Station 15 in Bagan Sekinchan (bagan means fishing village in Bahasa Malaysia) where the oysters were served, I was greeted by Loo Lee Chuan, or Ah Chuan, as he’s known, at his makeshift eatery.

Ah Chuan, 43, said that people knew Station 15 as the only place that currently offers raw oysters in Sekinchan.

The oyster feasting den fronts a pier where fishing boats dock. As half-naked men went about finishing their work for the day, Ah Chuan tapped on an oyster shell before prising it open. It was meaty.

He then washed it under running tap water and served it with lime and a homemade chilli dip.

Ah Chuan said that workers would go in small boats to rocky sites with an axe to harvest oysters.

“They can only collect the oysters during low tide,” he said, adding that harvesting could only be done 14 days a month and workers could reap around 3,000 oysters during that time.

The oysters were supplied by his fishermen friends and would be served within the day.

“The biggest oyster that fishermen here have come across weighed 3kg,” said Ah Chuan.

Ah Chuan showing oysters that have been prised open at his shop.

A normal-sized oyster weighs around 200g, which is considered small, while a medium one weighs 400g to 500g, he said. It takes four months for an oyster to grow to 200g, while the big ones are more than a year old.

The small oysters are priced from RM3 to RM6.

Ah Chuan served me one the size of half my fist, which was double or triple the size of the imported oysters I had eaten before.

I had never seen one that big for consumption. As I scooped the oyster into my mouth and bit into it, one portion of it felt luscious like abalone mushroom while another part was a combination of sorts – it had a seductive cheesy cream texture with a tinge of bitter, tangy and fresh sea flavour.

In short, glorious.

Ah Chuan, a fruit seller, said he started offering raw oysters and seafood dishes 11 months ago. For my dinner, he had also whipped up big prawns fried with black sauce, curry crabs (kum heong) and lala mee sua soup.

For me, the best way to enjoy the sweetness of fresh seafood was to eat it raw, as with the oysters, while the other items could either be boiled or stir-fried with a little seasoning. Ah Chuan’s dishes met my needs.

The flavour of the noodle soup was unusual and it took me a while to appreciate it. It was sour and a little salty, and reminded me of a balsamic vinegar dressing in salads.

Ah Chuan said that he had chosen the best mee sua he could find and it was from Rawang.

“The mee sua doesn’t expand and become soggy,” he said, adding that the noodles were already salted, so there was no need to add any salt.

This was also the first time I had seen lala on the shell compared to the often shrunken ones served in the city, which was a sign that they had been frozen for sometime.

The meal for two came up to a decent RM40, a price that I would certainly not find in Kuala Lumpur.

Ah Chuan said that people should call before coming to the restaurant to ensure there was enough fresh supply of seafood.

“I want people to take their time and enjoy the best here.”

Besides the dishes, Ah Chuan also sells prawn crackers which he fries himself.

Ah Chuan gives out his business card and said people could treat it as a “membership” card to his outlet. He also distributes the cards at Pantai Redang where he sells fruits.

In recent years, Sekinchan has been noticed as a holiday destination offering fishing villages, padi fields and bird watching as its attractions.

Sekinchan state assemblyman Ng Suee Lim has taken a personal interest in promoting tourism there and in the last five years, tourist numbers have increased.

Restaurants have sprouted up and busloads of tourists have been arriving in the small town. Ng said that he had also prepared a booklet on Sekinchan.

STATION 15
15 Lorong 10
Bagan Sekinchan
Sekinchan
Selangor
Tel: 019-644 7494

Health D-G: Be fully informed before undergoing cosmetic surgery

The Star

By LOH FOON FONG

foonfong@thestar.com.my

PETALING JAYA: Those going for cosmetic procedures must be fully informed about the risks and benefits involved, said Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.

He said aesthetic surgeries had li­mitations and possible complications.

He added that aesthetic surgical procedures required general anaesthesia, invasive entrance and mani­pulation of the body – and occasionally there could be problems related to fluid overload, low blood pressure, blood clots and drug interactions.

