16 July 2019

Health Ministry’s incompetence exposed through three issues

Three tragedies, whereby we witnessed an Orang Asli community devastated by epidemic, forced birth controls on Orang Asli women, and the toxic fumes pollution at Pasir Gudang, had transpired simultaneously within a very short span of time, exposing the incompetence of the Health Ministry and Department of Environment (DoE) in dealing with emergencies besides exhibiting a callous attitude towards the indigenous people.

Epidemic devastation of Orang Asli community in Gua Musang

In the tragic case of 15 Orang Asli deaths in Kampung Kuala Koh, Gua Musang, Kelantan, tests confirmed that 3 deaths were due to measles. Why is the Health Ministry still unable to confirm the cause of death for the other 12 Orang Asli’s? When will the investigation reports be disclosed?

According to reports, the Federation of Private Medical Practitioners' Associations Malaysia (FPMPAM) revealed that results from an analysis of local water samples which they had collected showed that the water supply in Kampung Kuala Koh contained manganese concentration of 2.53mg/litre. This figure not only exceeds the Health Ministry’s safety standard, it also severely violates the World Health Organisation (WHO)’s guidelines by being up to 25 times higher than its standard of 0.1mg/litre.

Thus, has the Health Ministry taken any action regarding this matter? Why has it allowed the local water source to become contaminated with manganese to such an extent?

Does this imply that the cause of death of the other 12 Orang Asli’s is not as simple as just a measles infection? Observing how the investigation report appears to be experiencing delays, are the authorities trying to cover up the actual cause of death?

Besides that, there have been reports that the Gua Musang Orang Asli’s have resorted to eating rice with cooking oil. Is the Health Ministry aware of this? Will the Ministry be drafting any policies to take care of the diet and nutrition of the Orang Asli community?

Forced birth control on Orang Asli Women 

Using the premise of reducing pregnancy complications linked to anaemia, Health Minister Dato’ Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad’s defence of his health officials “requesting” Orang Asli women to take birth control medications is absolutely unreasonable. This is a case of putting the cart before the horse.

If the pregnancy of Orang Asli women are at risk of complications arising from anaemia, then it is the Health Ministry’s responsibility to find out how to use haematinics, nutrition and supplements to treat the root of the problem; and not forcibly employ such brutal methods to rob women of their reproductive health. Birth control without consent is a clear abuse of human rights.

MCA urges the Health Ministry to immediately provide an explanation on what the actual rationale and benefits are behind controlling the fertility of Orang Asli women. Can’t the Healthy Ministry come up with pragmatic and humane approaches?

We, hereby solemnly reiterate that the Orang Asli are one of us Malaysians. The government must not discriminate against them because of their ethnicity by abandoning them to their own fate in the hinterlands or subjecting them to inhumane treatment.  

Pasir Gudang toxic fumes contamination incident

On 7 March 2019, toxic fumes emanated from the polluted Sungai Kim Kim in Pasir Gudang. This contamination was only three months apart from the recent toxic fumes incident which broke out again in June, thereby indicating that the Ministry of Health was obviously negligent in executing its duty of preventing another hazardous air incident as well as performing crisis management.

(i) Irrespective of the Sungai Kim Kim incident or the latest toxic fumes contamination, both the Ministry of Health and Department of Environment (DoE) failed to take action of informing local residents of preventive measures, thereby leaving the community overwhelmed with emotional pressures and livelihood losses when the incident struck again. Does the Health Ministry and DoE hold the identical “advice” dished out by the Johor Menteri Besar to just “shut the doors and windows and all will be fine?”

As a responsible government, both should have first consulted experts in this field and issue a formal notice, clearly informing the residents of symptoms arising from inhaling hazardous gas and the appropriate action that should be taken, rather than advising residents to stay indoors!

(ii) Responding to the breathing difficulties, fits and myokymia suffered by a 12-year old boy after he was believed to have been exposed to the toxic pollution, the Health Ministry, without any proof, had claimed that there are was no evidence linking his condition to the Sungai Kim Kim pollution. However, so far, the Health Ministry has not been able to clearly provide any evidence that his case is totally unrelated with the two toxic pollution incidents.

The cases highlighted above prove that on matters dealing mass deaths or with the hazardous gas outbreak, both the Ministry of Health and DoE failed to adopt the principle of transparency, nor distinctively inform the local residents about the seriousness of the matter, preventive measures and others. It had failed to effectively and adequately safeguard the lives and safety of the public.

Additionally, the measures taken in response to these cases reveal that this is not the first time that the Ministry of Health or DoE attempt to shirk responsibility ie lacking in humanity when treating the local community. Such shortcomings by the Health Ministry and DoE are certainly most disappointing and could have been avoided.

In response to the recent outbreak of Influenza A and malaria, what is the Health Ministry’s policy on addressing these cases? The Health Ministry is urged not to wait until things get out of hand before taking action, otherwise, it may be too late should there be complications, and even, mortalities!

Dato’ Dr Mah Hang Soon
MCA Deputy President

-MCA online-