On Saturday, Jane Lim Mei Jiuan, 46, underwent a breast enlargement cosmetic surgery here but died alle­gedly due to complications.

Dr Noor Hisham said before proceeding with an aesthetic proce­­dure or surgery, patients should know the procedure involved, where it would be performed and who was the doctor performing the surgery.

Customers must also know what results could be reasonably expected from the procedure and its possible risks.

He added that the ministry had not received any report from the family members relating to Lim’s death.

“I have asked my officer in the Medical Practice Division to investigate this. Until I have a full report, I cannot make a statement,” he said.

Dr Noor Hisham said the ministry received few reports on botched cases – three complaints this year and one last year, which were captured from the media.

All the cases involved women, ages 20 to 40, and they suffered complications from liposuction and cosmetic surgeries, he added.

Two cases which resulted in deaths were received in 2004 and 2009 involving ethical issue and breach of Code of Professional Conduct, he said.

MCA Public Services and Com­plaints Department Datuk Seri Michael Chong said he received 11 complaints last year and two this year.

The cases involved liposuction complications, laser burns, facial or body scarring or allergic reactions, he added.

‘Not right to blame vernacular schools’

The Star

By LOH FOON FONG
foonfong@thestar.com.my

KUALA LUMPUR: The MCA National Youth Education Bureau has made a police report against the Malay-Muslim Consumer Association and 130 NGOs for allegedly making seditious statements on vernacular schools.

Its chief Chong Sin Woon said the association and NGOs had demanded that the Government allow only one schooling system and alleged that vernacular schools were the main reason for disunity among Malaysians.

“This is not true,” said Chong who told the press outside the Dang Wangi police station after making the report at 3pm yesterday.

Chong said the allegations appeared yesterday in a Malay and three Chinese newspapers and urged police to investigate the matter under the Sedition Act 1948.

Moreover, Chong said the content was based on the national syllabus set by the Education Ministry while Chinese school students would go to the national school after their primary level.

He said that people should strive for the national reconciliation as called for by the Prime Minister and not fan racial enmity.

MCA Youth chairman Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong said the call for a single stream education system was extremist and inflammatory.

“No one should try to create confrontations by oversimplifying the problem of national unity by blaming it on mother-tongue education,” he said in a statement.

He said that the joint statement urging the government to close down all vernacular schools and regulate all private school materials so racial unity could be achieved had slighted the emotions of the Chinese.

Dr Wee pointed that the Federal Constitution provided for such education under Article 152, which allowed for the teaching and learning of other languages without any prohibition.

“Any move to question or obstruct the learning of mother-tongue education is disrespectful to the basic rights of the various communities in Malaysia,” he said.

He said that these groups should be severely condemned and be investigated by the police.

Dr Wee also said that about 14% of non-Chinese also studied in Chinese schools.

Health Ministry: No travel restrictions to Saudi Arabia over coronavirus scare

By LOH FOON FONG
foonfong@thestar.com.my

Health deputy director general (Public Health) Datuk Dr Lokman Hakim Sulaiman.

PUTRAJAYA: No travel restrictions have been imposed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on travel to Saudi Arabia following the recent Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) scare but the Health Ministry is taking the needed precautions.

Health deputy director general (Public Health) Datuk Dr Lokman Hakim Sulaimansaid that the Health Ministry was taking the necessary precaution by increasing communications with travel agencies for the Umrah and potential Haj travellers.

"We are ready for the Ramadan season," he said in a press conference after its excellent service awards ceremony here on Tuesday.

Dr Lokman also said that the Ministry had also enhanced its surveillance capacity and increased the capacity of its laboratories to detect the virus.

On June 5, the WHO issued an update to its travel recommendations for MERS-CoV previously published on May 20.

Since September 2012, more than 50 cases of MERS-CoV have been identified globally and about half of these people had died.

All cases identified so far have had either a direct or indirect connection with the Middle East.

Private healthcare providers welcome government collaboration

The Star

By LOH FOON FONG
foonfong@thestar.com.my

KUALA LUMPUR: Private healthcare providers welcome the Government's intention to collaborate with them so that there would be greater access to healthcare nationwide.

Malaysian Medical Association president Datuk Dr N.K.S. Tharmaseelansaid the potential was huge for such collaborations and it would help improve the quality, accessibility and availability of healthcare services, while bringing down the cost of such services.

“Civil servants should be able to seek private healthcare services which in turn will reduce congestion at public hospitals,” he said.

On Thursday, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam said the Government was considering the collaboration.

He said that they were looking into whether outpatients in the ministry's system could get treatment from the private sector through government sponsorship.

Hesaid the ministry would also re-visit details of a request by the private sector for them to provide healthcare for 1Malaysia Clinics.

Doctors in the private sector had complained that the Government had spent a lot of money to set up new 1Malaysia Clinics when it could have used their services instead.

Association of Private Hospitals Malaysia president Datuk Dr Jacob Thomas said the ministry and Pemandu were already supporting some of these moves.

“We look forward to meeting with the minister to explore more avenues on the partnership,” he said.

Fomca deputy president Muhammad Sha'ani Abdullah said the Government should hasten the partnership as it had been talking about universal healthcare access for more than 20 years.

“In the past, we have recommended that the Government, employers and employees contribute to the fund for the universal healthcare,” he said.

“The main reason it was delayed was because the Government could not decide on the financing model.”

McDonald’s has always catered to different ethnicities, says veep

The Star

By LOH FOON FONG and WONG WEI-SHEN 

foonfong@thestar.com.my

(Check out a video made which has my exclusive interview with Pat Harris and how the work of the civil rights movement in the United States has benefited McDonald's) 

PETALING JAYA: Putting people of different ethnicities and women into the McDonald's Corporation workforce is what drives the company's Global Chief Diversity Officer Pat Harris.

She said that since she was roped in by Mel Hopson, the first affirmative action director in the corporation, to undertake the task in 1985 by joining his team, she had soared in her career.

“McDonald's was one of the first companies to hire an affirmative action director because it recognised that it was good for our business as we saw more diverse customers coming to our restaurants,” said Harris, who was at the McDonald's headquarters here yesterday to give a talk to the staff on incorporating diversity.

She will speak at the 2013 Global Women Summit here, which begins today and will end on Saturday.

Harris, who is also the corporation's vice-president, led a team that developed and implemented diversity strategies throughout McDonald's worldwide, making sure that all employees as well as customers felt valued and respected.

They’re lovin’ it: Casanova (right) and Harris opine that diversity has played a crucial role in McDonald’s success.

When she first started out, there were fewer women as well as blacks, Hispanics and Asians in the workforce and there were fears that jobs would be taken away from white Americans who did not realise that there were so many opportunities for everyone, she said.

Harris said she got Hopson to change the name from affirmative action department to diversity management department as the company would make better progress with it.

She began visiting restaurants throughout the United States with Hopson and talking to general managers and others on what they needed to do to bring in more women and people of colour into the restaurants and offices.

The work of the team was the reason for the company's diversity today, she said.

Harris, who had worked for the company for 37 years, documented the story in 2009 in a book None of us is as good as all of us How McDonald's prospers by embracing inclusion and diversity.

The diversity was further spurred on with the setting up of its Global Women's Initiative in 2006 where they had engaged women leaders around the globe and incorporated women throughout the McDonald's global system.

Its past chairman Fred Turner changed how women were treated in McDonald's he was responsible for the training sessions as early as in the mid-70s which facilitated workshops on leaderships and encouraged value and respect for women and diversity, she said.

McDonald's regional manager Sarah Casanova said that in Malaysia, 50% of its top management were women, adding that the adoption of diversity had contributed to the doubling of profits and sales in the last three years.